Views from the Choir Loft

Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. He is also Chapel Organist (Saint Mary’s Chapel) at Boston College. His compositions have been performed worldwide. Read more.

Two Reasons for Fewer Vocations

Richard J. Clark · January 31, 2020 ·

The marketing and commercialization of sacred music has had vastly mixed results, some positive, but some deleterious.

Liturgy is the work of Christ and His Body, the Church.

Richard J. Clark · January 24, 2020 ·

When we consider the redemptive power of the Mass, our eyes, hearts, and minds are opened wide!

Chant, Mighty Pipe Organs • Two Sundays, Two Cathedrals

Richard J. Clark · January 10, 2020 ·

Gregorian Chant and mighty pipe organs will be front and center at two concerts: Boston’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City.

Announcement of Easter & the Moveable Feasts • 2020

Richard J. Clark · December 20, 2019 ·

Free download of The Announcement of Easter and the Moveable Feasts for 2020

New England Pueri Cantores Choral Festival and Mass • Cathedral of the Holy Cross

Richard J. Clark · November 22, 2019 ·

Find Registration and info here.

The Tradition Continues! • Seven Organists Perform

Richard J. Clark · October 18, 2019 ·

“…every bit of carpeting was removed and replaced with marble and stone…”

Pope Francis’ Address on Sacred Music: “Liturgy is the first ‘teacher’ of catechism.”

Richard J. Clark · October 4, 2019 ·

“Do not forget this: the liturgy is the first ‘teacher’ of catechism.” — Pope Francis

Saint Paul’s Choir School • Open Houses

Richard J. Clark · September 27, 2019 ·

Saint Paul Choir School cordially invites you and your son to thier Open Houses and vocal auditions on the following dates:

Leo Abbott to Rededicate Landmark E. & G. G. Hook & Hastings Organ, Opus 801

Richard J. Clark · September 6, 2019 ·

This pipe organ will be heard as it has never been in our lifetimes.

Broken Rosaries and a Triptych of Wisdom

Richard J. Clark · August 30, 2019 ·

Three priests — three pearls of wisdom

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