Views from the Choir Loft

“Salve Virgo Singularis” • For Three Voices

Jeff Ostrowski · June 29, 2016

Y CHOIR IS CURRENTLY learning a five-voice piece with homophonic chords. To complement that, I wanted something with major emphasis on counterpoint, and Rev’d Cristóbal de Morales is magnificent in that department. The text is profoundly powerful, and the English translation doesn’t quite capture the Latin; but no translation could. Something that got lost is the juxtaposition of “ante saecla” with “nunc.” In other words, at Holy Mass we are now adoring the same Christ—Body, Blood, Soul, & Divinity—Who was begotten before the ages in the heart of the Father. What a great mystery! Moreover, the author seemed particularly moved by the relationship between Mary and Jesus.

I have attempted to record all three voices to help choirs learn:

* * PDF • “Salve Virgo Singularis” (Morales)

REHEARSAL VIDEOS :

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube • Mp3 Audio

WOMEN : YouTube • Audio

TERTIUS : YouTube • Audio

MEN : YouTube • Audio

First Translation of the Refrain:

Hail, matchless Maiden,
Maiden biding, God thou bearest.
That begotten ere the ages
from his Father’s heart
let us worship now, created
from his Mother’s flesh.

Sálve Vírgo singuláris:
Vírgo mánens Déum páris,
Ánte saécla generátum
Córde Pátris:
Adorémus nunc creátum
Cárne Mátris.

Second Translation of the Refrain:

Hail Virgin most marvellous
Who, remaining Virgin, bearest God
Begotten before the ages
In the heart of the Father.
Let us adore Him Who took flesh
From the Mother.

Sálve Vírgo singuláris:
Vírgo mánens Déum páris,
Ánte saécla generátum
Córde Pátris:
Adorémus nunc creátum
Cárne Mátris.

The English translation of “Ave Maris Stella” is by Fr. Fortescue (d. 1923), and it’s excellent. I especially like his fifth verse.

By the way, ladies who enjoy singing low would sound nice added to the Tertius line, along with tenors who know how to sing with a “light” sound.

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).

Music List • (3rd Sunday of Lent)

Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 3rd Sunday of Lent (8 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has magnificent propers. Its stern INTROIT (“Óculi mei semper ad Dóminum”) is breathtaking, and the COMMUNION (“Qui bíberit aquam”) with its fauxbourdon verses is wonderful. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Samaritánæ” (3rd Sunday of Lent)

With regard to the COMMUNION for the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year A), the Ordo Cantus Missae—which was published in 1969 by the Vatican, bearing Hannibal Bugnini’s signature and approbation in its PREFACE—inexplicably introduced a variant melody and slightly different words, as you can see by this comparison chart. When it comes to such items, they’re always done in secrecy by unnamed people. (Although it is known that Dom Eugène Cardine collaborated in the creation of the GRADUALE SIMPLEX, a book considered by some to be a travesty.)

—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

Grotesque Pairing • “Passion Chorale”

One of our rarest releases was undoubtably this PDF scan of the complete Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) by Father Joseph Roff, a student of Healey Willan. One of the scarcest titles in existence, this book was provided to us by Mr. Peter Meggison. Back in 2018, we scanned each page and uploaded it to our website, making it freely available to everyone. Readers are probably sick of hearing me say this, but just because we upload something that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wonderful or worthy of imitation. We upload many publications precisely because they are ‘grotesque’, interesting, or revealing. Whereas the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal had an editorial board that was careful and sensitive vis-à-vis pairing texts with tunes, the Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) seems to have been rather reckless in this regard. Please take a look at what they did with the PASSION CHORALE and see whether you agree.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Extreme Unction

Those who search Google for “CCCC MS 079” will discover high resolution images of a medieval Pontificale (“Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 079”). One of the pages contains this absolutely gorgeous depiction of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

PDF Chart • “Plainsong Rhythm”

I will go to my grave without understanding the lack of curiosity so many people have about the rhythmic modifications made by Dom André Mocquereau. For example, how can someone examine this single sheet comparison chart and at a minimum not be curious about the differences? Dom Mocquereau basically creates a LONG-SHORT LONG-SHORT rhythmic pattern—in spite of enormous and overwhelming manuscript evidence to the contrary. That’s why some scholars referred to his method as “Neo-Mensuralist” or “Neo-Mensuralism.”

—Jeff Ostrowski