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Views from the Choir Loft

Advent Hymn Experiment

Jeff Ostrowski · November 27, 2022

READERS probably know the famous Advent hymn Cónditor Alme Síderum. Our volunteer choir tried something I wanted to share:

M To access this hymn’s media in the Brébeuf Portal, click here.

Here’s what we did:

Verse 1 • … sung in parts.

Verse 2 • … sung in parts.

Verse 3 • … female voices only.

Verse 4 • … male voices only, using a “mirror” melody.

Verse 5 • … preceded by Jeff’s attempt at an organ improvisation.

Verse 6 • … sung in parts.

I’m pleased, since this was their first attempt. I enjoy hearing the men’s “mirror” melody.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Advent Hymn Creator Alme, Different Ways To Sing Hymns Last Updated: November 29, 2022

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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

    Tempo?? • 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘞𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦
    Once, after Mass, my pastor said he really loved the hymn we did. I said: “Father, that's Holy God, We Praise Thy Name—you never heard it before?” He replied: “But the way you did it was terrific. For once, it didn't sound like a funeral dirge!” Last Sunday, our volunteer choir sang that hymn. I think the tempo was just about right … but what do you think?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Don’t You Agree About These?
    If you want to make Jeff Ostrowski really happy, send him an email with effusive praise about the individual voice recordings for hymn #296. [Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass] They came out dazzlingly sensational, don't you agree?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Choral Vowels? Yes? No?
    Here's a live recording of one of the choral “warm-up” exercises my choir enjoys. It was taken during our rehearsal on 27 January 2023. It’s good to make sure each chord is perfectly in tune and balanced before moving to the next one. That only happens when each singer has the correct vowel. If you like, you can freely download that vocal exercise.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The argument moves from the existence of the thing to the correctness of the thing: what is, ought to be. Or, a popular variant: if a thing is, it doesn’t make any difference whether it ought to be—the correct response is to adjust, to learn to live with the thing.”

— ‘L. Brent Bozell, Jr.’

Recent Posts

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  • PDF Download • Belgian Book of Gregorian Accompaniments (Official Edition)
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