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Views from the Choir Loft

How Good Are Your Musical Ears? • (Speedy Test)

Jeff Ostrowski · June 16, 2020

URING his recent guest article comparing fifteen traditional hymnals, Mr. Daniel Craig pointed out some disadvantages of organizing a hymnal alphabetically. In a nutshell, some hymnals have gaps: perhaps they have too many Christmas hymns—since Christmastide is a short season—but not enough hymns for Lent. Perhaps they have too many Advent hymns—since Advent is a short season—yet not enough hymns for the Baptism of the Lord. Some editors attempt to disguise what’s lacking by organizing hymns alphabetically, but music directors will suffer. After all, we’re the ones who plan for each Sunday! Contrariwise, the Brébeuf hymnal has a wonderful abundance of “general hymns” which suit various liturgical seasons; Hymn #876 is a fine example:

Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #876.

OW refined are your musical ears? Can you hear the difference between a (poorly trained) male voice singing Alto and a (well trained) female voice?

Test your ears:

*  Mp3 Download • EXAMPLE A

*  Mp3 Download • EXAMPLE B

{ If you want the secret answer, click here. }

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

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Jean de Brebeuf Hymnal Last Updated: June 16, 2020

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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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

    Vespers Booklet (4th Sunday of Lent)
    The organ accompaniment booklet (24 pages) which I created for the 4th Sunday of Lent (“Lætare Sunday”) may now be downloaded, for those who desire such a thing.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Vespers Booklet, 3rd Sunday of Lent
    The organ accompaniment I created for the 3rd Sunday of Lent (“Extraordinary Form”) may now be downloaded, if anyone is interested in this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Weeping For Joy! (We Hope!)
    Listening to this Easter Alleluia—an SATB arrangement I made twenty years ago based on the work of Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel—one of our readers left this comment: “I get tears in my eyes each time I sing to this hymn.” I hope this person is weeping for joy!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Like all other liturgical functions, like offices and ranks in the Church, indeed like everything else in the world, the religious service that we call the Mass existed long before it had a special technical name.”

— ‘Rev. Adrian Fortescue (THE MASS, page 397)’

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