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Views from the Choir Loft

Raising the Musical Standards (Part 1)

Andrew Leung · June 7, 2018

CTL Raising the Musical Standards WAS TALKING with some friends recently about how the musical standards in parish churches nowadays are so low. My friends, who are trained classical musicians, all agreed with me. First of all, many “cheap” pieces are composed for liturgical use; secondly, most of the musicians just don’t play or sing musically or artistically in the liturgy. And the congregation just seems to be satisfied with the mediocre music. You probably have heard of explanations like these when you questioned about the situation of church music nowadays: “the choir is not performing, but praying at Mass”, “the singers are all volunteers and we can’t expect them to sing like professional choirs”, or “the choir is very passionate in singing and they are doing their best, having good hearts is enough”; “and therefore, the quality of the music is not important”.

The musical standards in the liturgy should be higher than ordinary performances! In secular performances, music is played mainly for the enjoyment of men. But in the liturgy, we praise God with music. It is only logical that liturgical music, which should be sacramental, should be held with higher standards than other music.

Orchestral Masses were originally written for prayer and for the glorification of God. However, because of human weaknesses, both on the ends of the musicians and those who listens to them in the pews, they tends to become performances like many other secular pieces. I agree that musicians should not think of themselves as ordinary performers: they should not be considered as the center of attention in the liturgy. But that doesn’t mean that we cannot have professional church music.

A friend of mine, speaking from a secular music performer’s perspective, pointed out that many church choir members think that there is a lack of awareness of liturgical music and church musicians are generally underappreciated. For example, no one is going to notice the choir singing the beautiful motet because people are busy getting in line for communion. Although his observation lacks consideration on the spiritual aspect of liturgical singing, that music is the “handmaid of the liturgy” and should be theocentric, the observation does have certain truth in it. It makes many singers think that it is fine to sing “okay” in the Mass and there is no need to pursue better music.

As church musicians, we are called to make the best music even when we are underappreciated or go unnoticed. Our duty is to raise the standards of church music to a level that is even higher than secular performances in concert halls and opera houses. It might take a long time and lots of effort to accomplish that, but we can at least challenge ourselves to sing better each week.

Y CHOIR, Vox Antiqua, and I believe that we are fulfilling our roles as church musicians by providing high quality music in the liturgy. Singing well is the way we pray and express our love for God. There is no conflict between singing professionally and praying wholeheartedly.


This was recorded live by a cellphone during Mass on the Solemnity of Pentecost. The gorgeous motet by Thomas Tallis was sung during communion. Coincidentally, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also chose it as an anthem in their wedding on the same day.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    PDF Download • “Polyphonic Extension” (Kevin Allen) for Gloria III
    EVIN ALLEN was commissioned by Sacred Music Symposium 2025 to compose a polyphonic ‘middle section’ for the GLORIA from Mass III, often denoted by its trope name: Missa Kyrie Deus sempiterne. This year, I’m traveling from Singapore to serve on the symposium faculty. I will be conducting Palestrina’s ‘Ave Maria’ as well as teaching plainsong to the men. A few days ago, I was asked to record rehearsal videos for this beautiful polyphonic extension. (See below.) This polyphonic composition fits ‘inside’ GLORIA III. That is, the congregation sings for the beginning and end, but the choir alone adds polyphony to the middle. The easiest way to understand how everything fits together is by examining this congregational insert. You may download the score, generously made available to the whole world—free of charge—by CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED:
    *  PDF Download • Gloria III ‘Middle Section’ (Kevin Allen)
    Free rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #24366. Related News • My colleague, Jeff Ostrowski, composed an organ accompaniment for this same GLORIA a few months ago. Obviously, the organist should drop out when the polyphony is being sung.
    —Corrinne May
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Yahweh” in church songs?
    My pastor asked me to write a weekly column for our parish bulletin. The one scheduled to run on 22 June 2025 is called “Three Words in a Psalm” and speaks of translating the TETRAGRAMMATON. You can read the article at this column repository. All of them are quite brief because I was asked to keep within a certain word limit.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    When to Sit, Stand and Kneel like it’s 1962
    There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass, but I couldn’t find one which matched our local Latin Mass, so I made this one: sit-stand-kneel-crop
    —Veronica Brandt
    The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum
    Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.
    —Daniel Tucker

Random Quote

“Victoria not only made his professional debut as church organist: he also continued active on the organ bench until the very eve of his death. Indeed, during his last seven years at Madrid (1604-1611) he occupied no other musical post but that of convent organist.”

— Dr. Robert Stevenson (1961)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “Polyphonic Extension” (Kevin Allen) for Gloria III
  • “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
  • PDF Download • “Text by Saint Francis of Assisi” (choral setting w/ organ: Soprano & Alto)
  • “Yahweh” in church songs?
  • “Music List” • Pentecost Sunday

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