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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

A Youth Revolution in Sacred Music

Dr. Lucas Tappan · March 20, 2025

T HAS BEEN some time since last I took up the pen to encourage my fellow musicians to look to the future by raising up a new a crop of church musicians worth their salt. However, several recent events have proved the catalyst I needed to make a clarion call for all our readers to educate the youth in the Church’s sublime tradition of sacred music. A few weeks ago, I took a rare Sunday outing with my family to Holy Mass at a parish not our own. We were in a part of the country where the sacred liturgy is anything but sacred … and sometimes everything but liturgical. Nevertheless, such were the circumstances—so I steeled myself against all that I knew I might encounter and stepped across the threshold. My wife said she was happy that we all got to sit together, but then Mass began … and she leaned across, whispering that she thought she’d prefer if I were back at the organ as usual. The best I can say about that particular Mass is that it was valid.

“Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch” • While I was out of town, one of my former choristers—now 16 years old—substituted for me at the full slate of Sunday Masses. I couldn’t have been more pleased when a musical member of the parish told me afterward that she wasn’t sure (at first) if I were at the organ or not. A week later, I took the young organist in question out to lunch in order to say “thank you.” Over a hearty meal, we spoke of his love for the organ and sacred music, as well as his desire to go to seminary one day. As his confirmation sponsor, I point blank asked him—at the conclusion of lunch—about his prayer life and received a pleasant surprise. While I knew his family attended Mass daily and prayed the Rosary, I didn’t realize how serious he was about his daily mental prayer. When I asked where he learned about (Catholic) meditation, he told me he’d read about it in a book on the spiritual life by someone named Adolphus Tanquerey! Another young gentlemen—very much like him—plays incredibly well and is currently pursuing a career in organ building.

Soli Deo Gloria • I obviously can’t take credit for anything in their lives other than giving them some piano and organ lessons over the years. Nevertheless, see them and others I’ve taught, who now contribute to the Church’s sung prayer, I feel extreme gratitude that the Lord has allowed me to play a small part in His work.

Planting Seeds • Just before Christmas, I began giving organ lessons to my son and a couple of his friends. I’ve been pleased to watch their love of the instrument blossom. The parish has a small three-rank pipe organ I procured several years ago. It’s currently located in a chapel across from my office, and I continue to get reports from my son and his friends about their practices, which (at this point) consist more in tuning notes that are “a little off” than in practicing their lessons. When they first regaled me with these stories of their organ escapades, my heart leapt to my throat, imagining a junior high boy accidentally crashing down onto a whole bloody rank of pipes—but I would have done the same thing at that age, had I been given the opportunity. In a couple of years, all three will actively be playing in church.

Truly Blest • I am also thankful for all the young people who sing in the Schola Cantorum each week—enough of them, in fact, that we struggle to find opportunities for them to sing as a group on a regular basis. I have high school cantors who pop up to the choir loft even when they’re not scheduled. Their thought process is: “What could possibly be wrong with forming a little choir at every single Mass?” Other musicians ask me how I do it—but in reality, I don’t. I’ve trained others to do it over the years. While it’s extremely exhausting in the moment, it bears so much wonderful fruit later on, making my life and work easier in the end.

My Challenge To Our Readers • I challenge all of our readers to swell the ranks of our young musicians by engaging in meaningful instruction of the youth. Some of you already do this—and I think that it’s fantastic! If, on the other hand, you struggle to educate the youth of your parish, start by challenging yourself to find just one young piano player this year who could begin learning the pipe organ … and then teach him. Find just one young voice to cantor, or join your choir. After Mass, allow just one child to come up to the loft and play a few notes on the pipe organ. These are the stones that will one day build the edifice of a musically vibrant parish life.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: July 11, 2025

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About Dr. Lucas Tappan

Dr. Lucas Tappan is a conductor and organist whose specialty is working with children. He lives in Kansas with his wife and four children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
    Choirs love to sing the resplendent tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1929, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. Their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1929 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. As always, the Germans added an organ INTRODUCTION. For the record, I posted a different harmonization a few months ago which was downloaded more than 2,000 times.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
    Various shell corporations (in an effort to make money selling Sacred Scripture) have tinkered with the LECTIONARY texts in a way that’s shameful. It’s no wonder Catholics in the pews know so few Bible passages by heart. Without authorization, these shell corporations pervert the official texts. Consider the Responsorial Psalm for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If you download this PDF comparison chart you’ll notice each country randomly omits certain sections. Such tinkering has gone on for 60+ years—and it’s reprehensible.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Monsignor Klaus Gamber Speaks!
    An interesting quotation from the eminent liturgist, Monsignor Klaus Gamber (d. 1989): “According to canon law, a person’s affiliation with a particular liturgical rite is determined by that person’s rite of baptism. Given that the liturgical reforms of Pope Paul VI created a de facto new rite, one could assert that those among the faithful who were baptized according to the traditional Roman rite have the right to continue following that rite; just as priests who were ordained according to the traditional Ordo have the right to exercise the very rite that they were ordained to celebrate.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The cemeteries are full of people who thought they were indispensable.”

— Fr. Alan Heet, OFM

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