Views from the Choir Loft

1883 Commune Sanctorum (2 of 3) — F.X. Haberl

Corpus Christi Watershed · March 19, 2013

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* * 1883 Commune Sanctorum (2 of 3) — F.X. Haberl & Jos. Hanisch

• Organum comitans ad Graduale romanum quod curavit Sacrorum rituum congregatio. • Fr X. Haberl; Joseph Hanisch • 1883 Editio Secunda • Ratisbonæ, Neo Eboraci [New York] & Cinncinnatii. Sumtibus, chartis et typis Friderici Pustet. S. Sedis Apostolicae Typographi. • Evidently (by the Prefaces) the first edition was in 1874, and this 1883 editions includes:

     (1) PROPRIUM MISSARUM de SANCTIS : : (pages 1-132) starting in November and ending in November.

     (2) COMMUNE SANCTORUM : : (pages [1] to [140]) and at the end of those two, there is an index to both. This is also the end of the FAT notes.

     (3) PROPRIUM MISSARUM de TEMPORE : : starts with the first Sunday of Advent and goes through 220+ pages, including various “extras” like Hymns and Gloria Patri tones, and several ad libitum Votive Masses. •

This whole book only includes INTROITS, OFFERTORIES, and COMMUNIONS. • At the end of this was included the below 1881 KYRIALE of Witt (“editio tertia”), with his 1880 Preface (no. 3). •

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

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

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