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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

The Movie “I Confess” Shows A Liturgical Sensibility

Jeff Ostrowski · May 25, 2015

CAN HARDLY BELIEVE it has been twenty years since I sat in a rectory—along with several FSSP clerics—enjoying Alfred Hitchcock’s I Confess. The other day, when I posted the VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS, it brought to mind Fr. Logan’s famous Ordination scene, which features this Gregorian melody.

Alfred Hitchcock was a Roman Catholic, and this film is “peppered” with snippets from Catholic life in the 1950s. Hitchcock seems to have possessed a musical ear—throughout this movie, the Dies Irae is fittingly used as a leitmotif. Moreover, the soundtrack really does “make” this film, as you can see:


Throughout the movie, Hitchcock seems to imitate the liturgy, by a certain technique which undoubtedly has a name; but I’m too ignorant to know it. Let me describe what I mean. In the Church’s liturgy, the official texts often have multiple levels. For example, the Pentecost Sunday INTROIT comes from the book of Wisdom but is a “secret” version of the Acts of the Apostles (chapter 2, verse 4). The characters in I Confess frequently say something with a deeper meaning.

In the following clip, Ruth Grandfort tells Fr. Michael Logan—through sobs—how sorry she is that blame for Villette’s murder is being placed upon him. (Needless to say, the true guilt ought to be felt by the murderer, Otto Keller, who earlier admitted his guilt to Fr. Logan in the confessional.) At that moment, Otto comes through the door and bumps into Ruth, who apologizes. Otto replies, “No; it’s not your fault. It was my fault, Madame.” Keller then passes in front where Fr. Logan is hearing confessions:


Some will feel this type of “deeper meaning” is overdone by Hitchcock, but remember that in 1953 nobody had YouTube, DVR, internet vines, DVD releases, Netflix, or even VHS tapes. Therefore, the movie had but one chance to make an impression. 1

WE HAVE BEEN TOLD time and again that Gregorian chant lacks emotion, but it’s difficult for me to accept this when I recall certain events in my life. I’ll never forget my brother’s Confirmation—when they sang “Veni Creator Spiritus”—or serving Mass for Holy Thursday as child—when they sang “Pange Lingua.”

Hitchcock seems to understand that “emotional memories” can occasionally strengthen our resolve to serve God. When Fr. Logan is struggling to accept the fact that he might be executed for a crime he didn’t commit, he visits the cathedral where he was ordained to gain strength:


That’s a powerful scene!

WHEN OTTO KELLER TAKES THE STAND to testify, he lies. It drives me crazy to hear the true murderer tell those lies. Hitchcock often made movies about people who were falsely accused because when Hitchcock was a child, his father unjustly traumatized him by sending him to the police with a handwritten note saying “keep him in a cell for five minutes” as punishment. Unfortunately, this too has a liturgical parallel. Scandalous behind-the-scenes manipulations took place after the Council, and we’ve mentioned a few on our blog. Some of these deal with the shameful sale of indulgenced Church texts. Others pertain to the way “permissions” for certain things are granted—or not granted—in an unjust manner. When I hear of such things, I get really angry.

Church musicians, however, are not 100% innocent in these matters. A situation exists among some musicians which I call “lack of honest appraisal”—when musicians are dishonest about how their choirs actually sound. Sometimes a choirmaster has a “dream” to perform some piece of music—perhaps a Motet by Palestrina for eight voices—even though the choir cannot properly execute it. He recklessly attempts it anyway and the priest and congregation (although they lack formal training in music) realize it sounds terrible. The only person in the whole church who doesn’t realize this is the choirmaster! All of us—myself included—have undoubtedly been guilty of this. Fixing this problem requires a willingness to tape-record one’s choir and be honest about how it sounds. 2

When the post-conciliar reforms came, some bishops & priests probably wanted to get rid of Gregorian chant because it was poorly done. We have an obligation to perform music well, but this is no easy task! The other day, I recorded this Sequence. But when I listened a few days later, I realized I recorded the piece too slowly—probably because I was focused on playing all the organ notes correctly—and I hate myself for doing that. Chant should not be sung too slowly; it’s terrible when it’s done that way!

SOMETIMES, WE MUSICIANS LAMENT the inability of our choirs to sing everything perfectly. We feel discouraged by this. We should realize, however, that our musical “ears” become more demanding each year and that’s a good thing! I hear music differently today than I did five, ten, or fifteen years ago. Performances by Vladimir Horowitz which used to thrill me sound different now. I relish music today I formerly detested—such as Chopin’s 4th Scherzo—and vice versa. I keep discovering new treasures in music I’ve enjoyed for twenty years, such as Bach’s Art of the Fugue. When I hear performances by choirs I conducted in the past, I sometimes blush with shame—but they sounded fantastic at the time. Thanks to Meaghan King, I’ve even begun to appreciate “crazy modern” French organ music, and actually…(deep breath)…enjoy some of it! Clearly, then, our musical ears change and develop.

I’ve come to love working with amateur singers who don’t read music. It’s fun to teach them and supremely rewarding to observe their progress. Last night, our FSSP.la choir astounded me by their lovely choir sound. We all make mistakes; but mistakes (strangely) don’t bother me anymore since I know we’re on the right path. Artur Schnabel famously said he only programmed music “that is better than it can be played.” I know our choir is imperfect, but—for some reason—I don’t care. I’m excited to keep making progress. 3

MY ARTICLE TODAY has pretty random, and I apologize for this fact. Let me conclude with a random piece of information: the FSSP parish in Canada says Mass in the same church Alfred Hitchcock used for I Confess. My French is not perfect, but I’m 99% sure this is the case.

How cool is that? But I’m not sure I could attend Mass there without thinking about the movie…



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Besides, it’s hard to argue that movies have gotten better since then…if you doubt this, perform a google search for “Why didn’t Aladdin lend the lamp to Jasmine?”

2   Until 2012, I participated in numerous Church music forums & mailing lists. One participant was obsessed with the NEW ENGLISH HYMNAL (a truly excellent hymnal, by the way). I began to realize that this person lacked any objective standard for Church music; he only liked music found in the NEH. I started to lay traps for this poor fellow. I would submit samples from a hymnal I was working on and he’d immediately reply, “Sorry; I prefer the harmonization found in the NEW ENGLISH HYMNAL.” In fact, I had taken that precise harmonization from the NEH, but he lacked the musicianship to realize it! Sadly, this fellow is not unique; a surprising number of musicians lack an objective standard for their preferences.

3   I don’t understand this, because mistakes formerly caused me great distress.

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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President’s Corner

    PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). 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 conveniently stored at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —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 chapter secretary is authorized to write a letter beseeching a royal pardon for Caspar de Cuevas, cathedral sackbut player, who is imprisoned on a murder charge.” [From “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

— Sevilla: Chapter Resolution (23 March 1566)

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