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“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

The One Thing That Unites Church Musicians

Jeff Ostrowski · April 19, 2015

900 Pope Benedict XVI Ratzinger VER THE YEARS, I’ve taken note of “Who’s Who” in the world of sacred music; something completely natural & normal. I’ve done this in spite of the fact that—when all is said and done—each of us is eminently dispensable. If the movement succeeds, it will do so because GOD DESIRES IT.

Over the years, I’ve seen magnificent church music projects begun, but never finished. 1 I’ve seen other projects—which started out small—grow to massive proportions. I’ve seen talented people become so concerned about copyrighting & selling their products they ended up killing them. I’ve seen people who loudly demand that others “make a commitment” leave the movement, get bored, or fall away from the Faith. I’ve seen people who had (in my view) sparse talent rise to the highest levels—which shows how much I know!—just as I’ve seen people with tremendous potential become stubborn, vindictive, and prideful beyond belief. I’ve been a choir director since the mid-1990s and I’ve seen a lot.

PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT OUR MOVEMENT have different opinions. Readers know I don’t care for Viennese classical Masses, yet Pope Benedict XVI loved them…and I have great respect for B16. Moreover, we musicians are usually highly opinionated and difficult to work with. In the early 2000s, I asked the question, “What unites us, who are so different?”

We all have one thing in common: our appreciation for the Graduale Romanum.

Nobody can force another to love the Gradual. The power of the Gradual is what does it. Recently, I googled the Weber Propers, to see what kind of reception his book was receiving. On a website I won’t be linking to, there was discussion about it. I was astonished to observe folks there using this new publication to disparage the Graduale. Pretty insane, huh? Fr. Weber’s book is based entirely on the Graduale and makes no sense without reference to the Graduale. 2

Years ago, I studied with a wonderful professor of piano: Alice Downs. During a seminar, Mrs. Downs told the male students that careers in music are only good for mothers desiring to make extra cash. Somebody asked her, “Are you saying that no man should ever do music professionally?” She replied with words I’ll never forget: “I’m not saying that. But only men who cannot live without it should pursue music.”

Those of us involved in this movement love the Graduale Romanum. In fact, we cannot live without it. But our lives are not easy. As a great church musician used to say, “The life of a church musician is a life of sacrifice.” Let us recall the words of our Savior in the Gospel of St. Luke (17:10):

When you shall have done all these things that are commanded you, say: “We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which we ought to do.”



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   I call this the “Advent syndrome.” Many people declare that they will be setting the complete proper of the Mass; but after they get through Advent, they realize how difficult it is and give up.

2   The administrator of this particular website formerly claimed to support Gregorian chant, but changed his view following the reign of Pope Benedict XVI.

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 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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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

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

“It is required of a man that he should share the passion and action of his time at peril of being judged not to have lived.”

— Oliver Wendell Holmes

Recent Posts

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  • “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
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  • “How to Conduct 90 Vespers Services Each Year and Live to Tell the Tale.”
  • 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

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