Views from the Choir Loft

Archives for December 2016

Jeff Ostrowski · December 5, 2016

Bishop of Manchester • Letter Re: “Ad Orientem”

A $12,000 reward will be given to anyone who can produce a Vatican II document mentioning “celebration facing the people.”

Richard J. Clark · December 5, 2016

Communion Antiphons for Christmas on “Sounds from the Spires”

“Sounds from the Spires” has been a great supporter of sacred music in the liturgy, bringing choral music, chant, and the pipe organ to a broad audience.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 5, 2016

Lay Faithful Have Begun A Facebook Page

…for the new FSSP Apostolate in Los Angeles.

Fr. David Friel · December 4, 2016

The Renewal of Adoremus

The “Society for the Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy” is itself experiencing renewal.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 2, 2016

Does Your Choir Sing Perfectly?

Why do we avoid telling the ones we love how we feel about them?

Dr. Alfred Calabrese · December 1, 2016

Nostalgia Is Not Rigid

I don’t think young people (or most people, frankly) are drawn to the pre-conciliar Mass because of nostalgia.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 1, 2016

Musical Resources • 2nd Sunday of Advent (EF)

“Be appeased, we beseech Thee, O Lord, by the prayers and offerings of our lowliness…”

Luis Martínez Must Go!

Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

—Jeff Ostrowski

Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!

A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)

I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.

—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

Saint Phillip Neri founded a religious congregation called the Oratory. Animuccia was involved from early on and remained “maestro di capella” of the Oratory until his death. The Oratory was able to attract many musicians who volunteered their services, including the famous singer Francesco Soto de Langa from the Capella Sistina, the composer Palestrina, and probably the composer Tomás Luis de Victoria who lived in the same house as St. Phillip Neri for five years.

— Source Unknown