Views from the Choir Loft

Articles

To Breathe or Not To Breathe

Dr. Alfred Calabrese · February 8, 2020 ·

Our choirs should not sound mechanical. Beautiful music its waiting to be discovered.

Westminster Cathedral Choir School: Update

Lucas Tappan · February 7, 2020 ·

Jeff’s recent post made me think that perhaps a recap of all the events so far at Westminster Cathedral would be helpful to readers.

“I’m hanging on every word.”—Catholic Organist Group

Jeff Ostrowski · February 7, 2020 ·

My friend, Richard J. Clark, sent me a screenshot from the “Catholic Organist Group.”

When Choirs Prefer A “Real Voice” To Midi

Jeff Ostrowski · February 7, 2020 ·

Only an insane person would post this publicly—but I “fit the bill”…so here goes!

Short But Superb Film • “Westminster Choir Boys”

Jeff Ostrowski · February 6, 2020 ·

The resignation of Martin Baker was quite a shock to the Catholic world.

PDF Download • “What Makes A Good Hymn?”

Jeff Ostrowski · February 6, 2020 ·

Dr. Terry says: “The melody must be clearly defined, free from triviality and trite clichés, avoiding harmonies that are sugary or sensuous.”

The Institution as Formator (Part I)

Lucas Tappan · February 4, 2020 ·

Everyone is searching for a silver bullet. Perhaps it’s a certain education method, a special book or a technique. Standing somewhat in opposition to all of these various techniques and methods is the English choir school, where the director stands in front of the boys and says “that’s an A, now sing it!”

PDF Download • “Ave Maris Stella” (Organ Accompaniment)

Jeff Ostrowski · February 4, 2020 ·

The 2nd part has blank staves, so you can compose your own harmonies!

PDF Booklet • Feast of the Purification (2 February)

Jeff Ostrowski · February 2, 2020 ·

Better late than never, right?

A Traditional—But Bizarre!—Way To Assist At Mass

Jeff Ostrowski · January 31, 2020 ·

Just because I’m aware of something that happened in the past doesn’t mean I endorse it.

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