Views from the Choir Loft

Scales and counterpoint

Veronica Brandt · March 28, 2015

ECOND HAND BOOKS ARE GREAT. Just last week a friend was holding a book sale from the deceased estate of a music teacher and I found this little book of Two Part Exercise for Choirs by James Greenwood.

It pairs a simple slow diatonic scale with some counterpoint for sight reading. Make sure everyone knows how to sing a scale, then set half the group to sing the harmony – swap and repeat until you master each one.

The exercises are arranged in different keys in regular five line notation. I was half expecting some repetition of tunes, but the composer seems to have a knack for variety.

I thought this might be a good exercise for typing up music with lilypond-book, so here you can download the first ten exercises on a nice clear page. I’m keeping track of the project with github.

The book is available through the Internet Archive.

So there you go. Something for your choir and something for the one who types up music.

Happy Holy Week!

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

About Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

Like! Like! Like!

You won’t believe who recently gave us a “like” on the Corpus Christi Watershed FACEBOOK PAGE. Click here (PDF) to see who it was. We were not only sincerely honored, we were utterly flabbergasted. This was truly a resounding endorsement and unmistakable stamp of approval.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Atténde Dómine”

Although it isn’t nearly as ancient as other hymns in the plainsong repertoire, Atténde Dómine, et miserére, quía peccávimus tíbi (“Look down, O Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against Thee”) has become one of the most popular hymns for LENT—perhaps because it was included in the famous Liber Usualis of Solesmes. This musical score (PDF file) has an incredibly accurate version in English, as well as a nice version in Spanish, and also the original Latin. Although I don’t claim to have a great singing voice, this morning I recorded this rehearsal video.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Music List • (1st Sunday of Lent)

Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for this coming Sunday—22 February 2026—the 1st Sunday of Lent (Year A). 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 available at the outstanding feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. I spent an enormous amount of time preparing this ORDER OF MUSIC—because the children’s choir will join us—and some of its components came out great. For example, the COMMUNION ANTIPHON with Fauxbourdon is utterly resplendent, yet still ‘Lenten’.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Reminder” — Month of Febr. (2026)

On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. It couldn’t be easier to subscribe! Just scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Chart • “Plainsong Rhythm”

I will go to my grave without understanding the lack of curiosity so many people have about the rhythmic modifications made by Dom André Mocquereau. For example, how can someone examine this single sheet comparison chart and at a minimum not be curious about the differences? Dom Mocquereau basically creates a LONG-SHORT LONG-SHORT rhythmic pattern—in spite of enormous and overwhelming manuscript evidence to the contrary. That’s why some scholars referred to his method as “Neo-Mensuralist” or “Neo-Mensuralism.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Simplified)

I admire the harmonization of “Adeste Fideles” by David Willcocks (d. 2015), who served as director of the Royal College of Music (London, England). In 2025, I was challenged to create a simplified arrangement for organists incapable of playing the authentic version at tempo. The result was this simplified keyboard arrangement (PDF download) based on the David Willcocks version of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Feel free to play through it and let me know what you think.

—Jeff Ostrowski