Views from the Choir Loft

Archives for May 2014

Gwyneth Holston · May 5, 2014

Pathetic Beauty

Can A Pure Intention Create Objective Beauty?

Jeff Ostrowski · May 5, 2014

PDF Download: Ordo Lectionum Missae & Ordo Cantus Missae

“…otherwise the entire Mass might be placed into the vernacular; whereupon the Council fathers burst into uproarious laughter.” — Cardinal Stickler speaking of Vatican II

Fr. David Friel · May 4, 2014

Parish May Crownings

A strong devotional life in the parish church will naturally support and strengthen its liturgical vitality.

Guest Author · May 3, 2014

Simple English Propers Organ Accompaniments

Two exciting new volumes in the field of sung propers.

Guest Author · May 3, 2014

Homily: 3rd Sunday of Easter (Year A)

A homily by Fr. Valentine Young, OFM.

Richard J. Clark · May 2, 2014

The Pipe Organ in Survival Mode

Organists can no longer take for granted the dominant use—or for that matter, any use of the organ despite anything Sacrosanctum Concilium states.

Corpus Christi Watershed · May 1, 2014

Jogues Illuminated Missal • Responsorial Psalm Sample Video

Free Responsorial Psalms

Dr. Peter Kwasniewski · May 1, 2014

A Triple Cord: Liturgy, Aquinas, and CST

The traditional liturgy, the study of St. Thomas Aquinas, and Catholic social doctrine―these three things stand or fall together.

Jeff Ostrowski · May 1, 2014

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Liturgical Translations

This is no hybrid: it’s an elegant, accurate, modern, unified English translation of the Graduale!

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