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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • “Alleluia Choral Extension” (EF + OF)

Jeff Ostrowski · September 10, 2019

VERY YEAR at the Sacred Music Symposium, we talk about the best way to introduce sacred polyphony into the Ordinary Form. I always say the same thing, but it’s so important I don’t mind repeating it constantly. I tell the participants the best way to introduce polyphony is to “sneak” it in, using short choral extensions. Furthermore, I insist that the music must be sung very well: perfect balance, perfect blend, and so forth. This is possible when brief choral extensions are added; but it’s quite impossible if you attempt a 25-minute polyphonic Credo your first day on the job.

We use a polyphonic “choral extension” each Sunday here in Los Angeles for the Extraordinary Form. After a while, they start sounding pretty amazing—because we sing them week after week.

Here’s a “brand new” adaptation from a Guerrero Magnificat:

    * *  PDF Download • Guerrero Alleluia (#82790)

EQUAL VOICES : IYouTube
SOPRANO : IYouTube
ALTO : IYouTube
TENOR : IYouTube
BASS : YouTube

I will continue to write articles explaining how to “sneak” polyphony back into Mass, where it belongs. For the time being, if you don’t understand what I mean, please try these:

    * *  (2017 Article) A Simple Polyphonic Alleluia for OF and EF

    * *  (2017 Article) Does Polyphony “Fit” Ordinary Form Masses?

A word to the wise: When you’re planning how to sneak it in, remember the Soprano section begins on G-Natural but ends on G-Sharp.

WE CHOIR DIRECTORS OFTEN SUFFER from a “fatal flaw.” Too many in our profession fail to make recordings of their choirs, to make sure they are producing something beautiful. They assume the results are nice, but never take the time to verify this. I know of a choirmaster in the USA who has paid singers each week and attempts complicated polyphony at the cathedral where he serves. He often tells everyone how “amazing” and “incredible” he is on the internet. Yet the attendance at his cathedral is quite sparse, and about half the pews remain empty on Sunday morning. Moreover, he doesn’t have enough singers for the complex polyphony he attempts, so it ends up sounding like a bunch of soloists—whereas the goal ought to be a nice, full, glorious choral sound. 1 How can this be correct? Shouldn’t sacred music attract people to church? Why are there so many empty pews? Wouldn’t it be better for this director to recruit more people from the parish (even though they aren’t paid singers) so the choral sound improves? Would it not be better for this director to choose “simpler” music—such as the Alleluia above—which he can present in a truly excellent way? In my humble opinion, that would be logical.

Consider another example. Years ago, I was chosen to be a professor at a huge Catholic church music conference. One of my colleagues was directing a very complicated polyphonic setting of the CREDO, and worked on it all week. But during the final Mass, the piece fell apart, and he had to stop in the middle of the piece—which shocked me. Then they started over and were (finally) able to get through it. I was left perplexed, thinking to myself: “I thought we were supposed to be giving these attendees music they can take home with them; but even with tons of professional musicians, they couldn’t get through the piece and had to stop in the middle of Mass. This makes no sense.”

Maybe I’m crazy, but I believe church music should be presented with excellence. Moreover, I believe beautiful music attracts people, and that’s a good thing! The “secret ingredient” is often using music which is not extremely complex.

The Alleluia above my look simple on paper—but wait until you hear it sung by a large, beautiful choir!



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Don’t forget: Big voices must “back off” and weak voices must “step up.” That’s how you get a choral blend worth dying for!

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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Jeff Ostrowski

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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

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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

“The sun’s disc did not remain immobile. This was not the sparkling of a heavenly body, for it spun round on itself in a mad whirl, when suddenly a clamor was heard from all the people. The sun, whirling, seemed to loosen itself from the firmament and advance threateningly upon the earth as if to crush us with its huge fiery weight. The sensation during those moments was terrible.”

— ‘Dr. Almeida Garrett, professor of natural sciences at the University of Coimbra (1917)’

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