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Views from the Choir Loft

Benedictus & Hosanna • “Missa Beata Mater”

Jeff Ostrowski · April 20, 2016

HEN THE SANCTUS is sung in polyphony, it is divided thus: the SANCTUS & HOSANNA before the Consecration, the BENEDICTUS & HOSANNA after the Consecration. When sung in plainsong, it is not to be divided. These rules are according to the 1958 legislation. Today, I present the second part of the “Missa Beata Mater” SANCTUS by Francisco Guerrero, who died in 1599AD.

I recorded the voice parts, but please pardon the high notes: I’m a baritone!

    * *  PDF Download • “Benedictus & Hosanna” (Francisco Guerrero)


REHEARSAL VIDEOS :

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube   •   Mp3 Audio

SOPRANO : YouTube   •   Audio

ALTO : YouTube   •   Audio

TENOR : YouTube   •   Audio

BASS : YouTube   •   Audio

543 Pope John Paul II NE OF MY FRIENDS was in charge of picking the music for papal Masses at St. Peter’s Basilica during the 1980s. The pope does not offer Mass there as frequently as one might guess; normally he offers Mass in a private chapel. On one of the occasions when the (young) John Paul II was scheduled to sing Mass in the basilica, my friend chose a setting by Morales, the teacher of Guerrero. The proper way to do it—and remember, this was a Novus Ordo liturgy—is to split the Sanctus & Benedictus.

So, the Sanctus went really well. Then, after the Consecration, Pope John Paul II intoned the “Mystérium fídei.” Now it was time for the Benedictus, and my friend says he began to sweat a little—fearing the pope might be annoyed or confused. But then a wonderful thing happened: Pope John Paul II bent over the altar and started praying as the choir continued singing the Benedictus! According to my friend, the effect was marvelous. Everyone in the basilica, including the cardinals, suddenly realized they also should be praying—so they all closed their eyes and began. What Pope St. John Paul II did is called being a leader!

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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Jeff Ostrowski

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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Quick Thoughts

6 January 2021 • Anglicans on Plainsong

A book published by Anglicans in 1965 has this to say about Abbat Pothier’s Editio Vaticana, the musical edition reproduced by books such as the LIBER USUALIS (Solesmes Abbey): “No performing edition of the music of the Eucharistic Psalmody can afford to ignore the evidence of the current official edition of the Latin Graduale, which is no mere reproduction of a local or partial tradition, but a CENTO resulting from an extended study and comparison of a host of manuscripts gathered from many places. Thus the musical text of the Graduale possesses a measure of authority which cannot lightly be disregarded.” They are absolutely correct.

—Jeff Ostrowski
2 January 2021 • Temptation

When I see idiotic statements made on the internet, I go nuts. When I see heretics promoted by people who should know better, I get angry. Learning to ignore such items is difficult—very difficult. I try to remember the words of Fr. Valentine Young: “Do what God places in front of you each day.” When I am honest, I don’t believe God wants me to dwell on errors and idiocy; there’s nothing I can do about that. During 2021, I will strive to do a better job following the advice of Fr. Valentine.

—Jeff Ostrowski
31 December 2020 • “COMITES CHRISTI”

The feasts for Saint Stephen Proto-Martyr (26 December), Saint John the Evangelist The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved (27 December), and the Feast of the Holy Innocents (28 December) seem untouched by any liturgical reforms. These are very powerful feasts—I believe they once possessed octaves—and I believe they could sometimes “overpower” a Sunday feast. The rules for octaves in the olden days are extremely complex. These feasts are sometimes referred to as a single entity as: Comites Christi (“Companions of Christ”). This is just a guess, but there seems to be a triple significance: STEPHEN martyred after Christ lived, JOHN was a martyr who knew Christ personally, and the HOLY INNOCENTS were martyred before Christ’s birth.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Goupil deserves the name of martyr not only because he has been murdered by the enemies of God and His Church while laboring in ardent charity for his neighbor, but most of all because he was killed for being at prayer and notably for making the Sign of the Cross.

— St. Isaac Jogues (after the martyrdom of Saint René Goupil)

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