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Views from the Choir Loft

Video • “Vidi Aquam” Organ Accompaniment By Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski · May 4, 2015

WO SUNDAYS AGO, I had a liturgical experience I’ll never forget, singing the “Vidi Aquam.” When the Celebrant reached the Altar, we hadn’t yet arrived at the Antiphon, so I signaled the choir & organist to psalm tone it. At this point, you’re probably curious why this was a great moment for me. Well, during the 1990s, we had an “authentic” traditional Pastor (ordained in 1956). He said his seminary choir usually sang recto tono on the repeat. His exact words were, “The Vidi Aquam—it’s a pretty little thing but excessively extends past the time required to sprinkle the congregation.” Until a few weeks ago, I never tried his method.

Why was it a great moment? I think it had to do with perfectly matching the liturgical action. Indeed, Pope St. Pius X wrote in 1903: “it must be considered a very grave abuse when the sacred liturgy is made to appear subservient to the music.” By the way, Rev. Andrew Green, OSB, wrote a famous “simplification” of the Vidi Aquam in the 1940s.

Here’s an organ accompaniment I recently created:

* *  PDF Download • Organ Accompaniment by Jeff Ostrowski

You will want to download the PDF for Singers.

Here’s a rehearsal video: 1

Great liturgical moments come at unexpected times. If anyone wants to share a favorite liturgical moment on the CCW Facebook page, I encourage this. 2 For example, I remember a Mass in the Extraordinary Form offered at Corpus Christi Cathedral. The organist played this piece as Bishop René H. Gracida processed in wearing a gorgeous vestment I didn’t even realize bishops were allowed to wear. The seriousness of the Mass—as well as the holy calling of a bishop—was made clear in a mysterious way which assisted my devotion.

Click HERE to download the “Vidi Aquam” as seen in 1400AD. 3

TO A LARGE EXTENT, the art of Gregorian accompaniment seems to have been lost. This was one of the reasons our organization went to great lengths making 3,000+ pages of Gregorian accompaniments available back in 2008. We also made sure to place online several versions of the “Method of Gregorian Accompaniment” (1943) by Flor Peeters, which has never been surpassed. After carefully explaining the rationale behind the NOH, Peeters makes it clear that Gregorian chant can be harmonized in countless ways:

* *  PDF Download • Flor Peeters “Different Approaches” (excerpt)

Some who attempt to create Gregorian accompaniments completely ignore voice leading—as if voice leading is something which (somehow) doesn’t apply to Gregorian accompaniment. Others attempt to create a very subtle accompaniment, but end up with the opposite. They fail to realize the best way to achieve a subtle accompaniment is to use soft organ stops. To “camp out” on the same chord excessively introduces dissonances an amateur ear might not perceive. In fact, a careful treatment of dissonance is the sine qua non of proper Gregorian accompaniment. This “opposite effect” reminds me of another opposite effect described by Sir David Frost:

 


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   You can also watch it on YouTube or download the Mp3 Recording.

2   I don’t have a Facebook, but I can view comments made on the CCW facebook page.

3   Moreover, if you look at page 2, you’ll see that Catholics in the 14th century did not repeat the entire Antiphon. Rather, they started at the words “et omnes ad quos pervenit”—which is interesting.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Inter pastoralis officii Pius X Last Updated: April 20, 2025

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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

    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

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

After sixty years as teacher, composer, and organist, I may state that the Gregorian Chant should be part of the basic material of any musical education, be it religious or secular. The study of it enormously enlarges the spiritual background of any musician. Whereas students in literature will always be required to study Dante, Petrarch and Chaucer, why neglect Gregorian in music education?

— Flor Peeters

Recent Posts

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  • Boston Auxiliary Bishop: “In offering the Traditional Mass for the first time, after removing the vestments, I knelt in the back pew and wept.”
  • Now Available! • “Hymns of Cardinal Newman: Kevin Allen’s Legendary Choral Settings”
  • Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)

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