Views from the Choir Loft

Impatiently Awaiting the Publication of the English Translation of von Hildebrand’s Aesthetics

Gwyneth Holston · December 16, 2013

ccording to the Dietrich von Hildebrand Legacy Project website, volume I of Dietrich von Hildebrand’s writings on aesthetics was translated this year. How thrilling! I believe it will be a work of intense interest to Catholic artists and musicians.

For those of you who have not had the pleasure of discovering the writings of Dietrich von Hildebrand or his esteemed wife, Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, I encourage you to read his biography, Soul of a Lion. It is the story of the brilliant son of a famous sculptor and his growth from a childhood immersed in a pagan appreciation of beauty to an adulthood focused on the Christian notion of beauty. An outspoken idealist and philosopher, von Hildebrand was hunted by the Nazis during World War II until he escaped to America.

Dietrich von Hildebrand’s father was the sculptor Adolf von Hildebrand who wroteThe Problem of Form in Painting and Sculpture in 1907. It is a excellent treatise for artists on the depiction of three-dimensional space.

Each summer, the Dietrich von Hildebrand Legacy Project hosts a summer seminar to promote study of his writings and ideas. I went last summer and enjoyed the week immensely. It was astonishing to see how the writings of one man brought together professionals from such fields as philosophy, theology, education, and the arts.

Watch the video below to see the highlights from last year’s program:

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

About Gwyneth Holston

Gwyneth Holston is a sacred artist who works to provide and promote good quality Catholic art. Her website is gwynethholston.com. Read more.

Luis Martínez Must Go!

Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

—Jeff Ostrowski

Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!

A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)

I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.

—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