Views from the Choir Loft

Lux Fulgebit: Mass at Dawn of Christmas Day

Fr. David Friel · December 24, 2017

OME OF OUR readers are familiar with the wonderful community of St. Mary’s Church in Norwalk, CT. In addition to its historic church, the parish is blessed with devoted priests and very welcoming parishioners. It also boasts an exemplary music program, featuring seven distinct choirs.

The parish’s professional Schola Cantorum, under the direction of David J. Hughes, sings the complete Gregorian propers and polyphonic Ordinaries on each Sunday and Holy Day of the year.

Earlier this year, the ensemble released its first recording, Lux Fulgebit: The Mass at Dawn of Christmas Day.

This new CD presents all the musical components of a sung Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite—bells, sung lessons, motets, organ improvisations, etc.—in a living, liturgical context.

The most unique aspect of this new album is that it features the world-premiere recording of William Rasar’s Mass Christe Jesu. An obscure composer of the 16th century, Rasar served as a boy chorister at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. This Mass, written for five voices, is his only extant composition. Unusually for the time period, it is written entirely in duple meter.

In addition to the Mass Christe Jesu, the recording includes motets by Alfonso Ferrabosco (Mirabile mysterium), William Byrd (Quem terra, pontus, aethera), and Walter Lambe (Nesciens mater).

This album is a real achievement for St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum. Its 23 tracks present one hour and nine minutes of musical delight. It is also accompanied by ample background notes written by Charles Weaver, who sings bass on the recording.

If you’ve been looking for a Christmas present for yourself this year, this album is worth considering. For more information about the CD, see the parish webpage. Find the music for download on iTunes or Amazon.

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

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).

PDF • Our Lady of Guadalupe (12 Dec.)

The Responsorial Psalm may be downloaded as a PDF file (organist & vocalist) for 12 December, which is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. When it comes to the formulary for this Mass, it’s astounding how infrequently it’s included in official books. Prior to Vatican II, one had to search through “supplemental material” printed in the back of hand-missals and graduals. But since 1970, the feast is virtually nonexistent. According to the UNIVERSAL KALENDAR, 12 December is the “Feast of Saint Jane Frances De Chantal, Religious” (Die 12 decembris: S. Ioannæ Franciscæ de Chantal, religiosæ). Why should that feast overpower Our Lady of Guadalupe? In the United States, OLG is celebrated—and I’d assume in Mexico, Central America, South America, and Canada—but, as I said, the Propria Missae are virtually impossible to locate. I possess only three books which mention this feast.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Simplified Accompaniment (Advent Hymn)

Many organists are forced to simultaneously serve as both CANTOR and ACCOMPANIST. In spite of what some claim, this can be difficult. I invite you to download this simplified organ accompaniment (PDF) which in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal is hymn #661: “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” (for ADVENT). I’m toying with the idea of creating a whole bunch of these, to help amateur organists. The last one I uploaded was downloaded more than 2,900 times in a matter of hours—so there appears to be interest.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “Music List” (Immaculate Concep.)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 8 December 2025, the feast of OUR LADY’S IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The fauxbourdon setting of the COMMUNION is exquisite. In Latin, the title of this feast is: In Conceptione Immaculata Beatae Mariae Virginis. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are available at the feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Pope Leo XIV on Sacred Music

On 5 December 2025, Pope Leo XIV made this declaration with regard to liturgical music.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Translations Approved for Liturgical Use”

According to the newsletter for USSCB’s Committee on Divine Worship dated September 1996, there are three (3) translations of the Bible which can be used in the sacred liturgy in the United States. You can read this information with your own eyes. It seems the USCCB and also Rome fully approved the so-called NRSV (“New Revised Standard Version”) on 13 November 1991 and 6 April 1992 but this permission was then withdrawn in 1994.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed