Views from the Choir Loft

What? Sundays after Pentecost?

Jeff Ostrowski · October 15, 2015

OR THE FINAL SUNDAYS after Pentecost, something funky happens in the Extraordinary Form. The propers are repeated over and over, but the readings are taken from various Sundays after Epiphany, depending on how many “extra” Sundays occur. In the CAMPION MISSAL, there’s an explanation chart, and then every possible Sunday is fully written out (even extremely rare ones) making things easy on the congregation.

Here’s that chart, with the key sentence highlighted in yellow:

209 Sundays after Pentecost

Be careful this year.

25 October is Christ the King Sunday (replacing the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost). The next Sunday (November 1st) is the feast of All Saints. Then, 8-Nov, 15-Nov, and 22-Nov use the same propers. Your Schola Cantorum will probably get pretty good at these…

For the record, here’s what Fr. Adrian Fortescue has to say about “Sundays after Trinity” vs. “Sundays after Pentecost” :

203 Sarum Rite Fortescue

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