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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

Setting an Example Through Funerals

Andrew R. Motyka · February 26, 2014

ET’S FACE IT: most of us are not making the switch to a Gregorian Ordinary and Propers anytime soon. That doesn’t mean that Gregorian Chant shouldn’t hold its rightful place of esteem in the Church’s musical treasury; it’s simply an acceptance of reality that will keep you sane. It also doesn’t mean that meaningful progress isn’t to be made here and there. There are concrete steps you can take to improve the music in your parish’s liturgy, and even some stealthy ways to sneak in some of the musical heritage that belongs there.

Yesterday, we celebrated the funeral of a priest in our Archdiocese. The family did not have any requests, so planning the music for the liturgy was up to me (NOTE: cherish these opportunities. It’s rare that you don’t have a grieving family’s requests to accommodate). I also saw this as an opportunity to model for many diocesan priests who would be in attendance what is possible for simple, approachable music at the average parish funeral. Here was our selection. Yes, I am aware that preludes are not prescribed for a funeral liturgy, but they have become normal as families gather.

PRELUDE: 1. Meditation sur “Dies Irae” et “Lux Aeterna” by Marie Joseph Erb 2. Requiem aeternam by Gerald Near

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON: Requiem aeternam, set metrically to LAND OF REST, from Christoph Tietze’s Introit Hymns. (Get that book. Some settings are better than others, but it is a very parish-friendly resource for easily working in some propers.)

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Psalm 23, setting by Jeff Ostrowski from the Chabanel Psalms collection found on this very website.

ALLELUIA: Mode VI, proper verse.

OFFERTORY: O Jesus, Lord, Increase Our Faith (set to ERHALT UNS, HERR). A beautiful hymn text from GIA’s Hymnal of the Hours. If I had to repeat this funeral, this is the only portion I would consider altering, not because I was unhappy with this selection, but because there were several equally good options, including a few settings of the proper Offertory.

MASS ORDINARY: Chants from the 3rd edition of the Roman Missal. I wonder how many people even realized that it’s the normative ordinary for the Mass of the Dead.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON: My own setting, found here. While all of my antiphon settings match the Gregorian propers modally, this is the only one that sticks with the chant melody pretty strictly. I played the Lux aeterna from the Nova Organi Harmonia as an introduction to my setting.

SONG OF FAREWELL: Proulx’s setting of Saints of God. This one is an old warhorse, but there are few better vernacular settings of this text. If you don’t want to use the OLD HUNDREDTH version (who can get excited about that?), or shudder the “O Danny Boy” version, use this one. Many places don’t use the proper text at this point in the liturgy, and this is both an easy setting and quite a good harmonization by Proulx.

PROCESSION TO THE PLACE OF COMMITAL: In paradisum in English, then in Latin. The Worship hymnals have a decent harmonization of this by Richard Proulx, which is reminiscent of the Nova Organi Harmonia style. Also, this is a relatively short chant for a fairly long procession, so doing it twice helps.

POSTLUDE: I normally don’t play postludes for funerals, but I tagged the above piece because it takes quite some time to march the family and 50-plus priests out of a church. I used Gerald Near’s setting of In paradisum.

None of this, including the organ pieces, is beyond the reach of even an early-intermediate organist (I would not call myself advanced). All in all, we sang almost all of the proper and ordinary from the Mass of the Dead, and I wonder how many priests even realized it. Funerals are a good time to re-introduce the Church’s musical tradition, and I have literally had families thank me for using In paradisum. You just can’t beat it for a more appropriate piece.

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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About Andrew R. Motyka

Andrew Motyka is the Archdiocesan Director of Liturgical Music and Cathedral Music for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.—(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    PDF Download • Dom Murray Harmonies
    Along with so many others, I have deep respect for Dom Gregory Gregory Murray, who produced this clever harmonization (PDF) of “O SANCTISSIMA.” It’s always amazed me that Dom Gregory—a truly inspired composer—was so confused when it came to GREGORIAN CHANT. Throughout his life, he published contradictory statements, veering back-and-forth like a weather vane. Toward the end of his life, he declared: “I see clearly that the need for reform in liturgical music arose, not in the 18th and 19th centuries, but a thousand years earlier—in the 8th and 9th centuries, or even before that. The abuses began, not with Mozart and Haydn, but with those over-enthusiastic medieval musicians who developed the elaborate and flamboyant Gregorian Chant.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 14 September (Holy Cross)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for 14 September 2025, which is the Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross. 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.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “14 September 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 14 September 2025) discusses OFFERTORY ANTIPHONS and contains a wonderful quote by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Karl Keating • “Canonization Questions”
    We were sent an internet statement (screenshot) that’s garnered significant attention, in which KARL KEATING (founder of Catholic Answers) speaks about whether canonizations are infallible. Mr. Keating seems unaware that canonizations are—in the final analysis—a theological opinion. They are not infallible, as explained in this 2014 article by a priest (with a doctorate in theology) who worked for multiple popes. Mr. Keating says: “I’m unaware of such claims arising from any quarter until several recent popes disliked by these Traditionalists were canonized, including John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II. Usually Paul VI receives the most opprobrium.” Mr. Keating is incorrect; e.g. Father John Vianney, several centuries ago, taught clearly that canonizations are not infallible. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen would be another example, although clearly much more recent than Saint John Vianney.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Vatican II Changed Wedding Propers?
    It’s often claimed that the wedding propers were changed after Vatican II. As a matter of fact, that is a false claim. The EDITIO VATICANA propers (Introit: Deus Israel) remained the same after Vatican II. However, a new set of propers (Introit: Ecce Deus) was provided for optional use. The same holds true for the feast of Pope Saint Gregory the Great on 3 September: the 1943 propers (Introit: Si díligis me) were provided for optional use, but the traditional PROPRIA MISSAE (Introit: Sacerdótes Dei) were retained; they weren’t gotten rid of. The Ordo Cantus Missae (1970) makes this crystal clear, as does the Missal itself. There was an effort made in the post-conciliar years to eliminate so-called “Neo-Gregorian” chants, but (contrary to popular belief) most were retained: cf. the feast of Christ the King, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and so forth.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

They were not ashamed to lay their hands on Sedulius, on Prudentius, on St. Ambrose himself. Only in one or two cases does some sense of shame seem to have stopped their nefarious work. They left “Ave maris stella,” “Jam lucis orto sidere,” and St. Thomas Aquinas’s hymns alone (they would have made pretty work of “Sacris solemniis”). In 1629 their mangled remnants were published.

— Rev’d Adrian Knottesford Fortescue (25 March 1916)

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