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Views from the Choir Loft

“What Must Be Sung Is The Mass” • Susan Benofy

Jeff Ostrowski · February 16, 2015

274 St. Isaac Jogues Illuminated Missal, Lectionary, & Gradual USAN BENOFY of Adoremus Bulletin published an article for the February 2015 edition called: What Must Be Sung Is The Mass. She begins with an important quote from Bugnini’s Consilium about the importance of singing the Propers. She continues:

“For decades there were virtually no musical settings for the Propers in English. And some of the Proper texts still have no officially approved English translation. In the last few years, however, there has been increasing interest in setting the Proper texts to music.”

In her article, Susan includes information about the Jogues Illuminated Missal. Here’s some of what she wrote:

• The Ordinary of the Mass in English and Latin set in parallel columns. This section also contains a large number of full-color illustrations: reproductions of ancient manuscripts of the text and music of the Mass, sacred art, and photographs of various moments in the Mass.

• Readings from the Lectionary for years A, B, and C are included (in English).

• Texts of the processional chants (Introit, Offertory, and Communion) from the Graduale Romanum in both Latin and English. The English text is taken from the Gregorian Missal translation.   [Note: For important reasons.]

• Texts of the chants between the readings are given in both the older and newer forms. The Gradual and Alleluia (or Tract) are given in both Latin and English (Gregorian Missal translation). In addition the Responsorial Psalm (with musical notation for the people’s response) and Alleluia or alternate acclamation used in Lent from the US Lectionary are given in English. Musical settings and organ accompaniment for the Responsorial Psalms and Gospel acclamations can be downloaded or ordered at the website.

• Sequences for Easter, Pentecost, and Corpus Christi are given with the Propers for the day in an English metric text with musical setting. The Latin and a literal translation are given in an Appendix. Musical notation for the Latin text of the Pange Lingua is given in the Holy Thursday section.

• Finally, the text of Benediction for the Blessed Sacrament is included with musical notation for the O Salutaris and the Tantum Ergo. A musical setting of the Ordinary of the Mass is given.


I HESITATE to say anything negative about Susan’s article, but she could have added more resources by visiting this website. Moreover, she said the following about the Revised Grail:

On November 11, 2008, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the Conception Abbey Revised Grail Psalms for use in future editions of US liturgical books, including the Lectionary.

That’s not accurate according to what I’ve been told. It turns out the Revised Grail is going to be revised again! So all the books that currently use that translation—such as GIA Worship IV—are doubtless regretting their effort to get “ahead of the curve.” The question is, what will they call the new version? The “twice revised” Grail? Very confusing.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Jogues Illuminated Missal Lectionary Gradual 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

    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

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

The People’s Hymnal suffers from a too literal and awkward translation. And even in the lovely Slovak “Memorare” in The Saint Gregory Hymnal we are still asked to sing “that anyone who sought thee, or made to thee his moan.” Why not “groan” or “bone” or even “phone?” The only thing necessary, it seems, is that it rhyme with “known.”

— Mons. Francis P. Schmitt (1958)

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