Views from the Choir Loft

Contemporary Sacred Music

Liturgica • Interview with Chris Mueller on the Release of New CD

Fr. David Friel · December 16, 2019 ·

Mueller discusses his recently released recording of original compositions and Renaissance masterworks.

“Mass of the Americas” • Solemn Pontifical High Mass in DC

Fr. David Friel · October 24, 2019 ·

Archbishop Cordileone will offer Mass November 16, 2019 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

“O Sanctissima” • SATB Contemporary Setting!

Jeff Ostrowski · September 15, 2017 ·

I bet you haven’t heard this arrangement!

Resplendent Christmas Piece for Two Voices!

Jeff Ostrowski · November 22, 2016 ·

This gem by Fr. Nicolas du Peron (d. 1963) incorporates Christmas carols in a most ingenious way.

Sensational Hymn for St. Joseph … with Modern Polyphony!

Jeff Ostrowski · July 6, 2016 ·

We’ll be singing this piece a lot because our priest has a special devotion to St. Joseph.

“Ave Maris Stella” • Take II

Jeff Ostrowski · March 5, 2016 ·

Have you ever changed your mind with regard to tempo?

Staggering Canonic Setting • “Gloria” from Mass III

Jeff Ostrowski · January 14, 2016 ·

By the French Roman Catholic composer, Raphaël Mercier (d. 1953).

“Te Saeculorum” • Simple, Sensational, SATB

Jeff Ostrowski · October 30, 2015 ·

Were you aware of this amazing piece by Raphaël Mercier?

Short, Fresh, & Beautiful • SATB “Ave Maris Stella”

Jeff Ostrowski · July 7, 2015 ·

This piece by Fr. Antonin Lhoumeau will knock your socks off!

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