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Views from the Choir Loft

Saving the Church, One Choir at a Time

Dr. Alfred Calabrese · August 29, 2018

87756 alfred calabrese IS THE SEASON for choirs that have been on summer hiatus to begin work anew. This year, for the first time ever, I decided to begin our season’s work after Labor Day, never realizing last June when I made that decision how welcome these extra few weeks would be. Welcome, because it’s been hard to digest all the awfulness that’s been going on in our Catholic world, hard to know how to answer the inevitable questions that will come from choir members, those eager to know how “I feel” about this or that. I’ll tell them, of course, that I feel mostly likely just as they do—scandalized, angry, discouraged, fed-up, (did I say angry?). Many will have shed tears. Where’s the good news in all of this?

If you have, like I do, an enlightened and thoughtful pastor, then you’ll have some hope. Mine has talked to us about the strength of the parish, the sanctity of the small community. I believe it. It’s the parish, each exercising its own little “Benedict Option” that will save the Church. And it can start with our choirs. Do not be fooled into thinking there is nothing we can do, lowly church musicians that we may be. We have the power because we’re on the ground, in the parishes. We have credibility. Now is not the time to sit idly by and wring our hands. Now is the time for action. Here are three things you can do with your choir to save the Church.

Sing music of the true faith, both ancient and newly composed.

We have at our disposal a treasure trove of truth and beauty, of tradition and sanctification. The beauty which formed the great saints of old is still ours today. Pope Paul VI said, “The smoke of Satan has entered the Church of God.” And yet, each week we give form to true words and truer faith, to music composed for the ancient and beautiful worship of God. With our collective choral inspirations and exhalations, we can cut through that fetid smoke and drive it away.

Pray with your choir.

Begin and end each rehearsal with prayer. Pray upon entering the church and before Mass. Pray for help, for strength, and for courage. Pray for the Church. Find and use the prayers of old before they are lost, those that remind us of the heroic saints, the noble women and men of brave convictions, before we forget that such a being ever existed.

Teach the children.

Let the little ones come unto you. Teach the youngest among you about the faith. If you have not already done so, form a children’s choir. They will learn so much from you. They are our hope and our future.

On the ground in our parishes and in our choirs is where the truth lies. Let us not retreat. In our choirs we teach, pray, guard and defend, build relationships and create the light. We can save the Church, one choir at a time.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Dr. Alfred Calabrese

Dr. Alfred Calabrese is Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Rita Catholic Church in Dallas, TX. He and his wife have two children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“Another cathedral functionary, a compañero named (coincidentally!) Francisco Guerrero, departs for the New World sometime before June 8, on which date the benefice held by him comes up for a split among three former choirboys whose voices have changed.”

— Chapter Resolution: 14 February 1562

Recent Posts

  • Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
  • Bishop François Charrière Vs. Hannibal Bugnini
  • 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • “My First Year with the Latin Mass” • A Music Director’s Perspective
  • Boston Auxiliary Bishop: “In offering the Traditional Mass for the first time, after removing the vestments, I knelt in the back pew and wept.”

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