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Views from the Choir Loft

“Yes or No?” • Should We Give People the Sacred Music They Ardently Crave?

Jeff Ostrowski · May 10, 2024

HOPE THE BENEVOLENT reader will allow me to say a word about “giving people the sacred music they want.” Should the conscientious choirmaster give people the sacred music they want? I would suggest a mixture. On the one hand, we want to “push” or “lead” or “escort” Catholics on their journey to explore (and ultimately fall in love with, crave, and draw strength from) sacred music with real depth or richness. On the other hand, each of us is in the midst of a journey of our own. It would be foolish to expect everyone to be at the same “point” or “level of understanding” we’re at. Some are behind us, while others are ahead of us. Therefore, I feel the conscientious choirmaster should employ a mixture. In other words, we should take into consideration compositions our singers crave. We should not feel ‘resentment’ toward them for (perhaps) not having yet reached the level of understanding we’ve attained.

A Perfect Example! • I can’t think of a better example—to illustrate my point—than the ISTE CONFESSOR hymn. First, listen to it:

Here’s the direct URL link.

Note: That version was recorded yesterday morning by my students. It was created for an exciting new Spanish Hymnal which is forthcoming.

The Story Behind It • Now I will explain the story behind the ISTE CONFESSOR hymn. Years ago, during Vespers at the SACRED MUSIC SYMPOSIUM, I wrote an SATB harmonization for ISTE CONFESSOR. (Because the entire ceremony of Vespers is sung is plainsong, we often use a metrical setting as the Vespers hymn for the sake of variety.) The participants went nuts over it. Many of them became “obsessed” with my SATB arrangement. They sang it in coffee shops—if you’re familiar with the concept of a “flash mob”—and sometimes got kicked out. They went home and sang it with their choirs. Indeed, a group of young participants even formed a virtual choir to produce this fabulous recording.

Each year, I’d spend (literally) weeks editing about 300 pages of music for each SACRED MUSIC SYMPOSIUM. We always had a different theme. For example, one year was completely dedicated to a Gregorian hymn—and the conference culminated with a stupendous Mass by Palestrina based upon that melody. I thought the participants would appreciate always having a bunch of new music—but (believe it or not) some participants came to the conference each year just to sing the ISTE CONFESSOR hymn. And that’s just fine!

Summary • When it comes to the “sacred music journey,” we must remember that everyone is at a different point. For this reason, I believe the conscientious choirmaster will use a mixture of nova et vetera. It’s quite unprofessional for a choir director to walk around “jaded,” constantly downplaying—or even ridiculing!—new members who are thrilled when they experience a simple 2-voice harmony for the first time.

P.S.

For the record, below is one instance of the ISTE CONFESSOR hymn as it appears in the Brébeuf Keyboard Edition:

The melody ISTE CONFESSOR is used in the Brébeuf Hymnal as #724 and also #54. The melody was included on page 416 in the London Oratory’s Catholic Hymn Book (1998). It can also be found on page 221 of the Worship II Hymnal (GIA, 1975). The melody seems to have originated in a VESPERALE (Poitiers, 1746). Organists who desire harmonies for the “final verses” should consult #106 of Richard Lloyd’s collection (1993) #106 or #168 of Noel Rawsthorne’s collection (2011).

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Iste Confessor, Spanish Hymnal for Catholics Last Updated: May 11, 2024

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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

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —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

“Each of our sins was one more thorn in our Lord’s crown; one blow the more to His scourging.”

— Cardinal Merry Del Val (shortly before his death)

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

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