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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

Church Music: True Diversity Vs. False Diversity

Jeff Ostrowski · January 5, 2016

887 Diverse PICTURE AVE YOU EVER SEEN a commercial paid for by a political campaign? Have you noticed how so many are biased, misleading, and incomplete? This same tendency has become rampant in online articles about the liturgy, which use eye-catching headlines as click-bait. I once confronted an author who frequently does that, and he basically admitted he can’t defend what he writes—but “without a exaggerated headline, I wouldn’t get as many views.” We avoid such disgusting tactics here at Watershed, which is why I feel a little funny typing the following dramatic statement:

Although liturgical progressives constantly praise the “stylistic diversity” of music in the Ordinary Form, the Extraordinary Form has much more.

Consider what you might hear when you attend a High Mass in the Extraordinary Form. Obviously, you might hear the ancient plainsong; but you might also hear a Viennese “classical” Mass with strong rhythm, violins, and timpani. You might hear a 19th-century “romantic” work by someone like Franz Liszt. You might hear a “medieval” motet by Binchois or a Machaut Mass setting. You might hear a piece from that glorious era: the High Renaissance. 1 You might hear masterpieces from the so-called “transitional” periods when experimentation happened. You might hear motets and Masses in an early 20th-century style by composers like Maurice Duruflé, Louis Vierne, or even Richard Keys Biggs. You will hear every manner of organ music: J.S. Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, Charles-Marie Widor, and so forth. Some vocal pieces will be in a rhythmic poetic form, such as the DIES IRAE, evoking an earlier age & sensibility. Other pieces—such as antiphons—are excerpts from the Bible, which could have been chosen yesterday or 1700 years ago. Even the “assigned & unchangeable” texts like the Gradual can be sung in melismatic chant, falsobordone, or recto tono with luscious organ chords. Sometimes you’ll hear rare liturgical works by composers like Ernst Krenek (not my cup of tea). You might hear “contemporary” motets and Masses by Francis Poulenc or Kevin Allen. 2

Ordinary Form congregations who take seriously the directives by Vatican II will use all this music—but very few OF parishes do. 3 I truly believe that 98% of Catholics don’t realize the Roman Gradual was revised in the 1970s, and that the Propers are 1st Option for the Ordinary Form.

The reality is, 95% of Ordinary Form parishes limit themselves to music composed hastily over the last 40 years. 4



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   These were the days of the Nanino brothers, Luca Marenzio, Francisco Guerrero, Tomás Luis de Victoria, Orlando Lassus, Giovanni Palestrina, Cristóbal de Morales, Thomas Tallis, Clemens non Papa, Pierre de Manchicourt, Cypriano de Rore, Costanzo Porta, Philippe Verdelot, Giovanni Gabrieli, and countless other masters.

2   For the record, it’s not easy to classify what is “contemporary” because it keeps changing.

3   There is even a special provision passed by the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy in the 1960s allowing older ENGLISH settings to be used at Mass, even if the translation does not match the ICEL one.

4   Some parishes have taken laudable Anglican tunes for their hymns—but you’re actually more likely to find this done in the EF than the OF!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Latin Mass Musical Diversity Last Updated: May 29, 2021

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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

    “Music List” • 29th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 19 October 2025, which is the 29th 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 sensational feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Liturgical Round (“Canon”) in C-Major
    Those who direct children’s choirs are always on the lookout for repertoire that’s dignified, inspired, and pleasing—yet still within reach of young choristers. Such directors will want to investigate this haunting liturgical round (PDF download) which has been married to the KYRIE from Mass VI (EDITIO VATICANA). I have provided an accompaniment, but it’s only for use during rehearsal; i.e. when teaching this round to your choristers. I also provided an organ accompaniment for the KYRIE—which some know by its trope (Kyrie Rex Genitor)—so that your congregation can take part when this round is used as a choral extension during Mass.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Latin Liturgy Association
    We note with pleasure that Mrs. Regina Morris, president of the Latin Liturgy Association, has featured—on page 4 of Volume CXXIX of their official newsletter—the three (3) terrific versions of the Stations of the Cross found in the Brébeuf Hymnal. One of the main authors for the blog of the Church Music Association of America said (6/10/2019) about this pew book: “It is such a fantastic hymnal that it deserves to be in the pews of every Catholic church.”
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    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
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Much of the reordering [in 1970] of the pieces of the Roman Gradual seems arbitrary and useless; nevertheless, with some exceptions, it does not affect the shape of the service, since like pieces are exchanged for like.”

— Dr. William Peter Mahrt

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  • Children’s Repertoire • Three More Recommendations by Keven Smith
  • Liturgical Round (“Canon”) in C-Major
  • PDF Download • Liturgical Round (“Canon”) for your Children’s Choir

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