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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Dr. Tappan • Article Archive

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 (with photographs).

Lucas Tappan · February 6, 2018

Music in Catholic Schools

The Church possesses a tool of immense value.

Lucas Tappan · January 23, 2018

Forward, Ever Forward!

One day, God willing, when He calls you into the New and Eternal Jerusalem, you will discover the eternal consequences of the offering of your widow’s mite.

Lucas Tappan · January 16, 2018

What If…

Whether a Gothic cathedral in France, a rural Norman church in England or a Californian mission church, each one in its own way has the power to lift our eyes in contemplation of the New and Eternal Jerusalem.

Lucas Tappan · January 2, 2018

Sound Does Matter!

In a sense, I understood every word. As a matter of fact, I was beaten over the head by every one of them.

Lucas Tappan · December 27, 2017

Of the Father’s Love Begotten…

Some day I wouldn’t mind cooking up a good ol’ fashioned Christmas Ball, but ’til then have to content myself with adding a few pounds (or more than a few) in honor of our Lord’s birth.

Lucas Tappan · November 28, 2017

7 Rules • “Your Family and Adventide”

Children need to see that everything takes second place to your relationship with Christ.

Lucas Tappan · November 21, 2017

“Meet Me In St. Louis”

Jeff recently asked if directors take choir pictures and I can’t say I do—but thankfully others did.

Lucas Tappan · November 13, 2017

Music and Evangelization

It’s an incredibly refreshing and dare I say beautiful movement within the Church today…

Lucas Tappan · October 10, 2017

The Problem of Acedia

We rarely speak of greatness in the Church anymore for fear of driving people away, yet look at all of the men who responded to the call of the priesthood because of the example of Pope St. John Paul II.

Lucas Tappan · October 3, 2017

A Silver Jubilee

Many things have changed over the last quarter of a century in the field of church music and thankfully most of them have been for the better.

Lucas Tappan · September 26, 2017

Liturgical Education

Perhaps I am just a Benedictine at heart but I feel the *Opus Dei* (Work of God) must truly be given pride of place in our personal lives…

Lucas Tappan · June 13, 2017

Forming the Next Generation of Church Musicians

Until we start forming our youth in the Church’s treasury of sacred music we will continue contracepting our musical future to death.

Lucas Tappan · June 6, 2017

Scientia Linguæ Latinæ Voluptatem Et Gaudium Affert!

Unfortunately my avocation of church musician doesn’t allow me to sidestep the Latin vs. vernacular issue any more than a house painter is able to avoid paint.

Lucas Tappan · May 23, 2017

An Unpleasant Task

I realize it is hard, but perhaps this is the balance we are called to live—truth in charity.

Lucas Tappan · May 16, 2017

Recruiting and Auditioning Choristers

The audition itself is very straight forward and usually takes about 10 minutes, although I know within the first minute if I plan to accept the child into the choir.

Lucas Tappan · May 12, 2017

Ten “Ave Maria” Settings from Different Lands

Live recordings—music in honor of Our Lady of Fatima.

Lucas Tappan · May 2, 2017

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

If the Holy Mass really is the unbloody sacrifice of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ, then the music we use will be radically affected.

Lucas Tappan · April 26, 2017

Take 2 Voice Lessons and Call Me in the Morning

I watched in fascination as one of the tenors strained to reach notes obviously out of his range. I had never heard the chest voice *forced* so high in the male register.

Lucas Tappan · April 18, 2017

Chorister Training • Regensburg Cathedral Choir School

Here we see the result of so much hard work, one of the great Cathedral Choirs of the world!

Lucas Tappan · April 4, 2017

Family Life and the Sacred Liturgy

I can’t imagine my family playing such an intimate role in the ceremonies of Holy Week, but it surely made an awesome impression on the von Trapps.

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Quick Thoughts

Surprising Popularity!

One of our most popular downloads has proven to be the organ accompaniment to “The Monastery Hymnal” (131 pages). This book was compiled, arranged, and edited by Achille P. Bragers, who studied at the Lemmensinstituut (Belgium) about thirty years before that school produced the NOH. Bragers might be considered an example of Belgium “Stile Antico” whereas Flor Peeters and Jules Van Nuffel represented Belgium “Prima Pratica.” You can download the hymnal by Bragers at this link.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • To Capitalize…?

In the Introit for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, there is a question regarding whether to capitalize the word “christi.” The Vulgata does not, because Psalm 27 is not specifically referring to Our Lord, but rather to God’s “anointed one.” However, Missals tend to capitalize it, such as the official 1962 Missal and also a book from 1777 called Missel de Paris. Something tells me Monsignor Knox would not capitalize it.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • “Sung vs. Spoken”

We have spoken quite a bit about “sung vs. spoken” antiphons. We have also noted that the texts of the Graduale Romanum sometimes don’t match the Missal texts (in the Extraordinary Form) because the Mass Propers are older than Saint Jerome’s Vulgate, and sometimes came from the ITALA versions of Sacred Scripture. On occasion, the Missal itself doesn’t match the Vulgate—cf. the Introit “Esto Mihi.” The Vulgate has: “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in domum refúgii…” but the Missal and Graduale Romanum use “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in locum refúgii…” The 1970s “spoken propers” use the traditional version, as you can see.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

The union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to the one true Church of Christ of those who are separated from it, for in the past they have unhappily left it.

— Pope Pius XI (6 January 1928)

Recent Posts

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