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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

How to do Marian Hymns

Veronica Brandt · October 24, 2015

N AUSTRALIA, anyone interested in sacred music is likely to cross paths with Ronan Reilly. He is something of a local legend. He’s the one on the left conducting. He appears seemingly at random around the country bringing amazing music to the most unlikely places.

Next to him is John Brazier, organist at Maternal Heart and co-conspirator in facilitating excellent music. He comes from a family of homeschooled over-achievers and manages to study Law in his spare time.

The other two are awesome too, but I haven’t met them.

And that is just the male quartet. Replace John with Rioghnach Wȩgrecka and you have the Prima Luce Quartet. Add a dozen more fantastic singers and there’s the large ensemble. Together they have just released their third album, this time a collection of Marian Hymns.

Listen to Arcadelt’s Ave Maria sung in the crypt of St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney:



Go, check out their official website: www.primalucemusic.com

The collection includes quite a few new arrangements and compositions. Here is a brief track listing. The CD liner notes give more detail – you can see how young some of the composers are. Track 17 is Virgo Dei Genetrix, starting with the chant as you’ll find in the Liber usualis, followed by a beautiful polyphonic setting composed by 19 year old Thomas McKendry.

Track 14 kinda stands out as it is a Little Hymn to St Joseph – hey! I thought this was a CD for Mary! but look – the composer is John Brazier and the lyrics written by his sister, a Carmelite at Elysberg, PA. How beautiful is that?

But it was Tracks 11 and 12 which won over our family’s biggest critic with the lively arrangements of Stella Splendens and Help of Christians. I was playing the CD in the car and he complained he asked for the volume to be turned up so he could hear it – we have separate speakers in the back.

Stephen Smith’s Hail Queen of Heaven makes a stunning change from the usual tune. Stephen Smith gave a workshop on Gregorian Chant way back before I had started attending a Latin Mass – I remember he patiently taught a bunch of us Attende Domine at a Carmelite Convent, then gathered in the chapel there to sing it for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

And that might just be what sets this group apart. They sing for the love of God. They are squarely aimed at giving glory to God. They are there on all the crazy pilgrimages (right now they’re between Ballarat and Bendigo). If you hear of a bunch of people singing in Latin in a McDonalds or a train station in Sydney, then you can bet it’s them.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Catholic Youth Choirs Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
    The 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM was a transitional missal. It was on its way to becoming the 1970 version, but wasn’t there yet. It eliminated certain duplications, downplayed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, expanded the role of laymen, minimized the Last Gospel, made many items optional, and so forth. Father Valentine Young spotted many typos in the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, especially incorrect accents. The Offertory Antiphon for this coming Sunday (OF kalendar) contains an error, citing the wrong verse from Psalm 118. It should be 118:107b, not 118:154. If you read verse 154, you’ll understand how that error crept in. [In this particular case, the error pre-dates the 1962 Missal, since the 1940s hand-missal by Father Lasance also gets it wrong.]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 26 October 2025, which is the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). 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 top-notch feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Little Encouragement?
    In the Gospel, our Savior tells about 10 lepers who were healed. Only one went back to give thanks. Precious few express gratitude, yet many have endless energy to complain. For that reason, I deeply appreciate receiving messages like the following, which arrived a few days ago (about the parish where I direct in Michigan): “Last Sunday, a couple I knew from Grand Rapids was at Mass at 10:00 a.m. I got a chance to talk to them after Mass. I wanted to let you know what they said about the choir. They were absolutely floored by our sound!!!!! They both said they could continuously listen to our choir and the beauty of it. They asked me: “Do you always sound like that?” And they were also very surprised at how packed the church was. They said it was nice for them to be in such a full church. I just thought you would be interested to know their thoughts about our choir.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“We being many are one bread and one body, All who share the one bread and one cup. Vs. Thou hast prepared of thy sweetness for the poor, O God, who makest us to dwell in one mind in thy house. All who share the one bread and one cup.”

— Responsory (Matins for Corpus Christi) transl. by Fortescue

Recent Posts

  • A Practical Method of Projecting Solfege for Chant
  • PDF Downloads • Four (4) Simple Pieces in Harmony for Men’s Choirs
  • Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
  • “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • “Our Father” • Musical Setting?

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