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Corpus Christi Watershed · March 12, 2025

“I Hate, Loathe, and Utterly Despise the Trivial Details of Ceremonies.” —Father Adrian Fortescue

“I want never to hear another word about ceremonies for as long as I live. I would rather discuss the symptoms of cancer.” —Dr. Fortescue

“Music List” • 2nd Sunday of Lent

Some have expressed interest in perusing the “ORDER OF MUSIC” I prepared for the 2nd Sunday of Lent, Year C (16 March 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. During Lent, the pipe organ is greatly reduced. Therefore, I marked a red “X” on all the pieces we’re singing a cappella.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Entrance Chant” • 2nd Sunday of Lent

You can download the ENTRANCE ANTIPHON in English for the Second Sunday of Lent (16 March 2025). Corresponding to the vocalist score is this free organ accompaniment. This English adaptation uses the same mode as the authentic version. If you’re someone who enjoys rehearsal videos, this morning I attempted to sing it while simultaneously accompanying my voice on the pipe organ. (Organ accompaniment is permitted during Lent “to support the voices” in both the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary Form.)

—Jeff Ostrowski

A Spanish Hymn for Lent

A hymn called Dieron Muerte Al Heredero (PDF) is being considered for inclusion in the Cantoral del Padre Antonio Daniel. The harmonization for HALTON HOLGATE in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal is very much the “standard” one found in most of the major English Hymnals, but this version uses a ‘keyboard’ accompaniment instead.

—Jeff Ostrowski

The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum

Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.

—Daniel Tucker

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).

—Corpus Christi Watershed

The Lofty Nature of This Goal

It is important above all that we never lose sight of our true goal as church musicians: the right worship of Almighty God. This is not a pious sentiment that should cause us to be lax about technical elements of music. Rather, the lofty nature of this goal is should motivate and inspire us to pursue the techne of musicianship with even greater zeal.

—Dr. Samuel Backman