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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

Here’s a New Year’s Resolution: Tell Strangers What You Do

Keven Smith · January 4, 2021

VERY FAITHFUL READER of Corpus Christi Watershed would agree that what we do as church musicians is special. This applies whether you’re part of a massive music program or have only a three-person skeleton crew; whether church music is part of your livelihood or you volunteer your time and talent (thank you!); and whether you’re back at full strength after COVID or still prevented from singing (like me).

But I’ve found that it’s not always easy to share with strangers what I do. It’s not that I’m embarrassed; it’s just that it takes a bit of explaining. Tell someone you’re a musician, and they’ll probably ask, “Oh, are you in a band?” And then you’ll have to explain that you mean real music. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) Doctors and lawyers don’t have this problem. Besides asking them what kind of medicine or law they practice, people will typically accept their answers at face value.

Of course, I have an alternative: since I’m also a freelance writer, I can tell strangers about that and not mention the musical part of my life. Of course, then I’ll get the inevitable follow-up question: “Oh, do you write for the newspaper?”

Perhaps I should be more open about my music—not just because it’s slightly less awkward than talking about my writing, but because the world needs it. And although I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions, let’s just say I’ll be working on this in 2021.

It all stems from something that happened to me on a recent trip.

Did This Brief Encounter Change Someone’s Life? 

My family and I spent Thanksgiving week visiting my mother-in-law in Fresno, California. We tend to make that trip every year because it’s the one major holiday that’s thoroughly secular, which means I don’t have to be home to sing a Mass.

While in Fresno, I read an article by my CCW colleague, Lucas Tappan, entitled Inspiration for Organ Improvisation. (I highly recommend this article to anyone who, like me, is relatively new to the organ but hungry to get better.) Lucas provided a link to some free resources published by German-born organist Ronny Krippner, Organist and Director of Choral Music at Croydon Minster and Whitgift School in London.

Once I saw the exercises, I couldn’t simply wait until I got home on Saturday. I had to print them out immediately so that I could practice them on my mother-in-law’s upright piano. Realizing that I lacked the cables to connect my laptop to the only printer in the house, I uploaded the PDFs to a nearby FedEx Office location.

When I arrived to pick up my printouts, an energetic young man named Kyle retrieved them for me. He urged me to flip through them to ensure they had printed to my satisfaction. He watched me intently.

“I couldn’t help but notice that there’s some music in there,” Kyle began. “Are you a musician?”

“Yes,” I said. I almost stopped there but then continued, “I’m a church choir director, and I’m also learning the organ. These are some exercises to help me.”

His face lit up. “A choir director? That’s amazing! I used to sing in my high school choir.”

Kyle then spent the next several minutes telling me all about his inspiring choir director, the challenging repertoire they sang, and the performances he remembered best. As he continued, he became visibly emotional—keeping it together but clearly longing for days gone by.

He needed to get this out. I listened. Finally, I asked, “Do you still sing?”

Kyle’s face fell. “No. Once high school ended, I started going to college part-time and working. I wanted to find somewhere else to sing, but….”

Of course, I had nothing to offer Kyle by way of musical opportunities because my choir is in Sacramento. But I urged him to find a new place to sing. I told him that I could tell that music was a part of him and that it would bring him great fulfillment to sing again. He already knew these things, of course, but I hope that hearing it from a choir director was the push he needed to find a community or church choir to join.

Let’s Do This

I have no way of knowing if Kyle has joined a choir. But that’s not the point of my story. By being open about what we do, we can make good liturgical music seem less weird and more like a vital part of our culture, which, of course, it is.

Believe it or not, now is an ideal time to recruit people for our choirs. We can gripe all we want about how COVID has curtailed our music programs. But I’ve had more interest from potential choir members during the pandemic than I’ve had in any other year—even though our choir has been mostly sidelined.

When good music—especially sacred music—goes missing from people’s lives, they notice, and they try to get it back. In many cases, they’re waiting for someone to invite them to participate. That someone could be you or me. I hope you’ll join me in looking for opportunities to reach out in 2021.

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

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: choir, outreach Last Updated: January 4, 2021

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About Keven Smith

Keven Smith, music director at St. Stephen the First Martyr, lives in Sacramento with his wife and five musical children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    New Bulletin Article • “21 September 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 21 September 2025) discusses some theological items—supported by certain verses in ancient Catholic hymns—and ends by explaining why certain folks become delirious with jealousy when they observe feats by Monsignor Ronald Knox.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!
    It’s always amusing to see old diocesan newspapers—in huge capital letters—advertising the Cheapest Catholic Paper in the United States. The correspondent who sent this to me added: “I can think of certain composers, published by large companies in our own day, who could truthfully brag about the most tawdry compositions in the world!” I wonder what she could have meant by such a cryptic comment…
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • Dom Murray Harmonies
    Along with so many others, I have deep respect for Dom Gregory Gregory Murray, who produced this clever harmonization (PDF) of “O SANCTISSIMA.” It’s always amazed me that Dom Gregory—a truly inspired composer—was so confused when it came to GREGORIAN CHANT. Throughout his life, he published contradictory statements, veering back-and-forth like a weather vane. Toward the end of his life, he declared: “I see clearly that the need for reform in liturgical music arose, not in the 18th and 19th centuries, but a thousand years earlier—in the 8th and 9th centuries, or even before that. The abuses began, not with Mozart and Haydn, but with those over-enthusiastic medieval musicians who developed the elaborate and flamboyant Gregorian Chant.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Karl Keating • “Canonization Questions”
    We were sent an internet statement (screenshot) that’s garnered significant attention, in which KARL KEATING (founder of Catholic Answers) speaks about whether canonizations are infallible. Mr. Keating seems unaware that canonizations are—in the final analysis—a theological opinion. They are not infallible, as explained in this 2014 article by a priest (with a doctorate in theology) who worked for multiple popes. Mr. Keating says: “I’m unaware of such claims arising from any quarter until several recent popes disliked by these Traditionalists were canonized, including John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II. Usually Paul VI receives the most opprobrium.” Mr. Keating is incorrect; e.g. Father John Vianney, several centuries ago, taught clearly that canonizations are not infallible. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen would be another example, although clearly much more recent than Saint John Vianney.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Vatican II Changed Wedding Propers?
    It’s often claimed that the wedding propers were changed after Vatican II. As a matter of fact, that is a false claim. The EDITIO VATICANA propers (Introit: Deus Israel) remained the same after Vatican II. However, a new set of propers (Introit: Ecce Deus) was provided for optional use. The same holds true for the feast of Pope Saint Gregory the Great on 3 September: the 1943 propers (Introit: Si díligis me) were provided for optional use, but the traditional PROPRIA MISSAE (Introit: Sacerdótes Dei) were retained; they weren’t gotten rid of. The Ordo Cantus Missae (1970) makes this crystal clear, as does the Missal itself. There was an effort made in the post-conciliar years to eliminate so-called “Neo-Gregorian” chants, but (contrary to popular belief) most were retained: cf. the feast of Christ the King, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and so forth.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“Ordained a diocesan priest on 7 October 1827, Guéranger was quickly named a canon (a member of the cathedral chapter of Tours). Around 1830, he demonstrated his interest in the liturgy when he began to use the Roman Missal and texts for the Divine Office, unlike many of his colleagues, who still made use of the diocesan editions commonly in use in pre-Revolutionary France.”

— Source unknown

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