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Views from the Choir Loft

720,000 Views … and Counting!

Veronica Moreno · July 20, 2024

S A CANTOR AT MY local parish for twenty years, this video from my friend and colleague—which has caught fire on social media with close to a million views so far—really resonated with my heart. “I was intruding in that silence,” she says.

Here’s the direct URL link.

My journey was quite similar to Corrinne’s, so her reflection immediately reminded me of the following quotes about clapping:

In Calvary there were those applauding Christ’s death: soldiers and demons. – Padre Pio

Silence is important. I am struck by a verse from the Book of Wisdom that was read with Christmas in mind, which says: “While gentle silence enveloped all things, your all-powerful word leaped from heaven.” The moment of most silence God manifested himself. It is important to think about silence in this age in which it does not seem to have much value. – Pope Francis

Video Summary • In last Friday’s Eucharistic Conference, Corrinne May underscored that Silence is an integral and essential part in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. She candidly shared that as a Church pianist for 12 years back in Los Angeles, she unknowingly encroached into the palpable silence with light instrumentals during Holy Mass. Inspired subsequently by these works, “The Spirit of the Liturgy”, of both Servant of God Father Romano Guardini and Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, she understood the profound Gift and Beauty of Silence as the indispensable doorway to the Divine, drawing one’s soul into divine intimacy with Our Eucharistic Lord. Cardinal Ratzinger notes on Silence in the Sacred Liturgy, “We are realising more and more clearly that silence is part of the liturgy. We respond, by singing and praying, to the God who addresses us, but the greater mystery, surpassing all words, summons us to silence. It must, of course, be a silence with content, not just the absence of speech and action. We should expect the liturgy to give us a positive stillness that will restore us.” Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical Athenaeum comments on the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) #45: “The specific periods of silence recommended in the GIRM encourage a general atmosphere of interior and exterior silence for all the participants at Mass. This silence should be sought while listening to the readings, the homily, or the proclamation of the Eucharistic and other priestly prayers. This helps quiet our imagination, our worries and our toils so as to join our hearts to the prayers and be fully attentive to whatever the Holy Spirit should inspire in us. Thus silence at Mass is an active, not a passive disposition.” Ms. Corrinne May hopes for Catholic Christians to recognise the Beauty of Silence in Holy Mass, and to beseech the grace to love Our Eucharistic Lord with the heart of Our Blessed Mother, the model par excellence of Silence.

SOURCE: Totus Tuus Apostolate Facebook

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: July 20, 2024

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About Veronica Moreno

Veronica Moreno is married to a teacher and homeschools five children. She has been cantor at her local Catholic parish for over a decade.—(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

“In older times we referred to humans as the human race, but according to this foundation we are being classed with the animals on the farm, the cow, the horse, the mule […] According to this foundation, I have no right to be born, for I am the youngest of 16 children, and God bless my mother for every one of them!”

— Archbishop Schrembs (d. 1945) vs. a foundation promoting artificial contraception

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