Views from the Choir Loft

Free Recordings • British Boys’ Choir

Andrew Leung · July 28, 2016

AST NIGHT, I went to a concert featuring the famous boys’ choir of the King’s College, Cambridge. The music was just splendid and beautiful! I have always love the traditional choirs formed by men and boy choristers! Their blending, energy and color is amazing. The concert reminded me of the YouTube channel, Collegium Regale. On this channel, you can find free recordings of the most famous British boys’ choirs, mostly from the choral evensongs and vespers that they performed.

Due to the recent tragedy in France, I thought it would be appropriate to share the following recording, Victoria’s Requiem sung by the Westminster Cathedral Choir at the All Souls’ Day Mass.

There are many more recordings of British Cathedral Choirs and College Choirs. I like to play them as background music as I am working and praying. I hope you would enjoy them. Here are a few recordings of the two famous Catholic boys’ choir in London, the Westminster Cathedral Choir and the London Oratory Choir:

– Choral Vespers from the London Oratory, 30th November 2011

– Choral Vespers from the London Oratory, 11th June 2014

– Choral Vespers from the London Oratory, 20th January 2016

– Choral Vespers from the Westminster Cathedral, 7th November 2012

– Choral Vespers from the Westminster Cathedral, 8th October 2014

– Choral Vespers from the Westminster Cathedral, 1st July 2015

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

About Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Music Director Job • $80,000 per year

Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!

—Jeff Ostrowski

Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published

Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.

—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.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

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).

—Corpus Christi Watershed