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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

1934 “Antiphonale Monasticum” (Solesmes Abbey) • Free PDF Download!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 4, 2013

THE FAMOUS 1934 Antiphonale Monasticum published by the monks of Solesmes can now be downloaded in its entirety:

* *  Part 1 of 3 • pp. 1 – 363

* *  Part 2 of 3 • pp. 364 – 763

* *  Part 3 of 3 • pp. 764 – 1,296

Part 3 had some missing pages. These were added as of 10 December 2013 thanks to Gustav Valencia.

Father Brian T. Austin, FSSP, has created a B/W version—based on our scanned copy—which can be downloaded:

*  PDF Download • ANTIPHONALE MONASTICUM (1934)
—Scanned and uploaded by Corpus Christi Watershed.

IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE that Fr. Paul Jausions (†1870) was born in 1834, precisely a century before the publication of the Antiphonale Monasticum. After Jausions’ death (in America!), his associate, Fr. Joseph Pothier, took the reins, and history knows what he was able to accomplish. The 1934 Antiphonale, however, might be regarded as the “crowning achievement” of the Solesmes monastery (unless it was the 1903 Liber Usualis). Dom Gajard is generally believed to have been the motivating force behind its publication.

Not everyone appreciated this work. In 1960, Msgr. Francis P. Schmitt wrote in the Caecilia:

“The Monastic Antiphonal is proof that the archaeologists never gave up. One can have no objection to the adherents of Solesmes singing what they please, but it is a fair and conjured guess that a cursory reading of the Monastic Antiphonary, and other books said to be in preparation, will make most people grateful that the like was not released upon the unsuspecting public some fifty years ago.”

THOSE WHO WISH TO LEARN MORE about Abbot Joseph Pothier, Fr. André Mocquereau, and the Vatican Edition might be interested in the following:

VIDEOS:   01   •   02   •   03   •   04   •   05   •   06   •   07

Article by Jeff Ostrowski — The rhythm of the Vatican Edition (PDF)

(1906) Fr. Henry Bewerunge’s Attack on the Vatican Edition (PDF)

(1906) Prior T. A. Burge, O.S.B. Defense of the Vatican Edition (PDF)

(1907) Dr. Peter Wagner’s Article on the Vatican Edition (PDF)

A few extra items worth noting:

Alternate Version of Article (with minor changes)
Hayburn Dissertation (Page 317)
Translation Explained

961 Antiphonale Monasticum

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: 1934 Solesmes Antiphonale Monasticum, Editio Vaticana Preface, Hayburn Mora Vocis, Peter Wagner 1906, Pothier De Caetero 1906, Preface to the Vatican Edition, Virga English Translation Ostrowski Last Updated: November 29, 2020

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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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President’s Corner

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Kids’ Choir Sings Thomas Aquinas
    Last Sunday, a children’s choir I’m teaching sang with us for the very first time at Sunday Mass. Females from our main choir sang along with them. If you’re curious to hear how they sounded, you can listen to a ‘live’ recording. That’s an English version of TANTUM ERGO by Saint Thomas Aquinas. That haunting melody is called GAUFESTRE and was employed for this 2-Voice Arrangement of a special hymn for 9 November (“Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome”) which replaces a Sunday this year.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Reminder” — Month of September (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“And thus, when we renounce for Thee | Its restless aims and fears, | The tender mem’ries of the past, | The hopes of coming years, | Poor is our sacrifice, whose eyes | Are lighted from above; | We offer what we cannot keep, | What we have ceased to love.”

— Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman

Recent Posts

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  • “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Kids’ Choir Sings Thomas Aquinas

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