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Views from the Choir Loft

A “Must Read” for Choir School Enthusiasts

Lucas Tappan · July 3, 2021

OR THOSE of our readers interested in the founding of the Madeleine Choir School and the incredible work Gregory Glenn undertook (and continues still) at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City, Transformation of the Cathedral, An Interview with Gregory Glenn is a must read.

One of my favorite quotes from Mr. Glenn (given below) regards the importance of the choir school (in this case: Westminster) in the formation of the liturgical musician. It supports my firmly held belief that people simply cannot learn all they need to know about our craft in a couple of graduate classes. I also feel this is the reason that many church musicians in England don’t matriculate into doctoral programs—they have no need because their formation in the choir school imparted more than a doctoral program could ever give.

“That time for me was invaluable. In fact, I’m always amused: I think I learned more in that two months about some aspects of church music than I did in many of my course in undergraduate and graduate work. That time was a very valuable time. I was able to bring all that back to the founding of the choir school, and also to the pattern of our liturgical music.”

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

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Cathedral of the Madeleine Last Updated: July 3, 2021

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About Lucas Tappan

Dr. Lucas Tappan is a conductor and organist whose specialty is working with children. He lives in Kansas with his wife and four children.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book

If there is a more beautiful book than Abbat Pothier’s 1888 Processionale Monasticum, I don’t know what it might be. This gorgeous tome was today added to the Saint John Lalande Online Library. I wish I owned a physical copy.

—Jeff Ostrowski
Sound Familiar?

1 June 1579: “The chapter passes a rule that anyone ascending to the new organ without official permission shall be fined a month’s pay.”

26 October 1579: “The altar boys remain always separate and distinct from choirboys—the one group learning only plainchant and assisting at the altar, the other living with the chapel-master and studying counterpoint and polyphony as well. Father Francisco Guerrero postpones his departure for Rome and instead spends the entire year in Seville making ready for the trip. In the meantime he neglects his choirboys. On 16 November, after considerable complaint against their unruliness and ignorance, he engages an assistant, Bartolomé Farfán.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

The representative Protestant collection, entitled “Hymns, Ancient and Modern”—in substance a compromise between the various sections of conflicting religious thought in the Establishment—is a typical instance. That collection is indebted to Catholic writers for a large fractional part of its contents. If the hymns be estimated which are taken from Catholic sources, directly or imitatively, the greater and more valuable part of its contents owes its origin to the Church.

— Orby Shipley (1884)

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