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Views from the Choir Loft

Join a Choir! Now!

Richard J. Clark · August 31, 2018

RJC_FaureRequiem R. ALFRED CALABRESE hit the nail on the head this week when he published Saving the Church, One Choir at a Time. Read his article before you read mine (below), especially his three wonderful suggestions on what musicians can do. He also states, “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 the time for action.”

If you are thinking about singing in a choir, now is the time to join one! Join your local parish choir. Just sing. The camaraderie and endorphin rush alone is worth it!) If you are already in a choir, know that your sense of purpose is greater than you know.

Having served in the Archdiocese of Boston in 2002 when the crises hit, I recall that as we made music each week, we made music more fervently. It was a deeply profound prayer that brought us closer to God in time of pain and, yes, anger. It was a prayer no one could take away from us, nor from the faithful who continued to pray at Mass despite frustration, anger and despair.

When you sing in a choir, know that you will impact people’s lives in ways you cannot imagine and likely in ways you will never know. There is no line between sacred music and prayer. Music IS prayer. Preparation is prayer. Do it with love because God is love and God is a prayer.

Join a choir! Rehearsals are the prayer that bond musicians together as one with God.

Y NOW, MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE of my other recent professional developments. Soon I will begin a new role as Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. As a new position in Boston, the Director of Music of the Archdiocese is not a position of power or prestige but of service. Nor is it to micromanage 280+ parishes in the Archdiocese, but to offer guidance and support—liturgical, musical, and pastoral. There will be more about this later at an appropriate time.

While I go with joy to serve in this new role, truth be told, I am in no celebratory mood at this time. My heart breaks, and words cannot describe the unspeakable harm and pain suffered by too many for too long. Fury, anger, and exasperation barely begin to describe the mood of the faithful today.

However, these circumstances only punctuate a call to serve. Giving of ourselves in service is why we do what we do.

IF YOU LIVE AROUND BOSTON, consider joining your parish choir, the Archdiocesan Choir or the Cathedral Choir:

• THE CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS CHOIR WELCOMES NEW SINGERS! (11:30 a.m. Mass.) Ability to read is necessary, but it doesn’t have to be stellar at first. It will improve greatly over time. Ability to sing straight tone when called upon is a huge help. If interested click here to email me.

My first Sunday at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross is Sunday, September 16th. Most fittingly the Cathedral will celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. (The Introit Chant Nos autem gloriari is in order!) As it is the Titular Feast of the Cathedral, the celebration is moved to the nearest Sunday. (Sept. 14)

• THE ARCHDIOCESAN CHOIR WELCOMES NEW SINGERS! Singers from all over the Archdiocese are welcome to sing at special Archdiocesan events.

Coming up soon: Permanent Diaconate Ordination, Saturday, September 29th at 10 a.m. With the Cathedral still under renovation, it will take place at the beautiful Holy Name Parish in West Roxbury. If interested click here to email me.

Soli Deo gloria

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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Richard J. Clark

About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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Surprising Popularity!

One of our most popular downloads has proven to be the organ accompaniment to “The Monastery Hymnal” (131 pages). This book was compiled, arranged, and edited by Achille P. Bragers, who studied at the Lemmensinstituut (Belgium) about thirty years before that school produced the NOH. Bragers might be considered an example of Belgium “Stile Antico” whereas Flor Peeters and Jules Van Nuffel represented Belgium “Prima Pratica.” You can download the hymnal by Bragers at this link.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • To Capitalize…?

In the Introit for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, there is a question regarding whether to capitalize the word “christi.” The Vulgata does not, because Psalm 27 is not specifically referring to Our Lord, but rather to God’s “anointed one.” However, Missals tend to capitalize it, such as the official 1962 Missal and also a book from 1777 called Missel de Paris. Something tells me Monsignor Knox would not capitalize it.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • “Sung vs. Spoken”

We have spoken quite a bit about “sung vs. spoken” antiphons. We have also noted that the texts of the Graduale Romanum sometimes don’t match the Missal texts (in the Extraordinary Form) because the Mass Propers are older than Saint Jerome’s Vulgate, and sometimes came from the ITALA versions of Sacred Scripture. On occasion, the Missal itself doesn’t match the Vulgate—cf. the Introit “Esto Mihi.” The Vulgate has: “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in domum refúgii…” but the Missal and Graduale Romanum use “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in locum refúgii…” The 1970s “spoken propers” use the traditional version, as you can see.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Impelled by the weightiest of reasons, we are fully determined to restore Latin to its position of honor, and to do all We can to promote its study and use. The employment of Latin has recently been contested in many quarters, and many are asking what the mind of the Apostolic See is in this matter. We have therefore decided to issue the timely directives contained in this document, so as to ensure that the ancient and uninterrupted use of Latin be maintained and, where necessary, restored.”

— Pope John XXIII (22 February 1962)

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