Views from the Choir Loft

Praying for Our Dead

Andrew Leung · September 10, 2015

ROVIDING MUSIC for funerals is an essential part of a church musician’s life. And usually, we have to prepare the music with very short notices. The nice part about funerals is the extra money we get. They negative side is that funerals can mess up your daily schedule, especially if you have to prepare some rehearsals for the evening or the funeral falls on your day off.

I don’t know if you have this experience, but sometimes the music request of the family of the deceased drives me crazy! So, I created a list of hymns, hymns that can be found in common of the American Catholic hymnals, for Catholic funerals.

* * PDF • 32 HYMNS FOR CATHOLIC FUNERALS

My friend, Bridget Scott, music director at Our Lady of the Mountains Roman Catholic Church (OLM) in Jasper, GA, also contributed to the list. I am very happy to announced that we will be collaborating again in October. A workshop called “Praying for Our Dead: Essential Music of the Catholic Funeral Mass” will be held at OLM on October 3. Fr. Charles Byrd will be giving a keynote on the theology of the Mass of the Dead and Funeral Music. Resources and guide on funeral planning will also be included in the music packet. More information is available on the website of the newly established St. Ambrose School of Chant.

Finally, I just want to share a beautiful hymn that is perfect for Catholic funeral. Abide With Me sung by the famous King’s College Choir:

And a concert version arranged by Dr. Paul Weber sung by the Schola Cantorum Franciscana (This video was taken when I was an undergrad, good luck finding me in the choir!). This setting is available on Choralife.

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

About Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published

Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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

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