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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Choirmasters • “How To Avoid Getting Fired”

Jeff Ostrowski · December 20, 2022

AUL CHANDLER HUME—the famous music critic—wrote in 1956 that a choirmaster must possess three qualifications (at a minimum). One was: “He must be familiar with the special tricks of training amateur singers, particularly if a large percentage of his choir does not read music at sight.” In my various articles and workshops over the last ten years, I have suggested that a good way to keep one’s job secure is demonstrating to the pastor that one is teaching the people from the parish. In other words, a good choirmaster will recruit members of the congregation—as many as possible—and teach them authentic sacred music.

Tricks Of The Trade • Anyone who’s ever stood in front of a choir knows the choirmaster’s vocation is not an easy one. One is basically expected to “perform miracles”—in an impossibly short amount of time! An excellent ‘trick of the trade’ is utilization of common hymn melodies (a.k.a. “shared tunes”). Indeed, this strategy can mean the difference between surviving and throwing in the towel. Without question, the most abundant source of common hymn melodies is the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal (Sophia Institute Press © 2018).

Jeff Demonstrates How This Works:

I will attempt to explain what “shared tunes” are all about. Consider the following hymn (#190 in the Brébeuf Hymnal) which is Cónditor Alme Síderum translated into English:

Did you notice how the voices switch to SATB harmonies in the second verse? Needless to say, you had to teach your choir members how to sing SATB. Time is extremely limited when it comes to volunteer choir rehearsals … is there a way to get more bang for your buck? Yes, there is a way. Consider the following hymn (#145 in the Brébeuf Hymnal). Its text is for Holy Communion, yet it employs the same “shared” melody:

Indeed, you can even sing that same hymn in Latin, instead of English—and notice the beautiful entrance by the Alto section at marker 1:19:

Conclusion • If you search the Brébeuf Portal for “Advent,” the search results show that at least two other hymns employ that same melody (with different texts). I hope this explanation of common hymn melodies has been useful to you. The basic idea is to “double dip” on hymns your choir has already learned, since there’s never enough rehearsal time. Remember: We have studied music since we were 6 years old—but the folks you must instruct do not have the benefit of our training! Therefore, they require much repetition. Our job is accept this reality.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: Advent Hymn Creator Alme, Ave Vivens Hostia, Common Hymn Melodies, Conditor Alme Siderum Advent Last Updated: December 20, 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 Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —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

“Many of those who have influenced the reform […] have no love, and no veneration of that which has been handed down to us. They begin by despising everything that is actually there.”

— Cardinal Antonelli (Peritus during the Second Vatican Council)

Recent Posts

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  • “How to Conduct 90 Vespers Services Each Year and Live to Tell the Tale.”
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  • The Tallis Scholars
  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year

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