Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • New Composition By Kevin Allen

Jeff Ostrowski · January 1, 2016

ATERSHED COMMISSIONED the following setting from composer Kevin Allen to help 2016 begin on the right foot. We hope you enjoy what he’s done with this famous hymn text. I particularly enjoyed the Alto line, and took the liberty of creating some unauthorized rehearsal videos to help amateur choirs. (You’ll find them at the bottom of the page.)

* * PDF Download • “JESU DULCIS MEMORIA”

To learn more about this composer, please visit Emporium Kevin Allen.

1. Jesu dulcis memória,
Dans vera cordis gáudia:
Sed super mel et ómnia,
Ejus dulcis praeséntia.

1. Sweet is the remembrance of Jesus, bringing man his heart’s true joy; but sweet beyond honey and all created bliss is His presence.

2. Nil cánitur suávius,
Nil audítur jucúndius,
Nil cogitátur dúlcius,
Quam Jesus Dei Fílius.

2. No theme is more agreeable in the singing, none more welcome in the hearing, none more comforting in thought than Jesus, the Son of God.

3. Jesu spes paeniténtibus,
Quam pius es peténtibus!
Quam bonus te quaeréntibus!
Sed quid inveniéntibus?

3. Jesus, hope of penitent souls, how gracious You are to those that ask, how good to those that seek; but who shall say what You are to those that find?

4. Nec lingua valet dícere,
Nec líttera exprímere:
Expértus potest crédere,
Quid sit Jesum dilígere.

4. No tongue can tell this, nor pen express it; but the one who has experience of it can know in his heart what it means to love Jesus.

5. Sis Jesu nostrum gáudium,
Qui es futúrus praémium:
Sit nostra in te glória,
Per cuncta semper saécula.

5. Jesus, one day to be our reward, be our joy in this life. May our glory be in You through all eternity.

Literal translation by Fr. Joseph Connelly.

REHEARSAL VIDEOS :

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube • Mp3 Audio

SOPRANO : YouTube • Audio

ALTO : YouTube • Audio

TENOR : YouTube • Audio

BASS : YouTube • Audio

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

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).

Music List • (4th Sunday of Lent)

Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 4th Sunday of Lent (15 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has sublime propers. It is most often referred to as “Lætare Sunday” owing to its INTROIT. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • Communion (4th Snd. Lent)

The COMMUNION ANTIPHON for this coming Sunday, which is the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year A), is particularly beautiful. There’s something irresistible about this tone; it’s neither happy nor sad. As always, I encourage readers to visit the flourishing feasts website, where the complete Propria Missae may be downloaded free of charge.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Good Friday Flowers

Good Friday has a series of prayers for various parties: the pope, catechumens, pagans, heretics, schismatics, and so forth. In the old liturgical books, there was no official ‘name’ for these prayers. (This wasn’t unusual as ‘headers’ and ‘titles’ for each section is a rather modern idea.) The Missal simply instructed the priest to go to the Epistle side and begin. In the SHERBORNE MISSAL, each prayer begins with a different—utterly spectacular—flower. This PDF file shows the first few prayers. Has anyone counted the ‘initial’ drop-cap flowers in the SHERBORNE MISSAL? Surely there are more than 1,000.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Stumped by “Episcopalian Hymnal” (1910)

Some consider Songs of Syon (1910) the greatest Episcopalian hymnal ever printed. As a Roman Catholic, I have no right to weigh in one way or the other. However, this particular page has me stumped. I just know I’ve heard that tune somewhere! If you can help, please email me. I’m talking about the text which begins: “This is the day the Lord hath made; In unbeclouded light array’d.” The book is by George Ratcliffe Woodward, and its complete title is: Songs of Syon: A Collection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. Back in 2016, Corpus Christi Watershed scanned and uploaded this insanely rare book. For years our website was the sole place one could download it as a PDF file.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation

It isn’t easy to determine what Alice King MacGilton hoped to accomplish with her very popular book—A Study of Latin Hymns (1918)—which continued to be reprinted in new editions for at least 34 years. This PDF file shows her attempt to translate the DIES IRAE “in the fewest words possible.” There’s a place for dynamic equivalency, but this is repugnant. In particular, look what she does to “Quærens me sedísti lassus.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”

For vigil Masses on Saturday (a.k.a. “anticipated” Masses) we use this simpler setting of the “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989), a Belgian priest, organist, composer, and music educator who ultimately succeeded another ‘Jules’ (CANON JULES VAN NUFFEL) as director of the Lemmensinstituut in Belgium. Although I could be wrong, my understanding is that the LEMMENSINSTITUUT eventually merged with “Catholic University of Leuven” (originally founded in 1425). That’s the university Fulton J. Sheen attended.

—Jeff Ostrowski