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Views from the Choir Loft

Symposium 2019 • “Video Outtakes”

Jeff Ostrowski · August 16, 2019

IKE EVERYONE ELSE, I have my own personal struggles: spiritual, physical, financial, and so forth. I have bad days, like everybody else. But something I like to call to mind—which gives me joy—is the very special “week.” When I refer to “the week,” I’m referencing the Sacred Music Symposium, which is a very happy week that occurs each year. During difficult moments, I often recall the beautiful memories, bringing a smile to my face. Regarding this year’s Symposium, I wish I could express in a particular way my thanks to Andrea, Kevin, Richard, and Alfred for what they did. I’ve tried to express my gratitude to them, but I doubt they know how very special it was—happy memories I shall never forget.

God-willing, we will eventually post the professional audio recordings, as well as the marvelous testimonials from the participants. I say “God-willing” because we can never know the future; today might be my last day on earth. Only the Lord knows.

Until we get the professional recordings posted,
please enjoy the iPhone snippets below!

Maestro Clark, who just travelled across the entire United States, steps off his plane and begins rehearsing a brand new “Ave Maria,” written specifically for the First Mass of Fr. Luc Poirier, FSSP:


Dr. Calabrese rehearsing the Magnificat by Guerrero, in spite of the bells ringing:


Maestro Clark rehearsing part of the Benedictus shortly before the First Mass of Fr. Luc Poirier:


Dr. Calabrese rehearsing what is probably my favorite part of the Palestrina Kyrie, viz. the “Christe” section:


Friends from Las Vegas preparing to teach a course on multi-track recordings:


Dr. Calabrese rehearsing part of the Palestrina Kyrie:


Maestro Clark rehearsing part of the Palestrina Benedictus:


The theme of this year’s conference was “Roman Catholic Hymnody,” and in this clip we sight-read a hymn text by Fr. Dominic Popplewell, FSSP. The pieces in the Brébeuf hymnal are “simple”—for the average choir—but profoundly rewarding to sing:


Alongside the Sacred Music Symposium, Fr. James Fryar, FSSP, always runs an altar server camp with help from FSSP seminarians:


The Symposium is a place where literally anything can happen. Here are two famous church musicians just walking around talking:


This is a short excerpt from Dr. Calabrese’s conducting clinics, which are very much in demand:


After a long day of classes, rehearsals, Mass, Solemn Vespers, and so forth, we always closed with a beautiful setting of a hymn by Cardinal Newman. The sheet music will be available soon:


The Sacred Music Symposium has become the preëminent conference on Church music the world over. I can’t think of any other sacred music conference that approaches what we do. I think we gained this reputation by avoiding the “trap” into which too many conferences fall. We give valuable instruction the people can take home with them; we don’t just sing the entire time. That being said, we do an awful lot of singing:


Here’s a clip of participants walking to the Chapel to rehearse:


During Sacred Music Symposium 2019, we sight-read tons of SATB hymns from the Brébeuf hymnal. Here is an example:


A few photographs. The final one, where I am with a young lady in a yellow (orange?) shirt, was taken the very first day of the Symposium:

82950 Sacred Music Symposium 82952 faculty 82953 Sacred Music Symposium 82954 Sacred Music Symposium 82955 Sacred Music Symposium 82956 Sacred Music Symposium 82957 Sacred Music Symposium 82598 Sacred Music Symposium 82982-beginning-day-POINTS
Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: March 17, 2022

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    PDF Download • “Polyphonic Extension” (Kevin Allen) for Gloria III
    EVIN ALLEN was commissioned by Sacred Music Symposium 2025 to compose a polyphonic ‘middle section’ for the GLORIA from Mass III, often denoted by its trope name: Missa Kyrie Deus sempiterne. This year, I’m traveling from Singapore to serve on the symposium faculty. I will be conducting Palestrina’s ‘Ave Maria’ as well as teaching plainsong to the men. A few days ago, I was asked to record rehearsal videos for this beautiful polyphonic extension. (See below.) This polyphonic composition fits ‘inside’ GLORIA III. That is, the congregation sings for the beginning and end, but the choir alone adds polyphony to the middle. The easiest way to understand how everything fits together is by examining this congregational insert. You may download the score, generously made available to the whole world—free of charge—by CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED:
    *  PDF Download • Gloria III ‘Middle Section’ (Kevin Allen)
    Free rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #24366. Related News • My colleague, Jeff Ostrowski, composed an organ accompaniment for this same GLORIA a few months ago. Obviously, the organist should drop out when the polyphony is being sung.
    —Corrinne May
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Yahweh” in church songs?
    My pastor asked me to write a weekly column for our parish bulletin. The one scheduled to run on 22 June 2025 is called “Three Words in a Psalm” and speaks of translating the TETRAGRAMMATON. You can read the article at this column repository. All of them are quite brief because I was asked to keep within a certain word limit.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    When to Sit, Stand and Kneel like it’s 1962
    There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass, but I couldn’t find one which matched our local Latin Mass, so I made this one: sit-stand-kneel-crop
    —Veronica Brandt
    The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum
    Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.
    —Daniel Tucker

Random Quote

“Been to Catholic church and heard Mass. Execrable music! Organ played by a young girl who made impossible harmonies. Sermon very long. The preacher screamed loud enough to tire his lungs. The congregation was affected.”

— Louis Moreau Gottschalk (8 May 1864)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “Polyphonic Extension” (Kevin Allen) for Gloria III
  • “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
  • PDF Download • “Text by Saint Francis of Assisi” (choral setting w/ organ: Soprano & Alto)
  • “Yahweh” in church songs?
  • “Music List” • Pentecost Sunday

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