Views from the Choir Loft

Veronica Moreno

Veronica Moreno is married to a teacher and homeschools five children. While at UCLA, she earned an undergraduate degree in Ethnomusicology and then went on to study special education at Cal State LA. She has been cantor at her local Catholic parish for over a decade. Read more.

Choral Scholarships at Christendom College

Veronica Moreno · February 17, 2020 ·

Christendom College offers up to $4500 in tuition reduction and free voice lessons for students starting in the Fall of 2020.

Four Steps • “Homeschoolers, learn an Advent hymn!”

Veronica Moreno · December 4, 2019 ·

As we navigate through this season, the secular world bombards us with decorated Christmas trees, “holiday music” on every station, and house after house drenched in festive lights…

PDF Download • “Seasonal Index” (Brébeuf Hymnal)

Veronica Moreno · July 16, 2019 ·

I can’t always recognize a hymn tune by its name, especially when the Missalette only provides lyrics. Please don’t judge me; that’s the honest truth.

When “Textbooks” Don’t Cut It

Veronica Moreno · June 21, 2019 ·

This routine has taken years to establish.

Homeschooling (And Sacred Music) Snuck Up On Us

Veronica Moreno · June 14, 2019 ·

In this way, we keep the faith alive at the kitchen table and at the altar.

On Stillness

Veronica Moreno · December 2, 2015 ·

This blog post is about a four-year-old who behaves at Mass and how the Extraordinary Form allows a father to learn to behave better at Mass.

Veronica Moreno

Veronica Moreno · January 10, 2013 ·

While at UCLA, Veronica earned an undergraduate degree in Ethnomusicology and went on to study special education at Cal State LA.

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