EXT TIME A PRIEST insists that it’s wrong for the choir alone to sing pieces at Mass (because “true” participation means the congregation must sing everything) don’t tell him his statement is in direct violation of SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM §114. Instead, try taking a different approach. In a respectful and calm manner, say to that priest: “Okay, then the entire congregation must read the Gospel along with you at Mass—because if they just listen while you read the Gospel, they’re not truly participating according to your logic.”
Choral Extensions • It’s incorrect to say the congregation must sing everything at Mass. On the other hand, since the 1950s there’s been a real push for congregational singing. Failing to recognize this is foolish. Indeed, a music director who completely ignores congregational singing runs the risk of being fired by the pastor! In my seminar, Secrets of the Conscientious Choirmaster, I harp on something I call choral extensions. Basically, choral extensions allow a choirmaster to introduce polyphony without getting fired. When it comes to the congregational SANCTUS we use at my parish (which can be sung in Latin, English, or Spanish), the following “extends” it polyphonically:
* PDF Download • CHORAL EXTENSION (Father Morales)
—Cristóbal de Morales, a Spanish priest, is considered one of the greatest composers of all time.
EQUAL VOICES : YouTube
SOPRANO : YouTube
ALTO : YouTube
TENOR : YouTube
BASS : YouTube
Freedom To Shape • With regard to SANCTUS XVI, perhaps you’ve noticed how each church sings it in a slightly different manner. That’s because the official edition gives freedom to choirmasters to “shape” each phrase according to its text. For example, here’s how it appeared in a famous edition by Dr. Franz Xaver Mathias (an Alsatian priest). Father Mathias was organist at STRASBURG CATHEDRAL, where he founded the Saint Leo Institute for Church Music in 1913:
Renewal of Challenge • In many recent articles, I’ve been recommending the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal. I believe this book is indispensable for any serious Catholic choirmaster. (I certainly couldn’t run my choral program without it.) I don’t use the “P-word” word lightly, but I’m comfortable calling the BRÉBEUF HYMNAL peerless. Indeed, one of the main authors for the Church Music Association of America weblog declared (6/10/2022) that the BRÉBEUF HYMNAL “has no parallel and not even any close competitor.” For years, I’ve been searching for a qualified partner willing to debate this assertion over zoom. Today—8 October 2024—I respectfully renew my challenge. Our website garners millions of hits, but so far nobody has accepted my challenge.
