Views from the Choir Loft

Music for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Richard J. Clark · August 12, 2013

F YOU ARE LOOKING FOR some last minute selections of sacred music for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, look no further:

Download here several FREE Responsorial psalms from the Chabanel Psalm Project — settings by Jeff Ostrowski, Royce Nickel, Arlene, Oost-Zimmer, Aristotle Esguerra, Richard Rice, and Sam Schmitt, and yours truly.

Download here several FREE Gospel Acclamations.

Download a FREE communion proper: PDF • Communion Antiphon | Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary | Mass of the Day (Congregation part on Pg. 3) This setting is based on the Magnificat Tone 2. As the prescribed verses are the Magnificat itself, the verses alone can also be used for Vespers.

INALLY, A CHORAL SETTING of the Ave Maria, available from RJC Cecilia Music) for both SSAT and TTBB, performed here by the American Boychoir, conducted by Fernando Mavar-Ruiz.

• Photo courtesy of Len Levasseur | The Assumption Window at St. Cecilia Church, Boston

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

About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

“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

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