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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

Mass Propers • Fascinating Articles From 1924

Jeff Ostrowski · April 5, 2016

600 Gregorian TEVEN VAN ROODE—the master who typeset the entire book of “Simple English Propers”—has pointed out that an interesting series of articles was published by The Tablet in the 1920s about Mass Propers:

    * *  4 October 1924 • 433-436

    * *  11 October 1924 • 476-478

    * *  18 October 1924 • 497-499

    * *  25 October 1924 • 534-535

    * *  1 November 1924 • 564-566

    * *  8 November 1924 • 614-616

    * *  15 November 1924 • 636-638

    * *  22 November 1924 • 666-670

    * *  29 November 1924 • 702-703

They had wanted to give a monetary prize to the author of the best article, but the judges felt the essays were horrendous:

NE WRITER, instead of telling us how to sing the Proper, pleads for the abrogation of the Church’s law requiring the sacred words to be enounced by the choir at every High Mass or Missa Cantata. Another essayist, the holder of a musical degree, has astounded us by writing nineteen pages, in which neither Introit nor Gradual, neither Offertory nor Communion is so much as mentioned, the whole paper being devoted to the proper way of singing the Ordinary rather than to some good ordinary way of singing the Proper.

After conscientiously perusing and comparing all the papers whose authors have more or less complied with the terms of reference, the adjudicators have come to the conclusion that the batch does not contain an essay which could be properly given the prestige of “The Tablet’s Prize Essay on Voluntary Choirs and the Proper of the Mass.” Therefore, nobody has gained the modest prize of ten guineas which was offered. We have, however, increased the prize-money, and we are dividing it, as honoraria, among the writers of certain papers which will forthwith be printed, either abridged or in extenso.

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

    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 Catholic Church has a dignity far surpassing that of every merely human society, for it was founded by Christ the Lord. It is altogether fitting, therefore, that the language it uses should be noble, majestic, and non-vernacular.”

— Blessed John XXIII (22 February 1962)

Recent Posts

  • “How to Conduct 90 Vespers Services Each Year and Live to Tell the Tale.”
  • 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • The Tallis Scholars
  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
  • Pope Saint Paul VI to Consilium (14 October 1968)

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