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Corpus Christi Watershed

“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Thousands of Gospel Acclamations for Organ & Voice

Guest Author · July 8, 2013

What follows is a guest article by Mæstro Jon Naples.

BACKGROUND:

Y PARISH had just adopted the Vatican II hymnal as of Advent 2011. By the following Advent I was sending organ scores to Corpus Christi Watershed for the Garnier Alleluia site. Having the new hymnal provided our church with a unique asset as it is now the only book in our pews instead of the need for supplemental books and worship aids, etc. For the organist, cantor, and choir, the musical scores to the propers chants, responsorial psalms, mass parts, and hymns are just a few clicks away for easy download.

However, at that time I could not find published organ accompaniments for many of the Alleluia tunes found in the front of the book, including the Alleluia in honor of Father Chastellain which we use on Sunday. To that I had no choice but to start composing the organ parts to play on Sunday. Of course, a new verse tune had to be newly made for the cantor each week too.

Later, during the Colloquium of 2012 in Salt Lake City, I was surprised to discover that many of the downloadable scores, and even the varied versions of the new hymnal itself, were very recently composed and edited by so few people, mainly Mr. Jeff Ostrowski, the chief editor, and several other talented people who are working like mad to keep up the supply for a never-ending demand for new scores. Eventually I was offered the opportunity to help with a number of the Garnier tunes. Contributing scores gifted me with an opportunity to help out while it provided an outlet for my favorite hobby: music composition and arranging.


FOREGROUND:

N THE ARRANGEMENTS THEMSELVES, chant-like without time signatures, I try to provide a concise three or four-part accompaniment that works on the organ and keyboard through conventional part writing. The independent lines of music forming the harmony potentially makes them adaptable for an SAT, or SATB choir should such an option ever be desired. Although I do compose the verse tones, I am not the composer of most of the Alleluia tunes themselves. As I mentioned, they were in the front of the hymnal before I got to them.

For the verse tones, I first select and retain a few stock reciting tone formulas, and then add to, or “bend” them forming melodies to accommodate the differing texts each week towards what I would assert to be music’s vital function here: illuminate the gospel text through melody with enough musical friction to fire up the final Alleluia refrain. I am loathe to give a non-directive or tepid sounding musical setting of gospel text. For me, the art in music has always been that it can incise the listener’s understanding unawares, and drive home the message to move the heart as well as the mind. (As simple and brief as these settings are).

A sample may be found here:

      * *  Gospel Acclamation for 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time


THE REQUEST:

LTHOUGH I HAVE CONTRIBUTED NOW 500+ scores (many 1000’s of downloads), it is only now becoming clear that what lies ahead is to complete the three-year cycle. Therefore, if at all possible, please post feedback (specifics if possible) about my settings on the Garnier Alleluia downloads site so that I can try and retain what is working and discard or revise or at least not repeat what does not work. Such as, why the Alleluia in Honor of Father Martin Lawrence Jenco has not been used, to my knowledge at all, while other Alleluias I arrange seem to be in constant use. They include the Alleluias in honor of Frs. Bressani, Le Caron, Dablon, Chastellain, Vimont, Lalemant, Chaumonot, and Jenco.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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President’s Corner

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —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

The local church should be conscious that church worship is not really the same as what we sing in a bar, or what we sing in a convention for youth.

— Francis Cardinal Arinze (2005)

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