Views from the Choir Loft

On Singing the Passion Gospel for Palm Sunday

Guest Author · February 7, 2014

REPARATIONS FOR the liturgies of Holy Week have already begun in many places. In some parishes extra lay lectors are assigned parts for a dramatic reading of the Passion Gospel on Palm Sunday. But why not sing the Gospel?

The Second Vatican Council did indeed encourage the sung form of the mass as the “more noble.” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 113; see also Musicam Sacram, 5) And since the Passion Gospel is the most important portion of the Gospel read all year, to sing it would be an effective way of realizing the solemnity of the occasion.

In fact, there is a long tradition in sacred music of composing special settings for the Passion Gospel, both on Palm Sunday and on Good Friday. The beautiful settings by Victoria and Byrd are simple enough to be used even by parishes with small choirs.

My “St. Matthew Passion” seeks to answer the need for a musical setting in English of the Lectionary text currently used on Palm Sunday in Year A.

Following the tradition of sung Passions, it provides three solo parts for most of the narrative and choral sections for the voice of the crowd. The choral passages (in SAB) are well within the ability of a modest parish choir. The solo parts of tenor, bass (Christus) and baritone (Evangelist) employ simple reciting formulas, each set at its own pitch level within a Mode 3 (Phrygian) modality.

We hope you enjoyed this guest article by Royce Nickel.

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* * The Passion according to St. Matthew

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

Dr. Mahrt explains the ‘Spoken’ Propers

In 1970, the Church promulgated a new version of the Roman Missal. It goes by various names: Ordinary Form, Novus Ordo, MISSALE RECENS, and so on. If you examine the very first page, you’ll notice that Pope Saint Paul VI explains the meaning of the ‘Spoken Propers’ (which are for Masses without singing). A quote by Dr. William P. Mahrt is also included in that file. The SPOKEN PROPERS—used at Masses without music—are sometimes called The Adalbert Propers, because they were created in 1969 by Father Adalbert Franquesa Garrós, one of Hannibal Bugnini’s closest friends (according to Yves Chiron).

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “Music List” (1st Sunday of Advent)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 30 November 2025, which is the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The ENTRANCE CHANT is quite memorable, and the fauxbourdon setting of the COMMUNION is exquisite. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are available at the feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Music List” • Christ the King Sunday

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 23 November 2025, which is the 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. In the 1970 Missal, this Sunday is known as: Domini Nostri Jesu Christi Universorum Regis (“Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe”). As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the magnificent feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Translations Approved for Liturgical Use”

According to the newsletter for USSCB’s Committee on Divine Worship dated September 1996, there are three (3) translations of the Bible which can be used in the sacred liturgy in the United States. You can read this information with your own eyes. It seems the USCCB and also Rome fully approved the so-called NRSV (“New Revised Standard Version”) on 13 November 1991 and 6 April 1992 but this permission was then withdrawn in 1994.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Our Father” • Musical Setting?

Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?

—Jeff Ostrowski