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Views from the Choir Loft

Imposing the Classical Style on Public Building Projects?

Fr. David Friel · February 17, 2020

rchitecture in our nation’s capital is a mixed bag. Many of the Smithsonian Museums and other federal buildings are built in classical style. The National Archives, which houses permanent records created by the Congress, Supreme Court, and other agencies, is a good example.

The Eisenhower building, home to many offices of the executive branch of government, is a splendid example of the French Second Empire Style.

The Pension Building, now serving as the National Building Museum, is an attractive example of Renaissance Revival architecture.

My favorite building (and tour) in all the District of Columbia is the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, the interior of which could pass for a Romanesque cathedral.

Not all the buildings built here, however, are so distinguished. Many of the more recent Smithsonian buildings, for example, depart drastically from the general tenor of the National Mall.

Among the ugliest buildings in this fair city is the J. Edgar Hoover Building, headquarters of the FBI. A remarkable number of other agencies and departments (e.g., the Department of Education) inhabit equally ghastly spaces.

So far, I have only pointed out public buildings. The disparity, however, is also noticeable in private buildings. Take, for example, this magnificent home on Logan Square.

Now compare it to the scores of new projects that look more or less like these.

It has been reported that the White House is considering an executive order that would establish the classical architectural style as the “preferred and default style” for new and renovated federal buildings. This is an interesting proposal.

I am personally split on the matter. I agree wholeheartedly with the premise that public building projects have been on a poor architectural path for several decades, but I oppose a solution that would pretend that a single style of architecture should be preferred. Thus, while I strongly favor taking action to avoid monstrosities such as the Hoover building, I am not in favor of restricting future projects to the classical style alone. The Eisenhower Building, the Lincoln Memorial, and Union Station, for example, differ substantially from each other, yet each is beautiful. Our nation’s capital would be a poorer, less beautiful place without these dissimilar, yet equally handsome, buildings.

I am interested to see whether this executive order comes to fruition. I am also interested to learn that the President has recently appointed James C. McCrery II, AIA and Duncan G. Stroik, AIA as members of the federal Fine Arts Commission. Both are experts in their field and involved in firms at the forefront of renewal in Catholic church architecture.

Whether this particular executive order comes to pass or not, the matter of public architecture deserves attention. As the recently deceased Sir Roger Scruton argued so passionately, starving ourselves of beauty is not a path forward.

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

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Beauty, Sacred Architecture Last Updated: February 24, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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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

St Ambrose had to be “corrected” by Pope Urban VIII. The ‘Iste confessor’ was greatly altered and the hymn for the Dedication of a Church—which no one ought to have touched—was in fact completely recast in a new meter. Singular demand, made by the taste of that particular epoch!

— Re: The hymn revisions of Pope Urban VIII (d. 1644)

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