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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • Dom Pothier Biography (1947)

Jeff Ostrowski · January 22, 2018

An image kindly sent to Jeff Ostrowski by the monks of St. Wandrille circa 2004:

OM LUCIEN DAVID was a famous disciple of Abbot Joseph Pothier who in 1933 explained Pothier’s approach to Gregorian rhythm in “Le rhythme verbal et musical dans le chant romain.” I’m thrilled to announce that an anonymous person on the CMAA forum has posted a 1947 biography of Dom Pothier written by Dom David:

* *  PDF • BIOGRAPHY OF DOM POTHIER (1947)

An Admirer of Dom Pothier and CCW has kindly translated some excerpts into English to give you a taste.

(The story about Pope Pius X toward the end is essential reading.)

“Here is a man who, in his modesty, is the author of the happiest and most lasting revolution that has occurred in the Church.”
– Dom Guépin, abbot of Silos

“We shall still have done nothing if the chant, which is the soul of the Catholic Church, is not also restored to its ancient traditions.”
– Dom Guéranger, Institutions liturgiques

With its liturgy sadly reshaped by the Gallicans and its regrettable Nivers edition of the chant, the chant, without phrasing or continuity, was no more than a succession of notes where nothing pointed to rhythm and continuity; and the practice of their heavy execution was emphasized even more by their accompaniment on double basses and serpents. Serpents in the plural for the cathedral, one on each side, as the famous liturgist Urbain Robinet had decreed in 1729. A wonderful invention, this serpent, no doubt recalling the bronze savior of Moses to canons struggling with the note!

On December 7, 1835, during the first vespers of the Immaculate Conception, in the little Lorraine village of Bouzemont, little Joseph-Marie Pothier came into the world, and was christened the next day; for in these old Christian families, the mother could not wait to be able to kiss a little Christian.

His father was the village schoolmaster, and at the same time head cantor of the parish and something of a sacristan, not to mention his occupations as secretary of the mayor’s office, maker of communion wafers and part-time farmer.

For at the school the study and practice of sacred chant were put on the same level—at least—as mathematics or spelling; and each morning—I underscore—the boys went to sing not at Mass, but rather at the liturgical Mass of the good pastor Vautrin.

The cantor and teacher was not always available, but the boys, including, of course, Joseph and Alphonse, went to stand bravely before the great folio volume of Toul, and sang: and this earned them, besides, the extravagant perquisite of six sous. But the grocer, they say, was well stocked with candy and marbles.

Priestly and religious vocations blossomed easily in such good soil; and our teacher had the grace and happiness to see his two sons chosen by God.

Among his achievements we see emphasized, besides others, his talent in prose and verse as a Latinist: which would not prove useless to him for the understanding of Gregorian rhythm and the enrichment of the extra-liturgical poetic repertoire.

He had hardly made profession when the role of zelator, i.e., assistant novice master, was entrusted to him, which he held for two years, before being named sub-prior. So he had to give chant lessons to the novices as well as to his confrères: lessons which were greatly valued.

The field of paleographic investigation widened daily; and then the business of a typographic printing, with the financial embarrassment in which the monastery then found itself, was daunting. Meanwhile it had to sing, and in authentic Gregorian chant.

“As a practical trial, some processional chants—followed by many others—were printed lithographically by Dom Pothier himself, with the assistance of his brother Dom Alphonse (between 1867 and 1870). The maestro made everything by hand, and made up for the imperfection of his equipment by patience and the ingenious procedures he invented; he also acted as an illustrator and decorated his work with vignettes, illuminated capitals, tailpieces, even full-page illustrations representing the mysteries of the Annunciation and Christmas. All this was imitated from the Hours of Simon Vostre and other printers of the earliest ages. What a joy for us when these modest booklets were handed out to us! We were far from imagining that one day the melodies that we were chanting, at first with so much difficulty, would little by little make their way round the whole of Christendom.”
– Dom Guépin

Behold then our pilgrim away on a campaign of exploration, but without the stringent tension of those blinkered scholars who are ignorant or distrustful of anything that transcends their own special field.

“There, in a double stand of trees, a whole choir of little birds rejoiced, and their songs mingled with the murmurs of the waters. Since I travel for the chant, I was indeed permitted, in my capacity as a strolling musician, as M. Cartier calls me, to pay attention to all this music of nature, so near a relative to Gregorian music.”
– Dom Pothier (writing to his brother)

“I used as well as I could the too-little time I could spend at the National Library. I was in a hurry to return here for the offices and children’s catechism. For I found the pastor quite ill and the parish abandoned. Charity seemed to make it my duty to come to their aid, above all for the children who are waiting for someone to give them their First Communion.”
– Dom Pothier

The paleographic work could often take place at Solesmes itself. For the growing reputation of Dom Pothier, united with that of Solesmes, prompted the public libraries, not merely of France, but of Switzerland and Germany, to lend him their documents. It is to this residential work that we owe the copies, by the hand of Dom Pothier, of entire or nearly entire manuscripts, in which the neums, over the texts, are illustrated with a care and precision without lapses.

At Wiesbaden […] he collated, at the request of his confrère Cardinal Pitra, and for his personal satisfaction, the manuscripts of St. Hildegard, the great seer, poetess and musician of the twelfth century. Her musical works, in a flamboyant style and so expressive, he copied entirely. Later he published different pieces from them, with commentaries, in the Revue du Chant grégorien, and did not fail to note that in the play of the Virtues the devil shows himself unable to sing Gregorian chant. When he intervenes he is only able to make noise: fit strepitus.

On February 13, 1876, he actually heard from Dom Romary the great news: Desclée of Tournai, founder of Maredsous, was also founding a press to help the Benedictines in their work of liturgical restoration, including music! And he reveled: “Is it so, dear Father? Then let us go there and provide the purest of St. Gregory that we can. Afterwards we will see about the coarse chanters. But tradition and art first. Let us keep for another circumstance the adage, The best is the enemy of the good!” And since the characters for the fourteenth-century notation to be revived did not exist, he busied himself in providing the illustration of notes, neums, clefs, etc., so that the English foundry could produce dies and matrices.

But all these travels of Dom Pothier in France and Belgium were not only voyages of study. They were often also voyages of the Gregorian apostolate. From almost everywhere were requested not only his written advice and clarifications, but lessons and conferences. His sacred fire spread to masters and to disciples with goodwill.

Books! They begged him for them everywhere! And indeed he busied himself with the Gradual, but the preparatory matter was drawn out. He wrote, moreover: “My grave concern is to bring out the preliminary work on the principles, which should serve as an introduction to the Gradual and the Antiphonal, and for which the Gregorian characters are so needed.” This preliminary work would be a masterpiece. It appeared in 1880 from Desclée. It was entitled, Les Mélodies grégoriennes, d’après la tradition [“The Gregorian Melodies according to Tradition”].

In truth, this work of Dom Pothier, despite its wholly peaceful appearances, inevitably directed grave threats against the errors and… the material interests of those editions which were more or less unfaithful to tradition, and above all against the errors and interests of the so-called Medicean Edition of Regensburg, declared typical and authentic by Rome and officially recommended as such. And until its death in 1900, it would be energetically defended […] In the year 1900, when the privilege of Pustet was due to expire, despite the efforts of the interested parties, that privilege would not be renewed by the Holy See. For Dom Pothier this would then be decisive victory and full freedom.

From 1892 until the Roman Congress of 1904 and the Vatican edition, without question Dom Pothier’s most significant work would be his regular collaboration with the Revue du Chant grégorien, launched at Grenoble with his assistance […] Almost to the end he wrote articles for it, extremely varied, enriched with old or new Gregorian pieces, the sum of which constitutes the richest and most exact commentary on his Mélodies grégoriennes.

His robust good sense, the sureness of his judgment about persons and about things, and his kindness were some of the precious qualities among those which could be desired in a superior. He had long been known as the much-regarded counselor of several communities. In 1862 at Solesmes, when he was 35, he was named prior by Dom Couturier. In 1893 the abbey of Ligugé needed a prior. The abbot and whole community approached Dom Delatte at Solesmes to entreat him to grant them Dom Pothier, who could only agree despite his bond with Solesmes and the very dear memories of Dom Guéranger, his “heavenly abbot.” But Ligugé could not rejoice long in its new prior. The new foundation, or rather restoration, of Saint-Wandrille needed a definite superior. And on December 23, 1894, Dom Pothier was at Saint-Wandrille; four years later, on September 29, 1898, he received blessing as an abbot there from Mons. Sourrieu, before the abbots of Solesmes and Ligugé and many of the clergy.

With the year 1900, as I have said already, the too-famous privilege of the Regensburg Edition reached expiration. It was a decisive expiration; and that same year Leo XIII sent the abbot of Solesmes the liberating letter that congratulated the Benedictines on their past efforts in the domain of restoration of Gregorian chant and encouraged them to continue, sollerter et libere [artfully and freely].

With regard to the Vatican Edition, I will only tell you a little unpublished story, which very gracefully represents the good Pope Pius X in his relations, both cordial and by choice somewhat informal, with the good Father Dom Pothier. The Gradual had just been completed. It was a matter of presenting it to the Sovereign Pontiff. The Most Reverend President of the Commission was obviously the appropriate one to do it, and I accompanied him, as habitual intermediary between Dom Pothier, on one side, and, on the other side, the Pope or the Cardinal Secretary of State, the Consultors, the Congregation of Rites and the Vatican Press as well. The Director of the Press, rightly proud of his work, had arranged matters well: the Gradual was bound con amore [with love], in a splendid fashion. Pius X, having admired the beautiful book in all its aspects, with its enamels and gilding, opened it and began leafing through it, admiring in passing the beautiful vignettes of Brother Schmalz [sic]. But he seemed to be looking for something. Finally he stopped… at the Mass of Our Lady of Lourdes […] Pius X knew very well that this feast of Our Lady of Lourdes was French, as were his two interlocutors, and he also knew that the author of the melodies of this Mass was before him. And he began, quite simply, to chant for both of us… the Introit Vidi civitatem, from beginning to end, and without the slightest lapse. After which he smiled at Dom Pothier with a little head movement, as though to say, “Well, there you have it!” Then, looking at me mischievously over his spectacles, he inquired of me, “E bene cosi?” Was it indeed thus it should be sung? You can guess what my answer was, at the same time affirmative and most sincere.

The story about Pius X singing through chants composed by Pothier is—in a certain sense—the completion of a famous story about Pope Pius IX (d. 1878), who was also presented with “revised” melody proofs (Haberl’s Editio Medicæa) and sang through them…but with a very different result. To read the story of Pope Pius IX, click here.

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Abbot Joseph Pothier of Solesmes Last Updated: October 18, 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 Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 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 Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —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

“In the 17th century came the crushing blow which destroyed the beauty of all Breviary hymns. Pope Urban VIII (d. 1644) was a Humanist. In a fatal moment he saw that the hymns do not all conform to the rules of classical prosody.”

— Fr. Adrian Fortescue (d. 1923)

Recent Posts

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  • Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
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