Views from the Choir Loft

Musical Resources • Holy Thursday (EF)

Jeff Ostrowski · April 12, 2017

These musical programs are for FSSP.la, the new FSSP Apostolate in Los Angeles.

Everything must be done according to the RUBRICS of Pius XII 1955 Holy Week.

INTROIT • Sung during the procession by the men

PDF Score (Singer) • Practice Audio (Singer)

KYRIE ELEISON

We will sing #6995.

We also know a KYRIE with three sections: #3347, #3661, and #7332.

GLORIA IN EXCELSIS

We will sing Viadana #7709 “Falsobordone Gloria.”

GRADUAL • Sung by the men

PDF Score (Singer) • Practice Audio (Singer)

CREDO

No Credo on Holy Thursday.

WASHING OF THE FEET

Antiphon III

PDF Score (Singer) • Video

CONCLUSION • WASHING OF THE FEET

PDF for Singers & Celebrant

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON

PDF Score (Singer)

OFFERTORY HYMN

#3316 • Lenten Hymn “Herzliebster Jesu”

SANCTUS & HOSANNA

Choir members should be learning #6962 and #6926.

We also know #3496.

AGNUS DEI

Today, the response each time is: miserere nobis.

We will sing #4347 by Du Fay.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON • Sung by the ladies

PDF Score (Singer) • Practice Audio (Singer)

Extra Verses for soloist

COMMUNION POLYPHONY

Since it’s Holy Thursday, we’ll sing “Whitehall” Verbum Supernum (SATB).

To learn the notes you can use #7128 in spite of the fact that words are different.

PROCESSIONAL HYMN — Pange Lingua • starting pitch = E

#178 in Campion Missal

PDF Score (Singer) • YouTube

PRAYER WITH THE CHOIR (taken from the CAMPION HYMNAL) :

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” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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

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