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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

FREE • Chant Conducting Seminar

Andrew Leung · January 25, 2018

CTL Free Seminar 1 HERE WILL BE A free online seminar on chant conducting by Dr. Jennifer Donelson on January 29. This seminar is part of the “Webinar Series for Conductors of Catholic Student Choirs, Worship Leaders and Classroom Teachers, Elementary through High School” organised by the National Catholic Educational Association and American Federation Pueri Cantores.

This webminar is designed for teachers who are new to conducting chant (and even to singing it), this seminar will cover the basics of reading neumatic (square-note) notation, as well as, give an introduction to understanding the rhythm and phrasing of the chant according to the classical Solesmes method. Building on these basics, conductors will progress through a series of basic gestures and exercises, culminating in the conducting of a Kyrie by the end of the session. Handouts will be given with additional exercises and resources for developing skills further, and teaching tips for helping young singers understand conducting gestures and sing expressively will be addressed.

CTL Free Seminar 2 Conducting Gregorian Chant: Beginning Techniques
Date: Monday, January 29, 2018
Time: 04:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Duration: 1 hour
SIGN UP NOW!

Dr. Jennifer Donelson is an associate professor and the director of sacred music at St. Joseph’s Seminary (Dunwoodie) in New York, where she also teaches sacred music courses in the St. Cecilia Academy for Pastoral Musicians. She is the Vice President & Treasurer of the Society for Catholic Liturgy, serves on the board of the CMAA, and is the managing editor of the CMAA’s journal Sacred Music.

Having studied Gregorian chant at the Catholic University of America and the Abbey of St. Peter in Solesmes, for six years Dr. Donelson served as a co-organizer of the Musica Sacra Florida Gregorian Chant Conference, and has given chant workshops in dioceses and parishes across the U.S. As a choral conductor, Dr. Donelson has directed collegiate, semi-professional, amateur, monastic, and children’s choirs.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    PDF • “Music List” (Sunday, 28 December)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, & Joseph (28 Dec. 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The FAUXBOURDON verses for the Communion Antiphon are particularly gorgeous. 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
    PDF • “Music List” (Xmas Midnight Mass)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for Christmas Midnight Mass (“Ad Missam In Nocte”). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The ENTRANCE CHANT is simple, but quite beautiful. 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
    PDF • “Music List” (4th Sunday of Advent)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 21 December 2025, which is the 4th Sunday of Advent (Year A). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The ENTRANCE CHANT is the famous “Roráte Coeli” and the fauxbourdon setting of the COMMUNION is exquisite. 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

Quick Thoughts

    PDF Download • “In Paradisum” in English
    We always sing the IN PARADISUM in Latin, as printed on this PDF score. I have an appallingly bad memory (meaning I’d be a horrible witness in court). In any event, it’s been brought to my attention that 15 years ago I created this organ accompaniment for the famous and beautiful ‘IN PARADISUM’ Gregorian chant sung in English according to ‘MR3’ (Roman Missal, Third Edition). If anyone desires such a thing, feel free to download and print. Looking back, I wish I’d brought the TENOR and BASS voices into a unison (on B-Natural) for the word “welcome” on the second line.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    What does this mean? “Pre-Urbanite”
    Something informed critics have frequently praised vis-à-vis the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal is its careful treatment of the ancient hymns vs. the “Urbanite” hymns. This topic I had believed to be fairly well understood—but I was wrong. The reason I thought people knew about it is simple; in the EDITIO VATICANA 1908 Graduale Romanum (as well as the 1913 Liber Antiphonarius) both versions are provided, right next to each other. You can see what I mean by examining this PDF file from the Roman Gradual of 1908. Most people still don’t understand that the Urbanite versions were never adopted by any priests or monks who sang the Divine Office each day. Switching would have required a massive amount of effort and money, because all the books would need to be changed.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Santo Santo Santo”
    Those searching for a dignified, brief, simple, bright setting of SANCTUS in Spanish (“Santo Santo Santo”) are invited to download this Setting in honor of Saint John Brébeuf (organist & vocalist). I wonder if there would be any interest in me recording a rehearsal video for this piece.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“As often as possible they gathered together the children of the village and sat them down in the cabin. Father Brébeuf would put on a surplice and biretta and chant the Our Father, which Father Daniel had translated into Huron rhymes, and the children would chant it after him. Next, he taught them the sign of the cross, the Hail Mary, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Commandments.”

— Biography of St. Jean de Brébeuf

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