Views from the Choir Loft

Summer Sacred Music Workshop 2018

Andrew Leung · May 31, 2018

OUR YEARS AGO, I had the privilege of joining with a group of church music directors in the South and planned the first Summer Sacred Music Workshop for musicians from the Southeastern region of the country. Four years later, this workshop has been continued annually and will happen again this summer in Charlotte, NC. Bridget Scott, a dear friend of mine who planned the very first Workshop and founded the Southeastern Sacred Music (a chapter of the Church Music Association of America), will again lead a team of presenters in this year’s workshop.

This year’s workshop will be hosted by the Cathedral of St. Patrick in Charlotte. The Summer Sacred Music Workshop will be held on July 27-28. This is the furthest north the group have been since its founding in 2015, and they are hoping to attract new participants (music directors, singers, organists, and clergy) from the area.

The annual workshop will explore on a variety of topics, with main focuses on Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony. The 2-days workshop include a Sung Vespers on Friday evening and a Mass celebrated by His Excellency Bishop Peter J. Jugis of the Diocese of Charlotte. The workshop attendees will have the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in these two liturgies. During the break-outs, participants may choose to attend sessions on the following topics:

• Establishing Children’s Choirs – Training up Our Youth in the Catholic Tradition

• Composing Spanish Propers

• Do Amazing Things with a Small Parish Choir – How to get the Most out of your Singers?

• Organ Master Class on Service Playing and other Organ Literature

• Individual Voice Lessons

You can visit the website of the Southeastern Sacred Music for registration; and to find out more about the Summer Sacred Music Workshop 2018 and its presenters. The registration fee is $75 and it covers all materials as well as a light breakfast and lunch on Saturday.

This is a GREAT opportunity to learn more about the music of the Catholic Church. You will also have the chance to meet some phenomenal church musicians who share the same passion as you! DON’T MISS IT!!!

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

About Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

“Music List” • 9 Nov. (Dedic. Lateran)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 9 November 2025, which is the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the sensational feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • Offertory (9 Nov.)

This year, the feast of 9 November replaces the Sunday. The OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF file) for 9 November is exceedingly beautiful. The ‘Laterani’ mansion at Rome was the popes’ residence for a thousand years. The church there still is the cathedral church of Rome—“Mother and Head of all churches of the City and of the World,” says the inscription over the entrance. It is dedicated to Our Holy Savior, but has long been commonly known as “St. John Lateran” owing to its famous baptistery of St. John the Baptist. In this church, the pope’s own ‘cathedra’ (episcopal chair) stands in the apse.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Job Opening • $65,000 per year +

A parish 15 minutes away from me is looking for a choir director and organist. The parish is filled with young families. When I began my career, I would have jumped at such an opportunity! Saint Patrick’s in Grand Haven has a job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year including benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” I lived in Kansas for 15 years, Texas for 10 years, and Los Angeles for 10 years. Michigan is the closest place I know to heaven!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Reminder” — Month of November (2025)

On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Our Father” • Musical Setting?

Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?

—Jeff Ostrowski