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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

My Trip to Canada

Andrew Leung · July 26, 2018

CTL My Trip to Canada APPOLOGIZE for haven’t been posting for a few weeks. I was on a trip to Canada with my family. We stayed in Toronto for the most part, and we also visited Montreal and Quebec City as well. I must say, after being in Asia for two years, it’s nice to see some gorgeous churches built in the European style.

I had the opportunity to attend the weekly Solemn Mass at Holy Family Parish, where the Oratorian community of Toronto is located. The Mass was very well-attended and the choir sang beautifully! The professional singers of the parish sing weekly for the Solemn Mass and the Solemn Vespers. I was told that about 40 seminarians of the community would join the Vespers during the school year and I can imagine that must be quite a powerful experience for the parishioners.

I got to chat with Dr. Aaron James, the director of music, after Mass for a little bit and he told me about the history of the church and their pipe organ. The original Holy Family Church was built in 1902 and was destroyed by a fire in 1997. It was the rebuilt in 1999 and dedicated in 2001. Their organ, originally built for a residence, was given to the newly constructed church.

Another very special church I got to visit when I was in Toronto was the Cathedral Basilica of St. Michael. The interior of the cathedral is stunningly beautiful. Right across the street from the cathedral is the St. Michael’s Choir School. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to listen to their boys’ choir. The choir school was founded in 1937 by Monsignor John Edward Ronan. Boys and young men are trained in the art of music there and they play a prominent role in the cathedral’s music program. Here is a recording of the choir from 2016, and you can find more videos on their YouTube Channel.

If you ever get a chance, try to attend a Mass at the Toronto Oratory and the St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica! Finally, I leave you with some pictures of the churches I visited during the trip.

CTL Canadian Church 1 CTL Canadian Church 2 CTL Canadian Church 3 CTL Canadian Church 4 CTL Canadian Church 5 CTL Canadian Church 6 CTL Canadian Church 7 CTL Canadian Church 8 CTL Canadian Church 9
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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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “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

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

Far from dreading an encounter with the Iroquois, Fr. Garnier often told us he would be quite content to fall into their hands and remain their prisoner if—while they were torturing him—he at least had a chance of instructing them as long as his torments lasted. If they allowed him to live, it would afford him a golden opportunity to work for their conversion, which was now impossible, since the gateway to their country was closed as long as they were our enemies.

— Father Ragueneau (Jesuit Relations)

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