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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

The Choir Journal: A Choir Director’s Best Friend

Keven Smith · May 27, 2023

EING A CHOIR DIRECTOR means subjecting yourself to continual sensory overload. You’re constantly hearing people aim sounds at you. You monitor voices in warmups to determine where the choir is “at” today so you can figure out how to guide them to their best. You must divide your attention between the collective group sound and its individual voices, each of which belongs to a person who’s hungry for your input and affirmation. And you have frequent encounters with parishioners outside your choir, who want to express appreciation, ask questions, or make requests.

In this atmosphere, it’s easy to start feeling backed up. There’s too much input to process in real time. During rehearsal, you’re trying to make music and analyze it all at once—which is impossible, so the analysis will always fall behind and need to happen later. During Mass, as much as you try to remain prayerful, you often get brilliant ideas on how to better lead your choir, but of course, you can’t stop and write them down. And after Mass, you want to recollect yourself and analyze how things went, but you must remain available to choir members who want to chat. Those connections are too valuable to miss.

So, what can you do? You could cruise through rehearsals reacting to everything in the moment, and then go home and forget about it all. Or you could keep a repository for your many choir-related thoughts. I’ve found that the ideal repository is a choir journal.

What is a choir journal?

A choir journal is much like a diary. People keep diaries or journals for many reasons: to brainstorm, to crystallize their thoughts, to help them through tough times, and so on. The choir journal can serve all these purposes. It’s a place where you can write whatever you want. You’re partly trying to get ideas out of your system and partly trying to hold onto them so you won’t forget them.

The legendary American choir director Weston Noble believed in the concept—and he gave brilliant advice about how to implement it. A relentlessly positive man, Noble advised choir directors to write all the good stuff about their choirs in blue ink and the bad stuff in red ink—but to underline the red writing in blue. Why? Because negatives always have the potential to become positives.

Perhaps you’re not a pen-and-paper person. I am, at heart, but these days I’m all about speed and convenience. So I find myself typing notes to myself in an app that I can view on my computer or phone. Choosing the digital, password-protected route also minimizes the chances that someone will ever read how burned-out you felt after your March 11 rehearsal.

Why keep a choir journal?

You’re already busy selecting repertoire, meeting with clergy, planning rehearsals, running rehearsals, singing Masses, practicing singing, practicing organ, and ironing church clothes. Why would you add to your workload by starting a choir journal? I can think of several reasons:

  1. To pick you up when you’re feeling low. Be sure to record every significant compliment you receive in your journal. When someone stops you after Mass and says today’s Offertory motet was one of the most beautiful pieces they’ve ever heard your choir sing, write it down. When a choir member thanks you for all your hard work and says they look forward to rehearsal every week, write it down. You’ll need to read these anecdotes in the future when you’re having a rough week and beginning to question your decision to step on the podium.
  2. To bring you down when you’re getting too sure of yourself. Be sure to record your challenges in your journal, too. I don’t necessarily mean the passing moments of frustration (“The last chord of the Marenzio was pitchy today”). I’m talking about the overarching concerns you have about your choir—the areas that could take months or years to address (“When David is absent, the other tenors are totally unsure of themselves”). It’s easy to sweep problems under the rug just because you had a good Mass or two. Reading through your choir journal will give you a more balanced perspective on the overall direction of your choir.
  3. To unearth the ideas you didn’t even know you had. I have a priest friend who insists he doesn’t really know what he knows about a topic until he tries to speak through it. I’m the same way with writing. If I’m wrestling with a choir-related challenge—or any major challenge in life—I need to write about it to find out what I really think and how I plan to solve it.
  4. To slow down Earth’s rotation. Some cliches are true, such as the one about how time is going by more quickly these days. It’s entirely possible to cruise through an entire choir season and not really notice any of it. You can sing dozens of Masses in a row without stopping to reflect on your choir’s progress—or your own. But when you keep notes along the way and revisit them regularly, you lengthen fleeting moments and begin to construct a true present in which you can do satisfying, meaningful work.

A final thought

In closing, I encourage all choir directors to remember that your choir journal is there to serve you, not the other way around. Don’t feel you have to force yourself to write much—or anything—after every rehearsal or Mass. Write when there are thoughts and feelings you don’t want to lose. Capture your highs and lows and return to them when you’re somewhere in between. You’ll keep the big picture in view even if you sometimes feel as if you’re living Sunday to Sunday.

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

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: choir director, directing a choir Last Updated: May 27, 2023

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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

    PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —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

“It is the same Church which has introduced the vernacular into the sacred liturgy for pastoral reasons, that is, for the sake of people who do not know Latin, which gives you the mandate of preserving the age-old solemnity, beauty and dignity of the choral office, in regard both to language, and to the chant.”

— Pope Saint Paul VI (15 August 1966)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
  • “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
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  • Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
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