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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

Ridiculously Awesome Sanctus You’ve Never Heard

Jeff Ostrowski · February 2, 2016

HEN I FIRST ENCOUNTERED Guerrero’s SANCTUS & HOSANNA, I wasn’t impressed; but then I began to look deeper. I noticed how Guerrero places the ancient chant “Beata Mater” as a Trope in the Soprano, then—to add variety—moves it to the Alto. Scholars are divided on whether, in fact, the Trope would have been sung. 1 It turns out the marvelous melody we mentioned earlier was taken from the end of the chant—how cool is that?

I recorded all the voice parts myself to give an idea how it sounds:

    * *  PDF Download • Guerrero SANCTUS & HOSANNA


The second half of the SANCTUS is based on that same motif. Those Renaissance composers certainly did appreciate “order and structure” in their compositions, and that’s part of what makes their music so great. 2

We don’t spend time denigrating the work of others on this blog. That being said, it is obscene for today’s “liturgical” composers to offer their works as substitutes for composers like Guerrero, Victoria, Nanini, and Palestrina. Comparing them would be like comparing my bank account to Michael Jordan’s—but judge for yourself! Sing through the Tenor line. Sing through the Alto line. See for yourself how dazzling Guerrero can be!

This is the 1st Section only. I hope to add the 2nd Section (“Benedictus”) soon. 3

REHEARSAL VIDEOS :

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube   •   Mp3 Audio

SOPRANO : YouTube   •   Audio

ALTO : YouTube   •   Audio

TENOR : YouTube   •   Audio

BASS : YouTube   •   Audio




NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   We have very little information about the precise way this music would have been performed. People have all kinds of hypotheses—for example, regarding whether instruments would have been used—but things get hairy when you ask them “How did you arrive at your conclusion?” I have no trouble believing that the text of this Trope would have been sung. On the other hand, secular songs were also included in such scores, and I’m not sure those would have been sung. Here’s what a famous musicologist told me recently:

Such an inclusion of the text of a source of a cantus firmus is often seen in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. In manuscripts I’ve seen in color, these texts are often red—so maybe “sing the black, think the red.” Stranger things have been done, but I doubt that they would have sung the text of the song.

In any event, we are not allowed to sing Tropes in the Extraordinary Form. That’s why I added the text in italics.

2   By the way, Guerrero has a distinct compositional style, and several of his traits are shown in this Mass setting: penchant for canons; “sneaking in” voices on odd beats, outlining tritones, and even skips of a seventh (over a rest).

3   At the conclusion of the “Benedictus,” the same HOSANNA is sung.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Francisco Guerrero Composer, Missa Beata Mater Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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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

    “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    My pastor asked me to write brief 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 most recent article speaks about the recent announcement by Pope Leo XIV, which does have an impact on church musicians. Scheduled for publication on 2025 08 10th, it’s called: “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
    All the chants for 3 August 2025—which is the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)—have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (from the book of Wisdom) is stunning. That feast website has been called “the best kept secret of Church music.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Corn” From Heaven?
    The Westminster Version of the Sacred Scriptures was produced by Roman Catholics in England and bears a 15 March 1958 IMPRIMATUR from the Archbishop of Westminster. Its IMPRIMI POTEST was given by the director of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. Sometimes words chosen by translators sound funny to American ears. For instance, one of our Responsorial Psalms has as its refrain: “The Lord gave them bread from heaven.” But the British version has “The Lord gave them corn from heaven.” Feel free to examine this with your own eyes. (It comes from Psalm 77.)
    —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

“Dom Pothier does not belong to the dim past, as the silence which surrounds his name would lead one to believe. Only a few years separate us from the time when—growing old and heavily burdened by trials—Dom Pothier was concentrating his ever keen attention on the study of manuscripts in the Belgian place of retreat where his community had found refuge. For he was the abbot; and there can be no doubt that the cross he wore during those days was a cross of sorrow, though he bore it with a smile.”

— Dom Ermin Vitry, OSB (31-OCT-1936)

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  • “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
  • “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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