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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

A Short Piece We’re Singing For Lent

Jeff Ostrowski · March 19, 2019

ANY WILL FIND IT UNFAIR that our parish was chosen—along with others—to sing bits and pieces from the Brébeuf Hymnal “harmony edition” for several years. But what I can affirm is that such testing efforts are absolutely essential for a massive and unprecedented project like the Brébeuf Hymnal. Believe me, nobody is more eager for the harmony edition to become publicly available than I am—and very soon it will appear. When it finally does (within the next few weeks) we will be glad it was given a “trial run” first.

For Lent, we’ve been singing this STABAT MATER:

    * *  PDF • STABAT MATER based on Brébeuf Harmonies

Somebody took out a “pocket recorder” during Mass last Sunday, and sent me the video. The sound quality does not accurately reproduce the glorious sounds we heard:


You can rehearse the individual lines if you scroll down to #480 … but most readers won’t do that, which causes me deep sadness.

85176 Beuron Abbey PEAKING OF DEEP SADNESS, I have experienced some recently…because of my impatience. There is so much that needs to happen, but nothing can move forward until the harmony edition is released. It should be released over the next few weeks, according to the letter posted here. Folks, you have no idea what it takes to publish a book! The proofreading goes on for ages. The entire process is unbelievably complex and labor-intensive.

Once the harmony edition becomes available, we can begin to release instructions for how to properly use the Brébeuf Hymnal. Some have tried to pressure the Institute to release the Brébeuf indices online, but this suggestion has been met with resistance. Certain members feel that releasing the index won’t really give people an idea of this book, because our hymnal is quite unique. I do see their point. I have examined so many hymnal indices online, and it’s usually just the same pieces over and over, with a few modifications. With these other hymnals, I can basically look at the index for 20 seconds and instantly know what’s in the book—but the Brébeuf isn’t like that. Our book is completely unique, utterly sensational, and must be experienced.

Oh, just wait until we start releasing the seasonal guides! (Again, this will be done as soon as the harmony edition is released.) These guides will be of great assistance to those trying to figure out the structure of the Brébeuf Hymnal, which is completely sui generis. The guides for Advent and Lent will be especially marvelous, and Catholic choirmasters will welcome these.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with one of the smartest Catholic priests alive. He had purchased a copy of the Brébeuf but wanted to know more. We talked for an hour yet barely scratched the surface, in terms of all the wonderful things about the hymnal. Afterward, the priest said: “I’m so glad you explained all this because I had been puzzled by certain features of this book.” If someone as brilliant as this priest—and he’s literally a genius—was struggling to understand, that means we need to provide a whole lot more materials to explain what this book is all about. And we will do so…after the harmony edition is released.

Just the other day, I was reflecting on how difficult it is to direct a choir. The choirmaster must always be thinking about the future! We must constantly plan ahead: for rehearsal, for the liturgical seasons, for “major” liturgies, and so on. Moreover, what is the level of difficulty for a piece? Does it require organ? What arrangement is best? What key? How can we obtain enough scores? Can it be used for an entire season or just one Mass? Will all the “right” singers be present to make sure it can be done? Will it be in English or Latin? And on and on. And that’s where the Brébeuf comes in: its contents are truly staggering…but it can’t help people if they’re confused!

THE CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES for those who direct choirs often seem too great to overcome. But there are consolations! One such consolation happened for me the other day. I had finished directing a long and rigorous rehearsal—and once it ended, I went into a room only to discover our choir members could not get enough singing! So they launched into their favorite pieces from memory, and I pulled out my iPhone:


Click here to download the piece in the video—a breathtaking SATB SANCTUS by J.S. Bach.

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

“Of course, the new [Easter Vigil] liturgy has greatly streamlined the symbology. But the exaggerated simplification has removed elements that used to have quite a hold on the mindset of the faithful. […] Is this Easter Vigil liturgy definitive?”

— Paul VI to Virgilio Noè (10 April 1971)

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