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Views from the Choir Loft

In Defense of the Organ Postlude 1

Fr. David Friel · January 30, 2017

HE SECOND issue of the new magazine, Altare Dei, from Choralife has just been published. Subtitled “A Magazine on Liturgy and Sacred Music,” this publication will be of interest to many of our readers here at CCW.

The lead story in this latest issue is a well-argued piece by Dr. Peter Kwasniewski (known to our readers as a past contributor): “In Defense of the Organ Postlude.” Against those who are disturbed by this practice, which has been common since the late Renaissance, Kwasniewski makes a case that the organ postlude should not be viewed as a distraction to the act of thanksgiving. It should be appreciated, rather, for its ability to create “a sonic image of angelic choirs, a wordless transcendent proclamation of God’s glory.” Thus, the author’s fundamental claim is that the organ postlude has the spiritual benefit of immersing its hearers in the glory of God. Want to read more? Click here to download.

Included with this issue of Altare Dei is a hefty insert with seven pieces of sheet music. Among the compositions included are an Ave Maria, an Easter Alleluia, and an organ interlude from composers such as Colin Mawby, Mauro Visconti, and Valentinus Miserachs.

A new article of mine appears in this installment. Entitled, “The Earliest Catholic Choir School,” my article explores the roots of the choir school tradition in the Roman schola of the seventh century. Fascinating pieces on a variety of liturgical and musical subjects have also been contributed by David Fagerberg (theology professor, University of Notre Dame), Rev. Thomas Kocik (priest of the Diocese of Fall River, MA), Rev. Enrico Finotti (Italian liturgist), Fulvio Rampi (Gregorian chant scholar), and others.

Altare Dei is the handiwork of Maestro Aurelio Porfiri (another past contributor to these pages). Porfiri’s experience as a choir master, conductor, organist, and music theorist has prepared him well to serve as editor of this new publication.

The magazine is distributed strictly in digital format, on a bi-monthly basis. The first issue is still available for download.

Download the latest edition here for only €6.00, and see the excellent content for yourself!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Altare Dei Magazine, Father Enrico Zoffoli, Pipe Organ, Sacred Choral Works Kwasniewski, Sheet Music Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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

Quick Thoughts

    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

Random Quote

“I vividly remember going to church with him in Bournemouth. He was a devout Roman Catholic and it was soon after the Church had changed the liturgy (from Latin to English). My grandfather obviously didn’t agree with this and made all the responses very loudly in Latin while the rest of the congregation answered in English. I found the whole experience quite excruciating, but my grandfather was oblivious. He simply had to do what he believed to be right.”

— Simon Tolkien (2003)

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

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