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Views from the Choir Loft

Shortest “Kyrie” Palestrina Ever Wrote

Jeff Ostrowski · December 20, 2016

ACK IN 2013, I released a “simple plan” to improve music at Mass. In that article, I mentioned my belief that an a priori decision made after Vatican II—which eliminated the ancient praxis of simultaneous song & prayer—will someday be corrected. However, waiting for that day would be foolish; we must do our best with the current situation. As I’ve said before, the most “painless” way to introduce worthy music to the Ordinary Form (without irritating your pastor) is choral extensions, which embellish the music while still allowing congregational participation.

For the first few years, this will require polyphony that isn’t too long. Did you know Palestrina set entire litanies to polyphony? 1 The “Kyrie Eleison” from such works can be excerpted, and a simple plainsong melody can be sung by the congregation as shown here:

    * *  PDF Download • Shortest “Kyrie” Palestrina Ever Wrote

REHEARSAL VIDEOS for each individual voice—along with PDF score—await you at #6482. If you like them, please consider donating $5.00 per month.


Palestrina’s CANTUS FIRMUS is the litany melody, which you probably know by heart:

543 Litany


The chart below shows the clever way Palestrina mixes three polyphonic lines together—using beautiful invertible counterpoint—while still respecting the conventions of vertical harmony. (Yes, such horizontal rules did exist, in spite of assertions by some today.)

544 invertible counterpoint


Much ink has been spilled regarding problematic music introduced after the Second Vatican Council, and let’s not kid ourselves: the situation is dire. Too many musicians today rigidly refuse to be inclusive, eliminating from Mass practically everything composed before 1965.

My problem with many of today’s Catholic composers is their almost complete ignorance of counterpoint. I cannot understand why they excuse themselves from studying something considered essential by Marenzio, Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Brahms, and every other great composer. The worst is when I read forums or magazines where contemporary composers bloviate about the rules of counterpoint. Then I peek at their compositions only to discover they haven’t the foggiest notion of authentic counterpoint—which cannot be faked.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   We recently posted about the complete works of Palestrina, which can be downloaded in their entirety online!

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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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

14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book

If there is a more beautiful book than Abbat Pothier’s 1888 Processionale Monasticum, I don’t know what it might be. This gorgeous tome was today added to the Saint John Lalande Online Library. I wish I owned a physical copy.

—Jeff Ostrowski
Sound Familiar?

1 June 1579: “The chapter passes a rule that anyone ascending to the new organ without official permission shall be fined a month’s pay.”

26 October 1579: “The altar boys remain always separate and distinct from choirboys—the one group learning only plainchant and assisting at the altar, the other living with the chapel-master and studying counterpoint and polyphony as well. Father Francisco Guerrero postpones his departure for Rome and instead spends the entire year in Seville making ready for the trip. In the meantime he neglects his choirboys. On 16 November, after considerable complaint against their unruliness and ignorance, he engages an assistant, Bartolomé Farfán.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Before any seminarian is accepted for ordination, he must not only strive for chastity but actually achieve it. He must already be living chaste celibacy peacefully and for a prolonged period of time—for if this be lacking, the seminarian and his formators cannot have the requisite confidence that he is called to the celibate life.”

— Archbishop Viganò (16 February 2019)

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