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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download: Two (2) Rare Franciscan Chant Books

Jeff Ostrowski · February 24, 2015

234 Franciscan Cappa Magna NE OF OUR READERS kindly sent two extremely rare and fascinating Franciscan chant books! If someone would like to write a careful description of each, I will publish them. I’m afraid my knowledge of Franciscan traditions is pathetic.

The first one, “Cantuale Romano-Seraphicum,” was edited by Rev. Eliseo Bruning, OFM, and published by Desclée in 1951. It appears to be a collection of various chants of special use to Franciscans—and some have their own melodic variants. Many of these melodies cannot be easily found in any other book:

      * *  PDF • Cantuale Romano-Seraphicum (1951)

The second one is not quite as interesting. Called “Missae Propriae Ordinis Fratrum Minorum Ad Normam Gradualis Editionis Vaticanae,” it appears to contain feasts of special significance to Franciscans, as well as some rare Sequences:

      * *  PDF Download • Missae Propriae Ordinis Fratrum Minorum (1951)


My favorite part of this book tells singers IN BIG CAPITAL LETTERS what I often tell my singers:

236 Franciscan GRADUALE


It means not to double the length of notes with horizontal episemata.

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download 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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

19 May 2022 • “Trochee Trouble”

I’m still trying to decide how to visually present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores, using what is (technically) the official rhythm of the Church. You can download my latest attempt, for this coming Sunday. Notice the “trochee trouble” as well as the old issue of neumes before the quilisma.

—Jeff Ostrowski
16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The Pope is not an absolute monarch whose thoughts and desires are law. On the contrary: the Pope’s ministry is a guarantee of obedience to Christ and to his Word. He must not proclaim his own ideas, but rather constantly bind himself and the Church to obedience to God’s Word, in the face of every attempt to adapt it or water it down, and every form of opportunism.”

— ‘His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI (11 May 2005)’

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