Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • “Small Choirs Unite!”

Julie Huebner · January 13, 2025

AST AUTUMN, at the onset of my new position, I began earnestly growing the choral program at my parish. This involved starting three (3) parish Scholae Cantorum. So, as one can imagine, they’re still in their infancy. I continuously pray that more parishioners will gravitate up to the choir loft and join. In the meantime, I will happily work with the wonderful choristers who do such a nice job, even during this “small-but-mighty” stage. With that in mind, I’m always seeking choral works that can be effectively performed by the smaller number of voices I, gratefully, do have.¹ Hopefully, SATB repertoire is in the future for my parish—but in the meantime I plan to use a couple articles to showcase some pieces that I’ve found for my small choir that are fun, nuanced, and beautiful.

I found this O Sacrum Convivium by Roberto Remondi (arranged for SAB) on one of my Choral Wiki deep dives:

* PDF Download • O SACRUM CONVIVIUM (SAB)
—Roberto Remondi (d. 1928) • Edited by Walter Perz.

Click here to hear my Schola Cantorum singing live at Mass following the Communion Proper for the Solemnity of All Saints. This Schola Cantorum is a fully volunteer choir, comprised of teens and adults. They sing the 9:00am Mass, three out of four weekends each month. There’s a wide range of expertise: from very experienced choristers (some with music degrees) to a gentleman who’d never sung in a choir in his life before joining. I have a few more choral pieces waiting in the wings to share with those of you who—like me—desire music that elevates our beautiful liturgy, but are not blessed yet with 40+ singers filling up your choir lofts. Beautiful music can be made at all numbers!

1 I currently have very few men.

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

About Julie Huebner

Julie earned degrees at Luther College and Southern Illinois University. With her husband and three children, she resides in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.—(Read full biography).

“Music List” • 9 Nov. (Dedic. Lateran)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 9 November 2025, which is the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. 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 sensational feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • Offertory (9 Nov.)

This year, the feast of 9 November replaces the Sunday. The OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF file) for 9 November is exceedingly beautiful. The ‘Laterani’ mansion at Rome was the popes’ residence for a thousand years. The church there still is the cathedral church of Rome—“Mother and Head of all churches of the City and of the World,” says the inscription over the entrance. It is dedicated to Our Holy Savior, but has long been commonly known as “St. John Lateran” owing to its famous baptistery of St. John the Baptist. In this church, the pope’s own ‘cathedra’ (episcopal chair) stands in the apse.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Job Opening • $65,000 per year +

A parish 15 minutes away from me is looking for a choir director and organist. The parish is filled with young families. When I began my career, I would have jumped at such an opportunity! Saint Patrick’s in Grand Haven has a job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year including benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” I lived in Kansas for 15 years, Texas for 10 years, and Los Angeles for 10 years. Michigan is the closest place I know to heaven!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Reminder” — Month of November (2025)

On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“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