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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download: Complete Proper Of The Mass, With Organ Accompaniment • Kansas (1946)

Jeff Ostrowski · June 27, 2014

332 Proper of the Mass UR CURRENT AGE has a difficult time grasping realities of the past. For example, as a parent of two small children, I cannot understand how people survived before modern conveniences like running water, plumbing, electricity, modern medicine, and disposable diapers. Can you imagine raising children in the year 1817? How about 1746? 1455? 1106? It’s totally unthinkable … yet billions of humans have done it.

Broad statements are sometimes made, such as: “Catholic music was terrible prior to the Second Vatican Council … and priests rushed through Low Mass in a sloppy way.” Others imagine that every single church before Vatican II had a men’s Schola chanting the full Gregorian Propers.

While neither scenario is accurate, one thing is certain: our ancestors often sang the Propers, despite many obstacles. Considering what they did, our feeble efforts to sing the Propers are inexcusable.

Therein lies the primary value of being aware of this book:

      * *  COMPLETE PROPER OF THE MASS — Rev. Green & Rev. Koch ©1946 (PDF)

It’s remarkable that priests in Kansas — Kansas! — were willing to exert the effort necessary to help small churches sing the Propers. Many other collections existed, too: Tozer, Labouré, Rossini, and so forth.

Although the melodies and organ accompaniments in this book are nothing spectacular, they did include some handy items like a Latin Pronunciation Guide, Sequence Accompaniments, and these accompaniments to the Vidi Aquam and Asperges Me:

      * *  Asperges Me — Organ Accompaniment (PDF)

      * *  Vidi Aquam — Organ Accompaniment (PDF)

IT IS A FACT that not all churches “back in the day” sang the Propers. Some churches omitted them, although this was contrary to liturgical law. Much evidence could be produced, for example:

      * *  Omitting the Propers — References from the 1930s (PDF)

For reference purposes, here’s the title page information:

THE COMPLETE PROPER OF THE MASS
Set to Gregorian Themes and Psalm Tones for Sundays and Feasts of the Liturgical Year

by Andrew Green, O.S.B. and Rev. Herman J. Koch, Ph.D.

1956 Revised Edition

IMPRIMATUR:
Edward J. Hunkeler (27 September 1956)
Archiepiscopus Kansanopolitanus in Kansas

Copyright 1946 Diocese of Leavenworth

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Last Updated: January 13, 2020

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Jeff Ostrowski

About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Can You Spare 33 Seconds?

Here’s an audio excerpt (33 seconds) of a setting for Kyrie VIII which was recorded live last Sunday at our parish in Los Angeles. The setting (“Missa de Angelis”) is by composer Richard Rice, and you can download the free PDF if you click here and scroll to the bottom. I think Richard’s composition is marvelous. I missed a few notes on the organ, but I’ll get them right next time.

—Jeff Ostrowski
5 April 2021 • When Girls Sing

Covid restrictions here in California are still extremely severe—switching “two weeks to flatten the curve” into “two years to flatten the curve.” Since 2020, we’ve had police breaking into our church to check if everyone is wearing a mask…even when only 5-6 people are present! But we were allowed to have a small percentage of our singers back on Easter Sunday, and here is their live recording of the ancient Catholic hymn for Eastertide: Ad Cenam Agni Providi. The girls were so very excited to sing again—you can hear it in their voices!

—Jeff Ostrowski
29 March 2021 • FEEDBACK

“E.S.” in North Dakota writes: “I just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for all the hard work you have put—and continue to put—into your wonderful website. In the past two years, my parish has moved from a little house basement into a brand new church and gone from a few families receiving Low Masses twice a month to several families (and many individuals) receiving Mass every Sunday, two Saturdays a month, and every Holy Day. Our priest has been incorporating more and more High Masses and various ceremonies into our lives, which has made my job as a huge newbie choir master very trying and complicated. CCWatershed has been an invaluable resource in helping me get on my feet and know what to do!!! Thank you more than I can express! May God bless you abundantly and assist you in your work and daily lives!”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

When you consider that the greatest hymns ever written—the plainchant hymns—are pushing the age of eight hundred and that the noble chorale hymn tunes of Bach date from the early eighteenth century, then what is the significance of the word “old” applied to “Mother at Thy Feet Is Kneeling”? Most of the old St. Basil hymns date from the Victorian era, particularly the 1870s and 1880s.

— Paul Hume (1956)

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