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Views from the Choir Loft

Josquin’s Beautiful “Missa Pange Lingua” In Minnesota

Guest Author · May 4, 2013

The following is a guest article by Sandra Eller.

AINT BENEDICT Catholic Church in Duluth, Minnesota, will be hosting a Solemn High Mass (traditional Latin Mass), celebrated by the parish pastor, Father Eric Hastings, for the Ascension on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. The choir will be singing the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei from Missa Pange Lingua by de Prez, a beautiful Mass we have done a few times in the past, in addition to Masses by Byrd and Victoria. The Duluth Men’s Schola will be singing the Gregorian propers.

The choir, which will have about a dozen voices, is comprised of members of my parish choir at St. Ben’s and members of the Duluth Men’s Schola, a group my husband founded several years ago and which is now directed by Kevin Pilon, who will also conduct the polyphony Thursday evening.


It will be our third Solemn High Mass, the first with both deacon and subdeacon from our diocese. It’s sort of the latest stage in an ongoing exploration of what’s possible in liturgy and particularly liturgical music in continuity with tradition, accompanied by a lot of catechesis from Father Hastings. Musically, things have grown from simple chants to more ornate Gregorian ordinaries and Gregorian propers and finally polyphony. We have also included new compositions inspired by the Church’s sacred music tradition, such as pieces by Kevin Allen and various projects of setting English translations of the propers to plainchant, something we use routinely. After the new translation of the Mass, the parish moved to the Adoremus hymnal, as well. The congregation is now fairly comfortable with singing the Gloria in Latin and a few other more ornate chant ordinaries.

The extraordinary form plays a relatively small role in parish life, celebrated Sunday afternoons twice a month and sometimes on special occasions like this one, ranging from low Masses to the full blown Solemn High Mass. Two of our regular weekend Masses, Father celebrates ad orientem.

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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Quick Thoughts

16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book

If there is a more beautiful book than Abbat Pothier’s 1888 Processionale Monasticum, I don’t know what it might be. This gorgeous tome was today added to the Saint John Lalande Online Library. I wish I owned a physical copy.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“It is most important that when the faithful assist at the sacred ceremonies … they should sing alternately with the clergy or the choir, as it is prescribed.”

— ‘Pope Pius XI, Divini Cultus (20 Dec 1928) §9’

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