Views from the Choir Loft

choir

Keven Smith · February 20, 2024

Choir Doesn’t Sound “Musical” Enough? Here’s What May Be MiSSSing

How a simple technique called “SSS” can bring out the elegance of any phrase.

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Keven Smith · September 15, 2023

Implementing a Private Lesson Program for Your Choir

How to sell the idea to your singers, and what to teach them. (Part 2 of 2)

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Keven Smith · August 18, 2023

Give Them Permission to Be Awesome

The case for offering private lessons to your singers. (Part 1 of 2.)

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Keven Smith · December 22, 2022

Five Tips for Saving Your Body During Christmas Liturgies

These easy techniques will help you eliminate tension so you can be at your best.

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Richard J. Clark · November 22, 2022

Join Your Parish Choir! • Why We Sing as a Faith Community

As many parishes struggle, your presence, your voice, your witness to the love of Christ is that much more important!

Keven Smith · January 4, 2021

Here’s a New Year’s Resolution: Tell Strangers What You Do

A recent encounter made me realize what can happen when we discuss church music with others.

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“What Martin Luther Said…”

My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.

—Jeff Ostrowski

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Pope Pius XII Hymnal?

Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Hybrid” Chant Notation?

Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

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