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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Positive Liturgical Fruits Of Vatican II: Second Part

Jeff Ostrowski · September 17, 2014

851 Paulus VI IMAGE N the first section, I mentioned what I consider to be an important and positive fruit of the postconciliar reforms. Today, I’ll speak of another positive development, but this one’s a bit tricky, because it’s in potentia. 1 In other words, Vatican II called for it, but it hasn’t yet been fully implemented.

Sacrosanctum Concilium, the very first document issued by Vatican II, made a declaration which corresponds to the desire of many 20th-century popes (especially Pius X and Pius XII):

“In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy, this full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else…” —Sacrosanctum Concilium, §14b

You’ve doubtless encountered some who wrongly interpret this sentence to mean we should remove Latin, sacred polyphony, choirs, Gregorian chant, and so on. But their statements are false … because the same document specifically mandates such things!

In my view, that sentence means liturgical music should be:

(1) consistent (so people know what to expect every Sunday)

(2) varied (so people don’t get bored and “zone out”)

(3) respectful of the space & congregation (to the extent possible)

(4) not excessively demanding (see below)

With regard to number 4, each party should do its part and nothing more. In other words, the congregation, priest, deacon, cantor, and choir all have different roles to play. It is horrible when the congregation is expected to sing everything, whereas AT MOST they should sing a few hymns, a few acclamations, a few alternatim Mass parts, and the dialogues. 2 On the other hand, I’m normally against “concert Masses” where the choir sings the entire Mass. I know that people will attack me for saying this, but I’m being honest, and I think the above quote from Sacrosanctum Concilium backs me up.

Regarding number 2, please go here and scroll down to the chart called “PDF Mass Outline”:

      * *  A Simple Plan To Improve Music At Mass

There’s no need to repeat everything I’ve said in that link. I would simply stress that the VARIETY—which includes choir-only pieces—keeps people’s attention and therefore helps them participate at Mass. If musicians took seriously the little chart I provided, they would find that congregations are moved more deeply by the choir-only selections … which is a good thing!

IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD LIKE to mention again the “insurmountable problem” we’ve so often alluded to in the past: no liturgy can perfectly fit each person in the congregation. Each of us is on a UNIQUE MUSICAL JOURNEY. For example, I’ve studied music since the age of six, and at a young age began listening to several hours of music each day: Bach, Chopin, Grieg, Liszt, Schubert, Mozart, Palestrina, Victoria, Lassus, Brahms, Ravel, and so forth. As a young teenager, I traded cassette tapes all over the world to obtain special recordings not available in the United States (especially “live” recordings which have never been released).

I mention all this because my UNIQUE MUSICAL JOURNEY will differ from other people’s. I remember being obsessed with numerous pieces which no longer really interest me. An example would be Chopin’s Andante Spianato & Grand Polonaise, which I memorized and played before audiences. On the other hand, certain masterpieces—such as Bach’s Art of the Fugue or his Goldberg Variations—stay with me year after year, decade after decade.

That’s why we must always choose music of quality (“depth”) for Mass, so that no matter where the congregation is on their UNIQUE MUSICAL JOURNEY, the liturgical music will be a source of delight for them. Music of quality need not be complex, by the way. In fact, it can be quite simple.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   This phrase—“in potentia“—is used by St. Thomas Aquinas and other philosophers. This concept helps us remember that unborn children & the mentally handicapped (for example) are every bit as human as anyone else, because of the powers they possess in potentia.

2   Please use a brisk tempo: don’t drag! So many congregations make the dialogue responses into a funeral dirge, which is unbearable.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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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 Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 19th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (10 August 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    This Sunday’s Communion Antiphon
    This coming Sunday—10 August 2025—is the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). The COMMUNION ANTIPHON is really gorgeous, and two of its features are worth mentioning. First of all, the Gospel reading assigned is from Saint Luke, whereas the the antiphon—although it matches the account—comes from Saint Matthew. (If anyone can point to a similar example, please notify me.) Furthermore, if you look at the authentic Gregorian Chant version posted on the feasts website, you’ll notice that it’s MODE III but ends on the ‘wrong’ note. A comparable instance of such a ‘transposed’ chant would be KYRIE IV.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
    Using “Ye” vs. “You” is rather tricky, because it depends upon which era one is trying to recreate—if that makes any sense. In other words, the rules haven’t always been the same for these two. Nevertheless, Father Philip George Caraman (the legendary Jesuit scholar) gives us a masterclass using Saint Luke’s Gospel. Father Caraman was close friends with Monsignor Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, and Sir Alec Guinness.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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

Random Quote

“A vigorous search is instituted for the best tenor and bass singers to be found in the realm. Luys de Villafranca, master of the altar boys and instructor of plainchant, petitions on November 27 that the boy-bishop festivities be combined this year with those for the Feast of St. Nicholas.” [From “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

— Sevilla: Chapter Resolution (20 November 1562)

Recent Posts

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  • “Music List” • 19th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • This Sunday’s Communion Antiphon
  • Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
  • Installment #3 • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”

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