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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

New Sacred Music Magazine — “Altare Dei”

Fr. David Friel · October 27, 2016

UST RELEASED is the first edition of Altare Dei, a new magazine devoted to liturgy and sacred music. This new effort has been conceived by Maestro Aurelio Porfiri, known by our readers as a past contributor to these pages. Porfiri’s experience as a choir master, conductor, organist, and music theorist has prepared him well to serve as editor of this new publication.

There is not an overwhelming number of journals and magazines in the field of liturgy and sacred music. Still, what makes Altare Dei different and worth reading?

1. The magazine will include such varied content as articles, interviews, profiles, editorials, and announcements about major concerts, conferences, etc.

2. Each issue will also include a substantial insert of new music. This first issue includes 6 original pieces from 4 different composers, a total of 12 pages of music. Altare Dei would be worth purchasing for this feature alone.

3. Articles will appear in English, but they will include, by translation, contributions from beyond the Anglophone world.

4. The cost of the magazine is just €6 (roughly $7 USD). There are, moreover, no shipping fees, as the content is available for instant download.

Altare Dei will be distributed strictly in digital format through the website of Choralife music publisher. It is envisioned that Altare Dei will appear as a bi-monthly magazine. The first issue is available now for download.

I am pleased to have an article featured in this first October 2016 edition. Among the other contributors are many familiar names in the fields of sacred liturgy & music:

David Fagerberg (theology professor, University of Notre Dame); Peter Kwasniewski (professor & choirmaster, Wyoming Catholic College); Colin Mawby (composer & former conductor of Westminster Cathedral choir); Serafino Tognetti, CFD (monk & writer); Sr. Rosa Goglia (philosopher); Valentino Miserachs (composer & choirmaster, Santa Maria Maggiore); Mauro Visconti (composer); Rodolfo Papa (art historian & painter)

Download this inaugural edition here, and see the excellent content for yourself!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Altare Dei Magazine, Choralife Publisher, Colin Mawby, Father Enrico Zoffoli, Monsignor Valentino Miserachs Grau, Reform of the Reform, Renewal of the Renewal, Sheet Music Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    PDF Download • Communion for Sunday
    The COMMUNION ANTIPHON with fauxbourdon psalm verses for this coming Sunday (3 May 2026) is elegant and poignant. It’s such a shame it only comes every three years. This piece—along with all the musical scores for this coming Sunday, which is the 5th Sunday of Easter (Year A)—can be downloaded free of charge from the flourishing feasts website. By the way, how is it already 2026?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Season’s End Repertoire
    Looking at the REPERTOIRE SHEET until the end of the choral season, I see that I’ve fallen behind schedule. (The last three months have been extraordinarily busy.) As you know, I have been providing organ harmonies for all the ENTRANCE CHANTS—as well as rehearsal videos—and you can see I’m behind where I planned to be. Now I must make up lost ground. However, the choir picks up the ENTRANCE CHANT with ease, so I’m sure it will all work out. My ‘unofficial’ harmonizations are being posted each week at the flourishing feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Funeral Procession”
    From a mediæval Book of Hours, I was sent this glorious depiction of a Roman Catholic funeral procession by Simon Bening (d. 1561). The image resolution is extremely high. I’m not sure I know of a more beautiful illustration of a mediæval church. And I love how the servers are wearing red and pink cassocks!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    PDF Download • “Anima Christi”
    I received a request for an organ accompaniment I created way back in 2007 for the “Anima Christi” Gregorian Chant. You can download this PDF file which has the score in plainsong followed by a keyboard accompaniment. Many melodies have been paired with “Anima Christi” over the centuries, but this is—perhaps—the most common one.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Liturgical Law” (467 Pages)
    On Good Friday during the middle ages, the pope privately recited THE ENTIRE PSALTER. If you don’t believe me, see for yourself by reading this passage by Dom Charles Augustine Bachofen (d. 1943). His famous book—called “Liturgical Law: A Handbook Of The Roman Liturgy”—was published by the Benjamin Herder Book Company, which was the American arm (operating out of St. Louis, Missouri) of one of the world’s most significant Catholic publishers. Dom Charles Augustine Bachofen was born in Switzerland but spent his career between the Benedictine monasteries at Conception (Missouri) and Mount Angel (Oregon). His 1931 masterpiece, Liturgical Law can be downloaded as a PDF file … 467 pages!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Gregorian Chant Quiz” • 24 March 2026
    How well do you know your Gregorian hymns? Do you recognize the tune inserted into the bass line on this score? For many years, we sang the entire Mass in Gregorian chant—and I mean everything. As a result, it would be difficult to find a Gregorian hymn I don’t recognize instantly. Only decades later did I realize (with sadness) that this skill cannot be ‘monetized’… This particular melody is used for a very famous Gregorian hymn, printed in the LIBER USUALIS. Do you recognize it? Send me an email with the correct words, and I promise to tell everybody I meet about your prowess!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“For me, religious music ceased with the sixteenth century. The fresh, childlike souls of that time alone expressed their vehement, untainted fervor in music free from worldliness. Since then we have had pious musical improvisations more or less made for show. That wonderful man Johann Sebastian Bach only escaped because of his natural genius. He built harmonic edifices as a devout architect and not as an apostle.”

— Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • Communion for Sunday
  • “Translating the Bible” • Msgr. Ronald Knox (1953)
  • Season’s End Repertoire
  • PDF Download • “Funeral Procession”
  • Re: The “Correct” Way To Sing Gregorian Chant

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