Views from the Choir Loft

“Hail, Holy Queen Enthroned Above” • Nine Organ Accompaniments

Jeff Ostrowski · March 30, 2016

HAT IS IT ABOUT DESCANTS that we love so very much? I believe I know the answer. Our minds already know the tune—and love it—but the added embellishment is refreshing and awesome. I believe this is the same reason we love polyphony so much, with its heavy use of imitation and canons.

Here’s a Descant Setting by Jacques de Nouë, taken from a Canadian collection: ¹

* * PDF Download • “Hail, Holy Queen Enthroned Above” w/ Descant

I recorded the voice parts, to demonstrate how it sounds. The descant begins at the 0:46 marker:

Below are several other organ harmonizations for “Hail, Holy Queen Enthroned Above” you might find useful:

* * PDF Download • Campion Hymnal (organist)

* * PDF Download • New Saint Basil (1958)

* * PDF Download • Fr. Carlo Rossini (Latin)

* * PDF Download • Pius X Hymnal (1953)

* * PDF Download • Fr. Carlo Rossini (1936)

* * PDF Download • Standard Catholic Hymnal (1921)

* * PDF Download • Lawrence Gagnier (1962)

* * PDF Download • J. Vincent Higginson Hymnal (1955)

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REHEARSAL VIDEOS :

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube • Mp3 Audio

SOPRANO : YouTube • Audio

ALTO : YouTube • Audio

TENOR : YouTube • Audio

BASS : YouTube • Audio

NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1 This small collection lacks a date of publication, but most likely appeared circa 1945. Many music journals & scores published in the war years lack such information. I have never been able to ascertain, for example, when the NOH first appeared.

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 Michigan. —(Read full biography).

Luis Martínez Must Go!

Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

—Jeff Ostrowski

Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!

A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!

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“Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)

I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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.

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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).

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