Views from the Choir Loft

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 more.

In Search of the Deeper Meaning

Lucas Tappan · June 25, 2019 ·

I have heard it said that magic shows up at every concert but usually goes home disappointed.

Fr. Finn and the Catholic Choral Tradition in America

Lucas Tappan · June 18, 2019 ·

Nevertheless, we have had, and quite frankly still have, a number of fine choirs, conductors and organists that I would place on par and even above our European brethren.

St. Mary’s Cathedral Choir (Sydney, Australia)

Lucas Tappan · May 28, 2019 ·

If you are interested in the great English Cathedral music tradition, please consider listening to these podcasts.

Further Thoughts on Westminster Cathedral

Lucas Tappan · May 21, 2019 ·

I am reminded of the care with which the Pieta was transported from the Vatican to New York City for the World’s Fair in 1964 and I hope and pray that the Westminster Cathedral Choir will be treated with as much veneration and respect.

To: Headmaster of Westminster Cathedral Choir School

Lucas Tappan · May 7, 2019 ·

Like the great Cathedral of Notre Dame, this daily musical offering belongs not only to the Church in London and the British Isles, but to the universal Church.

A Reason To Hope

Lucas Tappan · April 30, 2019 ·

We need to remember how small the amount of yeast is that is needed to leaven the dough.

Strive for Greatness!

Lucas Tappan · February 27, 2019 ·

Stop trying to make everything easy, and therefore unimportant.

The Cantor and Congregational Singing

Lucas Tappan · February 12, 2019 ·

I wonder if we haven’t lost sight of the cantor’s original purpose of fostering congregational singing…

Millennials and Authenticity

Lucas Tappan · November 27, 2018 ·

But what do we mean by authenticity?

Incredible Advent/Christmas Resource for Families

Lucas Tappan · November 13, 2018 ·

Download this incredible resource for families who wish to live the liturgical life more deeply with the home.

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