• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

“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)

  • Donate
  • Our Team
    • Our Editorial Policy
    • Who We Are
    • How To Contact Us
    • Sainte Marie Bulletin Articles
  • Pew Resources
    • Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal
    • Jogues Illuminated Missal
    • KYRIALE • Saint Antoine Daniel
    • Campion Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Repository • “Spanish Music”
    • Ordinary Form Feasts (Sainte-Marie)
  • MUSICAL WEBSITES
    • René Goupil Gregorian Chant
    • Noël Chabanel Psalms
    • Nova Organi Harmonia (2,279 pages)
    • Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Catechism of Gregorian Rhythm
    • Father Enemond Massé Manuscripts
    • Lalemant Polyphonic
  • Miscellaneous
    • Site Map
    • Secrets of the Conscientious Choirmaster
    • “Wedding March” for lazy organists
    • Emporium Kevin Allen
    • Saint Jean de Lalande Library
    • Sacred Music Symposium 2023
    • The Eight Gregorian Modes
    • Gradual by Pothier’s Protégé
    • Seven (7) Considerations
Views from the Choir Loft

Watershed: Established Ten Years Ago Today!

Jeff Ostrowski · October 19, 2016

|“Corpus Christi Watershed is doing very important work for the Church.”
—|Fr. Pierre Paul, Choirmaster at St. Peter’s Basilica (Vatican City). |

ATERSHED was established ten years today, the feast of the Jesuit Martyrs of North America (in the Ordinary Form). I was not part of Watershed when it was founded, but since 2002 I had already been dedicating personal projects to the Jesuit Martyrs. For example, the choir I conducted for a 2003 Sacred music CD was called THE SAINT GABRIEL LALEMANT SCHOLA CANTORUM.

In the first section, I will describe a marvelous “coincidence” having to do with these martyrs, but first I wish to publicly thank all those who have contributed to Watershed’s success. Hundreds of people have worked—quietly, humbly, behind the scenes—to assist Watershed. In a special way, I thank our contributors, listed on our blog sidebar. And I thank a generous person who donated financially in our early years.

When I began working for Watershed, I decided to dedicate any project I was responsible for to the martyrs: Garnier, Lalande, Goupil, Jogues, and so forth. Below, a purple picture shows the very first project (CHABANEL PSALMS) launched in 2007. The other photograph, circa 2003, shows part of my library, which would eventually be scanned by Watershed to create the Lalande Library:

750 Lalande 755 Chabanel Logo

One of my favorite memories was helping produce a 60-minute Sacred music documentary in 2009. The location was Loyola University, where my parents first met. Watershed had employees in those days, and when we showed up to film, we were greeted with LARGE NAMES OF THE MARTYRS (see below):

742 CMAA 743 Corpus Christi Watershed C 743 Corpus Christi Watershed B 743 Corpus Christi Watershed A 747 Jesuit Martyrs LOYOLA UNIVERSITY 746 Chabanel

Someday, we’d love to create more videos like that: it was a blast! Watershed will soon release a project—which is nearing completion—having to do with the NOH. We did a project in 2002 with these Belgian accompaniments, and the following picture shows Fr. Meinrad Miller, OSB, helping us. You can also see a much younger Jeff Ostrowski reviewing the NOH with Dr. Mark Holmberg in 2002. (Dr. Holmberg was known for his astonishing proficiency in figured bass.)

749 Fr. Meinrad Miller OSB 748 Dr. Mark Holmberg UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

I could list many more “mysterious” happenings regarding the North American Martyrs. For example, the bishop who helped us during an organizational crisis chose SAINT RENÉ GOUPIL as his religious name and kept it even after he was consecrated a bishop.

744 Renatus Goupil 745 Jesuit Martyrs of North America 752 Saint Noel Chabanel

Years after these martyr projects began, we discovered that the Texas Secretary of State had chosen 19 October to officially recognize our organization.

Does this strike you as a coincidence?

Our blog, VIEWS FROM THE CHOIR LOFT, has garnered thousands of “thank you” letters from all over the world. Much could be said about the blog, but I’d like to highlight just four points today:

(1) POSITIVE :  The defining characteristic of our blog is that it’s positive and constructive. What our readers don’t know is how difficult that is! The temptation to “go negative” and “make a splash” can be overwhelming at times. We didn’t know whether such a blog, exclusively positive, could survive in a blogosphere almost wholly dedicated to calumny, dishonesty, and sensationalist nonsense—but I can announce today that people do appreciate our efforts!

(2) RESPECT FOR THE READER :  We avoid the “cut and paste” mentality of ephemeral blogs, even though this requires tremendous effort on the part of our contributors. We feel that if folks are willing to read what we write, the least we can do is make sure the formatting is excellent and the links function.

(3) PEOPLE WHO PRODUCE :  We created Views from the Choir Loft in part to counteract a common tendency of the Roman Catholic liturgical world. Specifically, we noticed that much of the commentary was by people who had never directed a choir—and such people (often) should not be giving advice. That’s because only those who have stood in front of a choir realize how difficult it is.

(4) YOUR RESPONSE :  Choirmasters and organists—and lay Catholics, for that matter!—who believe the liturgy should be beautiful and traditional have a very difficult road. They are always being told to forget about “all that old stuff” and embrace the path of least resistance. It can be a lonely world. However, what keeps us going is knowing that many wonderful people exist “out there.” And this is a source of great consolation to us.

If you appreciate our efforts, please consider donating $5.00 per month. We are a 100% volunteer organization; none of us is paid. We cannot continue without our monthly donors.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Founding Corpus Christi Watershed, Founding of Corpus Christi Watershed Last Updated: October 19, 2023

Subscribe

It greatly helps us if you subscribe to our mailing list!

* indicates required

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).

Primary Sidebar

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

“As often as possible they gathered together the children of the village and sat them down in the cabin. Father Brébeuf would put on a surplice and biretta and chant the Our Father, which Father Daniel had translated into Huron rhymes, and the children would chant it after him. Next, he taught them the sign of the cross, the Hail Mary, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Commandments.”

— Biography of St. Jean de Brébeuf

Recent Posts

  • “What Martin Luther Said…”
  • “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Worship the Lord in Holy Attire
  • “How to Conduct 90 Vespers Services Each Year and Live to Tell the Tale.”
  • 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Subscribe

Subscribe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2025 Corpus Christi Watershed · Isaac Jogues on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

The election of Pope Leo XIV has been exciting, and we’re filled with hope for our apostolate’s future!

But we’re under pressure to transfer our website to a “subscription model.”

We don’t want to do that. We believe our website should remain free to all.

Our president has written the following letter:

President’s Message (dated 30 May 2025)

Are you able to support us?

clock.png

Time's up