Views from the Choir Loft

Los Angeles Pontifical Mass • This Coming Sunday!

Jeff Ostrowski · June 24, 2016

HIS COMING SUNDAY, in two days, our FSSP.la Apostolate in Los Angeles will be joined by the Most Rev’d Athanasius Schneider, auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan (underneath Russia). We will also be joined by our FSSP District Superior, Very Rev’d Gerard Saguto, several FSSP seminarians, and of course our chaplain, Fr. James Fryar.

The Solemn Pontifical Mass will begin at 7:00pm:

St. Victor Catholic Church
8634 Holloway Drive
West Hollywood, CA 90069

You’re invited to the reception & potluck dinner which will follow.

PROCESSIONAL • Organist.

ASPERGES • No Asperges for a Pontifical Mass.

INTROIT • Sung by the men.

PDF Score (Singer) • Practice Audio (Singer)

KYRIE ELEISON

Visit this website and locate #3347, #3661, and #3579.

GLORIA IN EXCELSIS

The Mercier “Canonic Gloria” is #3610.

And please be in the process of starting to learn #7709.

GRADUAL & ALLELUIA

We sing #3524 with the verses which you don’t need to practice.

CREDO IV • Alternatim

We sing this version: #3445.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON

PDF Score (Singer)

OFFERTORY POLYPHONY

To rehearse “AVE MARIS STELLA” (Lhoumeau), you must locate #4669.

SANCTUS & HOSANNA

We have been singing #3496.

AGNUS DEI

Here is the musical score. To learn this piece, locate #2978.
The lyrics are different, but the music is the same.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON • Sung by the ladies.

PDF Score (Singer) • Practice Audio (Singer)

COMMUNION POLYPHONY

We will sing at least the first four pages of #3473, “Hymn to the Trinity.”

You also need to be putting aside time each week to learn Verse 3b, which is #7722 because eventually we will sing that verse.

RECESSIONAL HYMN • #908 Hail, Holy Queen

From the Campion Hymnal — with choir descant as #3175 (de Nouë).

OPENING PRAYER WITH THE CHOIR • from the Campion Hymnal:

407 Christ Saves

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).

PDF Download • “Sprinkling Rite”

Liturgical reformers who gained power after Vatican II frequently caused great suffering to musicians. With the stroke of a pen, they sometimes make changes that would require thousands—or even millions—of man hours (work undertaken by composers and editors). The Sprinkling Rite during Eastertide is but one tiny example. The version given in that PDF document was the original melody for Roman Missal, Third Edition. Some still prefer that version. However, at the last moment, an “unknown hand” tinkered with a few notes in the antiphon. Those who examine the current edition can verify this with their own eyes.

—Jeff Ostrowski

‘Sarum’ Good Friday?

Plainsong of the Roman Rite has many variants—i.e. slight ‘variations’ or ‘alterations’ made to the ancient melodies. Variants often thrive in particular religious orders. Likewise, before Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church, Gregorian Chant variants were frequently associated with individual cathedrals in England: Hereford, Lincoln, Salisbury, and so forth. In the early 20th century, the (Anglican) organist at Westminster Abbey married “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” to this beautiful variant melody from England. Those who sing Gregorian Chant on Good Friday will recognize the melody. What do you think of this pairing?

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Eb Organ Postlude”

Gustav Adolf Merkel (d. 1885) was a German organist, teacher, and composer. Although a Lutheran himself, he held the appointment at the (Roman Catholic) Cathedral of Dresden from 1864 until his death. You can download his Organ Postlude in E-Flat, which I like very much. He has an interesting way of marking the pedal notes. What do you think?

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Gregorian Chant Quiz” • 24 March 2026

How well do you know your Gregorian hymns? Do you recognize the tune inserted into the bass line on this score? For many years, we sang the entire Mass in Gregorian chant—and I mean everything. As a result, it would be difficult to find a Gregorian hymn I don’t recognize instantly. Only decades later did I realize (with sadness) that this skill cannot be ‘monetized’… This particular melody is used for a very famous Gregorian hymn, printed in the LIBER USUALIS. Do you recognize it? Send me an email with the correct words, and I promise to tell everybody I meet about your prowess!

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Ubi Caritas” (SATB)

I remember singing “Ubi Cáritas” by Maurice Duruflé at the conservatory. I was deeply moved by it. However, some feel Duruflé’s version isn’t suitable for small choirs since it’s written for 6 voices and the bass tessitura is quite low. That’s why I was absolutely thrilled to discover this “Ubi cáritas” (SATB) for smaller choirs by Énemond Moreau, who studied with OSCAR DEPUYDT (d. 1925), an orphan who became a towering figure of Catholic music. Depuydt’s students include: Flor Peeters (d. 1986); Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel (d. 1953); Arthur Meulemans (d. 1966); Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989); and Gustaaf Nees (d. 1965). Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #19705. When I came across the astonishing English translation for “Ubi Cáritas” by Monsignor Ronald Knox—matching the Latin’s meter—I decided to add those lyrics as an option (for churches which have banned Latin). My wife and I made this recording to give you some idea how it sounds.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”

For vigil Masses on Saturday (a.k.a. “anticipated” Masses) we use this simpler setting of the “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989), a Belgian priest, organist, composer, and music educator who ultimately succeeded another ‘Jules’ (CANON JULES VAN NUFFEL) as director of the Lemmensinstituut in Belgium. Although I could be wrong, my understanding is that the LEMMENSINSTITUUT eventually merged with “Catholic University of Leuven” (originally founded in 1425). That’s the university Fulton J. Sheen attended.

—Jeff Ostrowski