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Views from the Choir Loft

Stepping off the hamster wheel

Wilfrid Jones · January 11, 2020

VEN IF WE DON’T take into account the years of training, we all know the investment of time and effort it takes to get to the point where we can offer our musical services in the sacred liturgy: not only the hours of practice and performance, but also the time taken selecting appropriate music, printing or buying scores, travelling to and from practice and so forth. Hopefully it isn’t as much of a burden, but music is an inherently social activity, relying on strong and trusting relationships between musicians, so making sure to spend time with other musicians while not playing or singing also requires a commitment measured in hours. Nearly all of us have other professional commitments during the week and families to whom we owe our time. It’s understandable, therefore, that many liturgical musicians simply don’t feel they have time to undertake serious study of theology or musicology alongside all of their other commitments.

My professional commitments are as a secondary school teacher. Teachers are often warned of the danger of getting trapped in the “hamster wheel” of professional practice. We can be so caught up in the cycle of planning, delivering and marking lessons, that we never have time to step back and consider the bigger picture in a way that would improve how we do our jobs. It strikes me that the same is true of parish musicians. As ministers and servants of the sacred liturgy, we need the opportunity to think about the theory of what, how and why we engage in our vocation.

Following the call of Sacrosanctum Concilium for musicians to receive “a genuine liturgical training” and for clergy and religious to have a musical formation (SC 115), we need to develop a reflexive practice in order to be able to offer the best of ourselves. That you’re reading Corpus Christi Watershed might suggest that you already think that this should be part of your vocation.

One of the great helps as a teacher is the growth of education and pedagogy blogs. The best of these publish short articles on one idea at a time, sometimes with an example or a practical application, in a quick and readable form. Over the next months I will be writing articles for Corpus Christi Watershed in the same vein. I hope that their format will allow busy liturgical musicians time to revisit ideas they already knew, and introduce some ideas that might be new.

The other great benefit of education blogs is their ability to spark debate and dialogue between differing points of view. In the same way, any feedback you can offer would be warmly welcomed and I hope that your lived experience can contribute to future posts.

 

Copyright © 2020 Wilfrid Jones

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

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Stepping off the hamster wheel Last Updated: May 1, 2020

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About Wilfrid Jones

Wilfrid Jones is a PhD student in the theology faculty of the Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, studying the theology and practice of sacred music.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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
    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —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

“Unfortunately, on the one hand a deadly error in judgment placed the official leadership of this committee into the hands of a man who—though generous and brave—was not very knowledgeable: Cardinal Lercaro. He was utterly incapable of resisting the maneuvers of the mealy-mouthed scoundrel that the Neapolitan Vincentian, Bugnini, a man as bereft of culture as he was of basic honesty, soon revealed himself to be.”

— ‘Fr. Louis Bouyer, an important member of the Consilium’

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