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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

Richard J. Clark • Article Archive

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. He is also Chapel Organist (Saint Mary’s Chapel) at Boston College. His compositions have been performed worldwide.—Read full biography (with photographs).

Richard J. Clark · November 18, 2016

A Dad’s Dilemma • I pray and God determines.

Working for the Church is wholly at odds with having a family and being present for them.

Richard J. Clark · November 4, 2016

Seraphim Singers Premiere “I Am the Land: A Poem in Memory of Óscar Romero”

Assassinated on March 24, 1980 while saying Mass, Romero was beatified by Pope Francis on May 23, 2015.

Richard J. Clark · October 26, 2016

I Say: “Good for Marty Haugen”

He has been on top of the Roman Catholic world of liturgical music for decades.

Richard J. Clark · October 21, 2016

Memorial of Pope Saint John Paul II

Two FREE resources honoring Pope Saint John Paul II

Richard J. Clark · October 14, 2016

The Unhealthy Liturgical Obsession with Self

It is not found in the Roman Rite. It is not there in the scriptures. We are in fact inserting such self-obsession.

Richard J. Clark · October 7, 2016

Vocation Directors Immersed in Chant—Immersed in Prayer

This isn’t about chant. This isn’t about a style of music. It is about the urgency we face with vocations.

Richard J. Clark · September 23, 2016

The Choir Isn’t Everything

The priest’s musical role is enormously influential. This can not be emphasized enough.

Richard J. Clark · September 9, 2016

Three Things that Inform the Work of Every Parish: Hospitality, Catechesis, Evangelization

These three elements inform most every aspect of our service to God and the faithful.

Richard J. Clark · September 2, 2016

The Power of Wordless Presence

Many of us are gearing up our choir programs. Yet if we do not invest of ourselves time to “know” the Lord, our work may be for our own glorification rather than for God’s.

Richard J. Clark · August 26, 2016

Communion Antiphons for Advent & Christmas • NEW • World Library Publications

World Library Publications has published settings of Communion propers for Advent and Christmas. Listen here to beautiful recordings directed by Paul French.

Richard J. Clark · August 19, 2016

Saint Cecilia and an Angel Orazio Gentileschi and Giovanni Lanfranco

New Resource from the Archdiocese of Boston for First Communion and Confirmation

The most important element of this document is not the list of hymns and chants, but the vital coupling of faith formation and sacred music.

Richard J. Clark · August 12, 2016

The Difficulty of Cultivating a Prayerful Focus for Musicians

Quiet prayer for church musicians is very difficult to come by. Here are nine things one may find helpful.

Richard J. Clark · August 5, 2016

“Ad Orientem” and Granovetter’s Threshold Models of Collective Behavior

The people deserve to know the truth. It is time for ignorance to end so that the faithful may develop informed opinions.

Richard J. Clark · July 15, 2016

Letter from USCCB Committee on Divine Worship on “Ad Orientem”

Most Rev’d Serratelli says the current rubrics “reflect the real possibility that the celebrant might be facing away from the assembly.”

Richard J. Clark · July 15, 2016

The Illusion of Privacy • Social Media Etiquette for Liturgical Musicians

A very wise and compassionate Jesuit priest kindly exhorted me to avoid writing such missives. I quickly heeded his advice. So should you. Here’s why:

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Good Friday Flowers
    Good Friday has a series of prayers for various parties: the pope, catechumens, pagans, heretics, schismatics, and so forth. In the old liturgical books, there was no official ‘name’ for these prayers. (This wasn’t unusual as ‘headers’ and ‘titles’ for each section is a rather modern idea.) The Missal simply instructed the priest to go to the Epistle side and begin. In the SHERBORNE MISSAL, each prayer begins with a different—utterly spectacular—flower. This PDF file shows the first few prayers. Has anyone counted the ‘initial’ drop-cap flowers in the SHERBORNE MISSAL? Surely there are more than 1,000.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music List • (3rd Sunday of Lent)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 3rd Sunday of Lent (8 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has magnificent propers. Its stern INTROIT (“Óculi mei semper ad Dóminum”) is breathtaking, and the COMMUNION (“Qui bíberit aquam”) with its fauxbourdon verses is wonderful. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Ubi Caritas” (SATB)
    I remember singing “Ubi Cáritas” by Maurice Duruflé at the conservatory. I was deeply moved by it. However, some feel Duruflé’s version isn’t suitable for small choirs since it’s written for 6 voices and the bass tessitura is quite low. That’s why I was absolutely thrilled to discover this “Ubi cáritas” (SATB) for smaller choirs by Énemond Moreau, who studied with OSCAR DEPUYDT (d. 1925), an orphan who became a towering figure of Catholic music. Depuydt’s students include: Flor Peeters (d. 1986); Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel (d. 1953); Arthur Meulemans (d. 1966); Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989); and Gustaaf Nees (d. 1965). Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #19705. When I came across the astonishing English translation for “Ubi Cáritas” by Monsignor Ronald Knox—matching the Latin’s meter—I decided to add those lyrics as an option (for churches which have banned Latin). My wife and I made this recording to give you some idea how it sounds.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation
    It isn’t easy to determine what Alice King MacGilton hoped to accomplish with her very popular book—A Study of Latin Hymns (1918)—which continued to be reprinted in new editions for at least 34 years. This PDF file shows her attempt to translate the DIES IRAE “in the fewest words possible.” There’s a place for dynamic equivalency, but this is repugnant. In particular, look what she does to “Quærens me sedísti lassus.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”
    For vigil Masses on Saturday (a.k.a. “anticipated” Masses) we use this simpler setting of the “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989), a Belgian priest, organist, composer, and music educator who ultimately succeeded another ‘Jules’ (CANON JULES VAN NUFFEL) as director of the Lemmensinstituut in Belgium. Although I could be wrong, my understanding is that the LEMMENSINSTITUUT eventually merged with “Catholic University of Leuven” (originally founded in 1425). That’s the university Fulton J. Sheen attended.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Grotesque Pairing • “Passion Chorale”
    One of our rarest releases was undoubtably this PDF scan of the complete Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) by Father Joseph Roff, a student of Healey Willan. One of the scarcest titles in existence, this book was provided to us by Mr. Peter Meggison. Back in 2018, we scanned each page and uploaded it to our website, making it freely available to everyone. Readers are probably sick of hearing me say this, but just because we upload something that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wonderful or worthy of imitation. We upload many publications precisely because they are ‘grotesque’, interesting, or revealing. Whereas the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal had an editorial board that was careful and sensitive vis-à-vis pairing texts with tunes, the Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) seems to have been rather reckless in this regard. Please take a look at what they did with the PASSION CHORALE and see whether you agree.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Legitimate and necessary concern for current realities in the concrete lives of people cannot make us forget the true nature of the liturgical actions. It is clear that the Mass is not the time to “celebrate” human dignity or purely terrestrial claims or hopes. It is rather the sacrifice which renders Christ really present in the sacrament.

— Pope Saint John Paul II (20 March 1990)

Recent Posts

  • Good Friday Flowers
  • PDF Download • “Entrance Chant” for Holy Thursday (Plainsong in English)
  • “Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation
  • PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”
  • Music List • (3rd Sunday of Lent)

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