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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Dominican Priest Calls Gregorian Chant “Infantile”

Jeff Ostrowski · November 14, 2019

ATHER Gerard Lessard is a guitarist who says he was “among the first to play at Folk Masses in the 1960s.” He recently published an ill-conceived article in which he laments how millennials “seem to be mainly interested in returning to the Gregorian chant and organ music of the distant past.”  (Fr. Gerard Lessard seems unaware that the Second Vatican Council explicitly mandated the use of Latin and Gregorian chant in the sacred liturgy—although it did not forbid the vernacular or other music. Vatican II also said that sacred polyphony and the pipe organ are to be given a very high prominence along with Gregorian chant.)

Among other things, Fr. Lessard calls Gregorian chant “infantile” compared to “superb composers” such as Haugen and Haas.

Father Lessard makes many belligerent statements, such as:

If I hurt your pride, I’m sorry that it hurt, but hope that you now learn humility and control your outbursts.

Is he so belligerent because he craves attention?

Okay, I’ll bite!  Here we go:

Father Lessard: “You find my sincerity incredible because you don’t understand music as well as I, who began teaching music 50 years ago.”

You’re wrong, Fr. Lessard. I read your statements, and I find many of them erroneous and foolish. I have a professional degree from a prestigious American conservatory, and I’ll put my credentials up against yours any day of the week. Your statements about music are flawed, and you need to stop saying things like that immediately.

Father Lessard: “We seem to be in another Dark Age, like the one that followed the Fall of the Roman Empire, because many faithful millennials, like monks in their scriptoria, are busy restoring and preserving the classics instead of moving progressively forward by the Holy Spirit while their secular counterparts increasingly resemble Gothic tribes.”

You’re misinformed, Father Lessard. We should be praising the young people for finally taking Vatican II seriously and placing a high value on the sacred treasury of Catholic music. Many young people reject the goofy garbage played in Church—such as what they forced upon me as a child in the 1980s—and their actions are praiseworthy.

Father Lessard: “Reread my last paragraph and perhaps you will begin to see why chant compared to modern music is like arithmetic compared to calculus because of all the things that I listed that it lacks.”

You are wrong about this, Father Lessard. Plainsong is amazing, and very sophisticated. The kind of music you promote is laughed at by every serious professor of music. Moreover, polyphony is based on plainsong—and two (2) measures of Guerrero or Palestrina has infinitely more value than anything by the composers you promote. And it’s not even close!  Again, I say this as someone with a professional music degree from a major conservatory.

Father Lessard: “Chant has child-like innocence, but it lacks meter, harmony, a set tempo, an introduction or coda, a bridge and other variations, and seldom has even a refrain.”

You’re incorrect, Father Lessard. A giraffe “lacks” wings, but that’s no defect!  A rose “lacks” the nose of an elephant, but that’s no defect. Furthermore, the “harmony” by some of the composers you cite is a travesty: juvenile, amateur, derivative garbage.

Father Lessard: “On the other hand, what you call ‘poor and threadbare’ is objectively far more advanced than anything composed in the time of Gregory I. […] Chant is infantile…”

From a musical standpoint, Father Lessard, you are simply wrong. Stop spreading foolish lies!  I gently but firmly insist that you stop immediately.

Father Lessard: “Do you think that modern organs are better than ancient strings, pipes and percussion instruments that glorified the Temple of Solomon to the delight of God?”

The Church could not be more clear on the place of the pipe organ compared to other instruments; educate yourself, Father!  Moreover, it is foolish to act as though everything in the Old Testament applies now. Saint Augustine talks about this.

Father Lessard: “For instance, some Catholic millennials have complained about the music of Marty Haugen and David Hass, but instead of composing something better, they prefer Latin chant.”

I’m just going to leave this here…

Father Lessard: “Cardinal Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington wrote against those who genuflect or kneel before Communion when the norm is to stand because they only draw attention to themselves and distract the congregation.”

I’m not sure you want to be quoting Cardinal Wuerl. Also, take a look at Matthew 17:14.

Father Lessard: “I can assure you that Haugen and Haas are superb composers based on objective elements, regardless of one’s subjective tastes.”

Father Lessard, comments like these made some of the people in your combox wonder whether your article was satire.


T IS BEYOND ABSURD to suggest that music has to sound goofy and secular for people to “participate.”  Here’s an example of how dignified melodies in the brand new Brébeuf Hymnal can be used for congregational participation with common melodies—an exciting technique:


Shown in that video is a completely volunteer parish choir!

For the record, many of the tunes in the Brébeuf Hymnal were composed by contemporary composers—and they are marvelous.

56788-Father-Gerard-Lessard


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

*   By the way, I have screenshots of the entire article, as well as another article wherein he attacks millennials. That was done in case he later attempts to delete acerbic comments like this:

80798-Gerard-Lessard-Dominican-Hippie-Music
 

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: December 22, 2021

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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 Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). 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 the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —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

The union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to the one true Church of Christ of those who are separated from it, for in the past they have unhappily left it.

— Pope Pius XI (6 January 1928)

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