Views from the Choir Loft

An Essential & Unique Thing For Holy Thursday

Jeff Ostrowski · April 2, 2015

OLY WEEK AS REVISED by Pope Pius XII only lasted a very short time, because Vatican II changed the liturgy again. The revisions by Pius XII were optional in 1951, and then imposed in 1955 upon all western churches. On 11 October 1962, the Second Vatican Council began. Therefore, many items have never been written out, and here’s one of them you’ll need:

* * PDF • Witten Out Conclusion of Mandatum

It was created according to this, but as you can see, it’s formatting will prevent mistakes. Maybe next year I can add the English translation.

By the way, you’ve probably already gone here and downloaded the special rubrics for Holy Thursday. You’ve also—most likely—downloaded the entire 1965 Missal which we placed online in November of 2013. ¹ However, you might enjoy looking at this special excerpt for Holy Thursday, taken from our scan of the 1965 Missal:

* * PDF • Holy Thursday in the 1965 Missal

If I have time, I’ll excerpt the Good Friday pages, too, because I noticed some funky melodies in English which I can almost guarantee were never sung anywhere by anyone.

NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1 This was the first time this historic book was ever made available online

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

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).

“Tonus Solemnior” • How old is it?

In the 1962 Missal, a section called “præfationes in tono solemniore” contains ornate melodies for the Preface. An article posted on the blog of the Church Music Association of America claims the tone comes from “the late 19th century” and said its elimination “is one of the very few good things which the post-Conciliar reform did for Gregorian chant.” The author said: “The Roman solemn preface tone is already beautiful enough, there was no need to give a more Romantic feel.”

Some have asked us whether the tonus solemnior comes from “the late 19th century.” It does not. Their author was wrong by at least 400 years. I have seen this tone in MSS from the 1400s—and it may go back even further. Here is an example from 1494AD. And here’s another from the 1400s. The FSSP priests use these tones on high feasts, and the effect is unforgettable.

—Jeff Ostrowski

6 January 2022 • Quick!

A short version of the INTROIT for the feast of the Epiphany has been added to the Saint René Goupil Gregorian Chant Website.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Confusing Feasts of Christmas

Whether one considers the Missale Vetustum or the post-conciliar calendar—or even the 1908 calendar—the feasts which follow Christmas are very confusing. Last year I created this comparison chart. I hope you find it helpful. As far as I can tell, my chart is the first effort to carefully detail the changes made to post-Christmas feasts (unless we also count the rather basic one by Lauren Pristas).

—Jeff Ostrowski