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Views from the Choir Loft

Innocuous But Uninspired Music At Mass?

Jeff Ostrowski · January 28, 2015

407 NPM OMETIMES PEOPLE who think they’re brilliant try to “reinvent everything” but end up proving themselves foolish. Peter Wagner’s disciple, Joseph Gogniat, was an enemy of the singing at Solesmes and published an entire book opposing Mocquereau’s theories. He even convinced Cardinal Pacelli—who would be elected Pius XII a few months later—to endorse it. To replace the classical Solesmes method, however, he invented his own system of notation which, as you can see, was even more confusing!

One of the leading postconciliar composers was Carey Landry. When I worked in the Ordinary Form, my boss frequently forced me to play Landry’s songs at Mass (and some are well crafted). To this day, many of his compositions are sold by Oregon Catholic Press. Many faithful Catholics were horrified when they first heard this type of music 1 being sung at Mass:

      * *  Audio Excerpt • by Carey Landry (Oregon Catholic Press)

When I was little, I remember singing some of these same songs at Mass (although I refused to do the hand gestures), and OCP still sells several I recall.

OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES, faithful priests have eliminated much of what was done in the ’70s and ’80s, but many “contemporary” composers have produced new music that—while not offensive—strikes me as uninspired. In particular, I’ve noticed this with the billions of musical settings produced for MR3. Maybe a quick “live” recording from an actual Mass will illustrate what I’m getting at:

      * *  “Live” Recording At Mass • Innocuous But Uninspired Kyrie Eleison

In the years immediately following the Council, some insisted upon Mass Ordinaries in the vernacular no matter what they sounded like. (I hope to post some of these in the coming months.) One Gloria I saw printed on a 1960s Mass Card uses the tune from “Soul of my Savior” over and over, almost like a warped isorhythmic motet. People seemed determined to create something “new”—similar to Joseph Gogniat—but forgot that music has been developing for centuries. They should have immersed themselves in the masterpieces of the past as a prerequisite to composing music for God’s house.

Gregorian composers had an extremely sophisticated way of setting music. Our ears don’t easily tire of their compositions, though the melodies are often simple. Those unfamiliar with the Gregorian style often complain that notes are placed on the “wrong” syllables, but their arguments are invalid. The Gregorian composers knew very well what they were about:

405 Fourteenth Cent. hymnus


The Renaissance masters also took advantage of what had been learned about music through the ages. Their compositions do not obscure the text, but elevate it in a sophisticated manner, overlapping phrase after phrase. How different this is from the extremely predictable approach of so many of today’s composers, where each phrase is separated like a baby who’s learning “Goo goo gah gah.”

In essence, we’re on the right track, and progress is being made. Eventually (perhaps) we’ll reach the same level of musical sophistication Catholics had a millenium ago! It reminds me of a coffee mug I saw years ago. Showing a circular track, it said: “I’m so far behind, I think I’m ahead.”



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   This is often done in the name of “stylistic diversity of all the various contemporary cultures.”

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

    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —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

“Gregorian chant is the sacred chant, proper and principal of the Roman Church. Therefore, not only can it be used in all liturgical actions, but unless there are mitigating circumstances, it is preferable to use it instead of other kinds of sacred music.”

— §16, De Musica Sacra (1958)

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  • Boston Auxiliary Bishop: “In offering the Traditional Mass for the first time, after removing the vestments, I knelt in the back pew and wept.”

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