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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

Keven Smith • Article Archive

Keven Smith is the music director at St. Stephen the First Martyr Catholic Church, an apostolate of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) in Sacramento, California. He trains and directs a mixed choir that sings full Gregorian propers, ordinaries, and sacred polyphony at more than 100 traditional Latin Masses per year. Keven lives in Sacramento with his wife and five musical children.—Read full biography (with photographs).

Keven Smith · January 13, 2026

Can This Weird Warmup Put Your Voice in Good Placement?

I didn’t even mean for it to be a vocal warmup, but it worked perfectly.

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Keven Smith · October 14, 2025

Children’s Repertoire • Three More Recommendations by Keven Smith

Don’t give up. Your work with young singers today will continue to bear fruit for decades after you die.

Keven Smith · June 25, 2025

Hidden Gem: Ascendit Deus (Dalitz)

Save this delightful Ascension motet for next spring. It’s well within reach for even beginning choirs.

Keven Smith · January 23, 2025

Don’t Be Fooled by a Late Easter

Isn’t it wonderful to come back to rehearsals after a brief Christmas recess and realize Easter doesn’t come until April 20? It’s tempting to be very relaxed about progress, but I’m trying to keep a sense of momentum. Though I will probably spend a bit of extra time working on vocal production issues with my […]

Keven Smith · January 2, 2025

Tuning Your Choir Without Driving Them Mad

How to achieve outstanding intonation without making your rehearsals tedious and stressful.

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Keven Smith · October 31, 2024

Final Sundays after Pentecost

There’s no reason to get bored at this time of year!

Keven Smith · October 8, 2024

Finding New Motets

It strikes me that many of the best motets my choir sings are ones I found by accident. These are motets that popped up as YouTube suggestions, or that someone mentioned in a Facebook thread and I casually gave them a listen. The lesson? Be open to finding good sacred music even when you’re not […]

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 · November 29, 2023

Stumped by Psalms? Try This

St. Robert Bellarmine’s commentary will enlighten you and your singers.

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Keven Smith · October 25, 2023

Organ Improviser in the Spotlight: Wayne Warren

Here’s what you can learn from this Florida-based artist.

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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 · July 15, 2023

Finding Realistic Inspiration for Organ Improvisation

Here’s where to find improvisation recordings you can actually emulate.

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Keven Smith · May 27, 2023

The Choir Journal: A Choir Director’s Best Friend

Keep a repository of your choir-related thoughts and feelings. You’ll thank yourself someday.

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Keven Smith · April 29, 2023

Conducting Tip: Use the Whole Body

Are you aware of your legs? And do you know why that matters for a choir conductor?

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “To Cover Sin With Smooth Names”
    Monsignor Ronald Knox created several English translations of the PSALTER at the request of the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster. Readers know that the third edition of the Saint Edmund Campion Missal uses a magnificent translation of the ROMAN CANON (and complete Ordo Missae) created in 1950 by Monsignor Knox. What’s interesting is that, when psalms are used as part of the Ordo Missae, he doesn’t simply copy and paste from his other translations. Consider the beautiful turn of phrase he adds to Psalm 140 (which the celebrant prays as he incenses crucifix, relics, and altar): “Lord, set a guard on my mouth, a barrier to fence in my lips, lest my heart turn to thoughts of evil, to cover sin with smooth names.” The 3rd edition of the CAMPION MISSAL is sleek; it fits easily in one’s hand. The print quality is beyond gorgeous. One must see it to believe it! You owe it to yourself—at a minimum—to examine these sample pages from the full-color section.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Heretical Hymns
    As a public service, perhaps a theologian ought to begin assembling a heretical hymns collection. A liturgical book—for funerals!—published by the Collegeville Press contains this monstrosity by someone named “Delores Dufner.” I can’t tell what the lyrics are trying to convey—can you? I detest ‘hymns’ with lines such the one she came up with: “Let the thirsty come and drink, Share My wine and bread.” Somehow, the publication was granted an IMPRIMATUR by Most Rev’d Jerome Hanus (bishop of Saint Cloud) on 16 August 1989. It’s a nice tune, but paired with a nasty text!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    💲 5.00 💵
    Our tiny 501(c)3 nonprofit organization exists solely by generous readers who donate $5.00 per month. We have no endowment; we have no major donors; we run no advertisements; we have no savings. A donor wrote to us: “I so appreciate all you do and have done, and your generosity is unprecedented. I am honored to be able to make a monthly contribution.” Another monthly donor says: “Thank you for everything CC Watershed does. We are able to add so much solemnity to Holy Mass due to the resources made available here.” Can you spare a few dollars each month to help us survive?
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    “Reminder” — Month of Febr. (2026)
    On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. It couldn’t be easier to subscribe! Just scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Chart • “Plainsong Rhythm”
    I will go to my grave without understanding the lack of curiosity so many people have about the rhythmic modifications made by Dom André Mocquereau. For example, how can someone examine this single sheet comparison chart and at a minimum not be curious about the differences? Dom Mocquereau basically creates a LONG-SHORT LONG-SHORT rhythmic pattern—in spite of enormous and overwhelming manuscript evidence to the contrary. That’s why some scholars referred to his method as “Neo-Mensuralist” or “Neo-Mensuralism.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Simplified)
    I admire the harmonization of “Adeste Fideles” by David Willcocks (d. 2015), who served as director of the Royal College of Music (London, England). In 2025, I was challenged to create a simplified arrangement for organists incapable of playing the authentic version at tempo. The result was this simplified keyboard arrangement (PDF download) based on the David Willcocks version of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Feel free to play through it and let me know what you think.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Gloria, Credo, etc., may not be broken into detached fragments; it is wrong to omit or hurry over the Proper of the day; it is not permitted to substitute organ playing for the Proper; it is wrong to use, however briefly, themes from theatrical or dance music, from popular songs, love-songs, comic songs; drums, cymbals, piano, bag-pipes are too noisy for Church use .”

— Pope Leo XIII (25 September 1884))

Recent Posts

  • “To Cover Sin With Smooth Names”
  • Heretical Hymns
  • Alphabetizing Hymn Titles Inside Hymnals • “Does This Make Any Sense?”
  • Fulton J. Sheen • “24-Hour Catechism”
  • “Reminder” — Month of Febr. (2026)

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.