Views from the Choir Loft

Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung graduated from the sacred music program of Franciscan University of Steubenville, majored in vocal performance. He has also studied organ, choral conducting and Gregorian chant with world-class musicians. Prior to returning to Hong Kong, he served as a parish music director in Atlanta, and later as the organist and choirmaster at the Cathedral of Macau, China. Andrew is currently the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers and music director at Our Lady of China Church. He is also an artist and vocal coach at the Paul Phoenix Academy. Read more.

FREE • Chant Conducting Seminar

Andrew Leung · January 25, 2018 ·

Register now!!! Free online seminar on Gregorian Chant Conducting with Dr. Jennifer Donelson

Don’ts for Choirmasters (Part 2)

Andrew Leung · January 11, 2018 ·

John Newton’s practical, spiritual and entertaining ideas and advice for choirmasters.

Don’ts for Choirmasters (Part 1)

Andrew Leung · January 4, 2018 ·

A recently-discovered manual for choir directors by John Newton.

The Marvels of Choral Singing

Andrew Leung · December 21, 2017 ·

A reflection and meditation on choral singing.

Video • A Chinese Offertory Hymn

Andrew Leung · December 14, 2017 ·

My new choir singing a Chinese offertory hymn…

Arvo Pärt received the Ratzinger Prize

Andrew Leung · November 23, 2017 ·

“A beautiful choice, that of the commission, aimed at pointing out that new way for theology that is music”

Vox Antiqua’s Debut

Andrew Leung · November 9, 2017 ·

My new choir made its debut on the Feast of Christ the King.

Video • My New Project

Andrew Leung · November 2, 2017 ·

Vox Antiqua, the new Catholic professional choir in Hong Kong, in action!

Singing with Peter Philips

Andrew Leung · October 26, 2017 ·

Peter Philips: “Polyphony shouldn’t be sung with absolute straight tone—that is not real singing!”

A Liturgical Tragedy

Andrew Leung · October 5, 2017 ·

I have experienced a similar situation before, and it was not a pleasant experience.

Could Pope St. Pius X Sing?

“On 12 March 1908, the complete publication of the Roman Gradual was issued by the Vatican Press. On that very day, Dom Pothier solemnly presented the first copy to the Holy Father. A witness of the audience says that Pius X wished to be the first to see the new book; he opened it at random, at page 128 of the supplement pro aliquibus locis—it was the Introit of the new Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Pope sang it with perfect taste to the last note.” (Catholic Choirmaster, February 1915)

—Jeff Ostrowski

Julius Bas Accompaniment

A very prolific harmonizer of Gregorian chant in the early 20th century was Mr. Julius Bas. He often uses a very strange technique, wherein he employs rests to eliminate the Alto, Tenor, and Bass voices. Consider what he did with “Lumen ad revelationem” here:

* JPEG • Lumen ad revelationem

It seems quite lazy, and I’ve never seen anyone else use such a technique, although Dr. Peter Wagner often switched to parallel octaves when he ran out of ideas… (Yuck!)

—Jeff Ostrowski

Hitting wrong notes

Fr. Valentine Young, OFM, used to say: “The organist can play 1,000 correct notes and one wrong note—and the only thing people will care about is the wrong note.” Last Sunday I hit some wrong notes, and felt bad. Then I remembered a story about Rudolf Serkin and started to chuckle. Charles Rosen (or was it Leon Fleisher?) told the story of Serkin playing a Beethoven Sonata in front of a large audience. The theme is all in octaves; but Serkin hit some wrong notes, and played parallel 7ths instead. This so unnerved him that every time the theme returned, he played the entire thing in parallel 7ths! We must remember that even the greatest hit wrong notes. Alfred Cortot, Vladimir Horowitz, Wilhelm Backhaus, Edwin Fischer, Sviatoslav Richter, Egon Petri—they all hit wrong notes, which we can hear on recordings. (Josef Hofmann was an exception, but he was super-human so he doesn’t count!)

—Jeff Ostrowski