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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Catholic Hymns Before Vatican II Will Shock You!

Jeff Ostrowski · February 28, 2016

NE OF OUR MOST CONTROVERSIAL articles appeared on 19 August 2013. That was the day we posted a 1937 article by Dom Gregory Hügle, OSB, affirming that selections from the Ordinarium Missae and Proprium Missae could be sung during LOW MASS. Some demanded that the post be taken down, e.g. the head of an anonymous “ultra-conservative” blog who sent several nasty emails. It seems that Fr. Hügle’s article contradicted a narrative this person had been promoting about the pre-conciliar liturgy and he felt the truth should be kept secret—I disagreed.

In spite of what you may have read online, hymns and selections from the Ordinarium Missae were often sung during Low Mass in English. Consider these pages from a 1913 hymnal published by a English Benedictine monk:

    * *  PDF Download • From a 1913 Roman Catholic Hymnal

Is this a fluke? No, because the hymnal’s IMPRIMATUR PAGE includes several distinguished clerics, including Francis Aidan Gasquet (who later became a Cardinal). 1 In light of this, the “hype” that accompanied Alexander Peloquin’s 1964 performance of a Mass Ordinary in English seems silly.

Those who have read the PREFACE to the Campion Hymnal realize that prior to 1965, Catholics were free to worship any way they wished. 2 After Vatican II, the strong emphasis on external participation caused some to neglect internal participation:




NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Unless I’m wrong, it isn’t every day that a Benedictine monk is elevated to the cardinalate.

2   This is why official rubrics for the congregation at Low Mass do not exist.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Francis Aidan Cardinal Gasquet, Low Mass Vernacular Hymns Last Updated: April 6, 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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Alabama Assessment!

We received this evaluation of Symposium 2022 from an Alabama participant:

“Oh, how the Symposium echoed the words of Cardinal Merry Del Val: …choosing only what is most conformed to Thy glory, which is my final aim. In one short and fast paced week, the faculty and attendees showed me the hand of God and our Lady working in our lives. The wide range of education—from Gregorian Chant, jazz modes in organ improvisation, to ‘staying sane’ while leading a choir—were certainly first-class knowledge from the best teachers of the art. However, the most powerful lesson was learning how to pray as a choir. The sacrifice of putting songs together, taking time to learn the sacred text, meditating on the church teaching through the chants, and gaining the virtues required to persevere in these duties were not only qualities of a choir but of a saint. The sanctification of the lives of the attendees was a beautiful outcome of this event … and that in itself is worth more than a beautifully-sung Solesmes style chant!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
PDF Download • Trinity Sunday (22 pages)

Feel free to download this Organ Accompaniment Booklet for Trinity Sunday (Second Vespers). Notice how the modes progress by number. Psalm 1 is mode 1; Psalm 2 is mode 2; Psalm 3 is mode 3; Psalm 4 is mode 4; Psalm 5 is mode 5. I am told by an expert that other feasts (such as Corpus Christi) are likewise organized by mode, and it’s called a “numerical office.”

—Jeff Ostrowski
10 June 2022 • “Official” rhythm of plainsong

I continue to search for the most beautiful way to present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores. (Technically, the “pure” rhythm of the official edition is what everyone is supposed to use.) You can download my latest attempt, which is the Introit for this coming Sunday: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Because this is not an ancient feast, the Introit had to be adapted (perhaps around 750AD). Prior Johner says the adaptation is “not an entirely happy one.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Now we are aware of the fact that during recent years some artists, gravely offending against Christian piety, have dared to bring into churches works devoid of any religious inspiration and completely at variance with the right rules of art.”

— Ven. Pope Pius XII (25 December 1955)

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