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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

Bending Your Ear • A Sound Theology

Dr. Samuel Backman · November 5, 2024

HEN WE EXPERIENCE some form of stormy weather in the life of the Church, we Catholics often assume that our situation is somehow unprecedented. “Surely,” we might think, “they never faced such problems in the purer and simpler world of the past.” While it can be easy to fall into this largely sentimental trap, let us not forget the passage in Ecclesiastes (1:9) which reminds us that “there is nothing new under the sun.”

Gnostic Suspicions • One of the problems that has reared its ugly head again and again in the life of the Church is the heresy of Gnosticism. According to this mindset, we would understand that the material world is intrinsically evil and deceptive, and that only spiritual knowledge is good. As Catholics however, this is not our belief. We believe that God saved us by assuming human flesh, and we believe that he teaches us, as he taught his disciples, through their senses. Furthermore, he remains sensibly present to us in the seven sacraments.

We have thus far established that the material world is not intrinsically evil, and we have further established that our five senses are God-given goods. However, like any God-given good, we must use it properly! We have a duty to ensure that our senses are virtuously governed by our intellect.

Musical Virtue and Vice • As a musician, I am keenly interested in cultivating the use of our sense of hearing. The power the music has upon the soul is great, and while I could quote some great philosophers or theologians to drive home my point on the power of music, I will take a strange turn and look to the ways in which “bad guys” have leveraged or censored it throughout history. Hitler, Stalin, and other totalitarians have micromanaged music under their rule with an iron fist. They wanted to ensure that sounds heard in their respective empires were cultivating a strong sense of blind loyalty and deference. These tyrants so feared the power of music that they kept a stranglehold on it.

As “good guys,” we as Catholic should ensure that our consumption of music engenders virtue and proper order and harmony (pun intended) in our souls. This is why the Church has published extensively on the role of music in the liturgy. The way in which music is deployed in the Holy Mass has a direct impact on how we understand our relationship with God.

Musical Cultivation of the Soul • However, it is not only in the context of the sacred liturgy that we must ensure that our sense of sound is cultivated, but in our daily lives. Please don’t misunderstand me—you don’t have to listen to Gregorian Chant at a party or at the gym—and let’s be honest, I don’t think I could handle that! With that said, I must reflect: are there certain types of music I listen to that arouse anger, aggression, or any other negative passion? It is important to be aware of our “musical diet,” as it has spiritual consequences.

Seize the Opportunities in Front of You • Through the centuries, Holy Mother Church has not only cultivated music in the sacred liturgy, but in the context of concerts and devotional practices. I would encourage any Catholic to seek out opportunities to take in live music that truly elevates the soul. We are now nearing the season of Advent, when sacred concerts are plentiful. Take advantage of this great opportunity to immerse your God-given sense of hearing to lead you more deeply into the ethos of Advent!

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: November 5, 2024

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About Dr. Samuel Backman

Samuel earned degrees at Saint Olaf College, Yale University, and the University of Oklahoma. He resides with his wife in Minneapolis, Minnesota.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
    The 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM was a transitional missal. It was on its way to becoming the 1970 version, but wasn’t there yet. It eliminated certain duplications, downplayed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, expanded the role of laymen, minimized the Last Gospel, made many items optional, and so forth. Father Valentine Young spotted many typos in the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, especially incorrect accents. The Offertory Antiphon for this coming Sunday (OF kalendar) contains an error, citing the wrong verse from Psalm 118. It should be 118:107b, not 118:154. If you read verse 154, you’ll understand how that error crept in. [In this particular case, the error pre-dates the 1962 Missal, since the 1940s hand-missal by Father Lasance also gets it wrong.]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 26 October 2025, which is the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). 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 top-notch feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Little Encouragement?
    In the Gospel, our Savior tells about 10 lepers who were healed. Only one went back to give thanks. Precious few express gratitude, yet many have endless energy to complain. For that reason, I deeply appreciate receiving messages like the following, which arrived a few days ago (about the parish where I direct in Michigan): “Last Sunday, a couple I knew from Grand Rapids was at Mass at 10:00 a.m. I got a chance to talk to them after Mass. I wanted to let you know what they said about the choir. They were absolutely floored by our sound!!!!! They both said they could continuously listen to our choir and the beauty of it. They asked me: “Do you always sound like that?” And they were also very surprised at how packed the church was. They said it was nice for them to be in such a full church. I just thought you would be interested to know their thoughts about our choir.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Both of these appointments—of Cardinal Lercaro and Father Bugnini—to key positions on the Consilium made it possible for voices to be heard that could not be heard during the proceedings of the Council, and likewise silenced others.”

— Alfons Cardinal Stickler, Vatican II ‘peritus’

Recent Posts

  • Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
  • “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
  • Little Encouragement?
  • Children’s Repertoire • Mueller’s Recommendations

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