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Corpus Christi Watershed

Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Sound superb! … with just 2 minutes of rehearsal

Jeff Ostrowski · February 16, 2022

AVE YOU NOTICED youngsters today have all kinds of modern conveniences (and technology) we never had as children? By the same token, we had luxuries our parents’ generation did not have. And you can go back even further. Our ancestors who got hungry had to tromp into the wilderness—even when it was 15 degrees outside!—and kill animals to eat. Growing up, I went to great lengths to obtain certain recordings unavailable in America, such as Horowitz playing Chopin’s 3rd Scherzo. It was necessary (in those days) to trade “cassette tapes” with connoisseurs in Canada, Italy, China, and many other countries. How thrilling it was whenever a new cassette tape arrived!

Change Is Scary: In some ways, I appreciated such recordings all the more because I had to “work” for them. But these days, such recordings—even the rarest!—can be obtained instantly on YouTube. As choirmasters, we have an obligation to embrace new technologies that help our choirs sing better, even though “change” can be obnoxious. I completely understand the tendency to cling to what is familiar. Believe me—I get it. I’m someone who harbors an irrational fear of anything I’m not familiar with.

A Choir Secret: Our choirs have experienced a lot of sickness lately. The other day, however, everyone was healed—and we had just a few minutes (!) to put together the Sunday High Mass. Because of the remarkable way the Brébeuf hymnal formats the Choral Supplement—with each verse written out—our choir was able to learn SATB parts with only a few minutes’ rehearsal time. (Please remember that very few of our choir members read music.) Listen to the beautiful effect on verse two of the following hymn, which is for the season of SEPTUAGESIMA:

Saint John Henry Newman wrote a beautiful hymn for the souls in purgatory, and the Brébeuf hymnal sets it to that same melody (ST FLAVIAN):

Polyphony Is More Complicated: Needless to say, singing polyphony requires more than just a few minutes. Therefore, for the Sunday mentioned above, we “pulled out” several pieces we’d sung in the past. Here’s an excerpt from a Kyrie (De Beata Virgine II) by Father Guerrero:

*  Mp3 Download • “Kyrie” by Father Guerrero
—Live recording from Septuagesima Sunday, 13 February 2022.

We sing Credo 7, but we insert a few polyphonic sections (#62964):

*  Mp3 Download • “Credo” by Father Guerrero
—Live recording from Septuagesima Sunday, 13 February 2022.

For the Offertory, I asked them to pull out Matri Divinae, a wonderful collection for three voices:

*  Mp3 Download • “Aufer a me” by Kevin Allen
—Live recording from Septuagesima Sunday, 13 February 2022.

The Sanctus (#5454) is one of my favorite pieces. Its beauty is truly sublime. The singers did a nice job—and the more we sing it, the better it will get:

*  Mp3 Download • “Sanctus” by Father Guerrero
—Live recording from Septuagesima Sunday, 13 February 2022.

I have asked my singers to avoid putting a diphthong on Latin words like “Deus.” (It should be sung “Dehh-oos” not “Day-Yoos.”) But singers are not infallible; so we will continue to work on those pesky diphthongs!

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: St Flavian Hymn, The Catholic Hymnal Last Updated: February 16, 2022

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
    Using “Ye” vs. “You” is rather tricky, because it depends upon which era one is trying to recreate—if that makes any sense. In other words, the rules haven’t always been the same for these two. Nevertheless, Father Philip George Caraman (the legendary Jesuit scholar) gives us a masterclass using Saint Luke’s Gospel. Father Caraman was close friends with Monsignor Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, and Sir Alec Guinness.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    My pastor asked me to write brief articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The most recent article speaks about the recent announcement by Pope Leo XIV, which does have an impact on church musicians. Scheduled for publication on 2025 08 10th, it’s called: “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
    All the chants for 3 August 2025—which is the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)—have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (from the book of Wisdom) is stunning. That feast website has been called “the best kept secret of Church music.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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

Random Quote

He stood firm against nepotism, rebuking his predecessor Pope Pius IV to his face when he wanted to make a 13-year-old member of his family a cardinal and subsidize a nephew from the papal treasury.

— Re: Pope Saint Pius V (d. 1572)

Recent Posts

  • Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
  • Installment #3 • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
  • “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
  • “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
  • “Corn” From Heaven?

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