Views from the Choir Loft

Two February Workshops

Fr. David Friel · January 13, 2019

ARLY February will feature two interesting workshops in the field of sacred music. One of these opportunities will take place in Chicago, while the other will be held in Indiana. Both promise to be beneficial for participants.

First, the Lumen Christi Institute is sponsoring a Mass for the feast of the Presentation (Candlemas) on February 2, 2019 at 9 AM in the Bond Chapel of the University of Chicago. Music for the liturgy will be provided by Schola Antiqua. Following Mass will be a breakfast and symposium, including several very scholarly speakers:

Michael Anderson (Eastman School of Music)

Margot Fassler (University of Notre Dame)

Peter Jeffery (Universtiy of Notre Dame)

Prior Peter Funk, OSB (Monastery of the Holy Cross)

Robert Kendrick (University of Chicago)

The theme of the symposium is “Sacred Music in Context and Practice.” More information is available here.

Second, the 10th annual National Winter Pastoral Chant Conference will be held February 4-8, 2019 (Monday through Friday). Sponsored each year by the Saint Basil’s School of Gregorian Chant (an institute of the University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX), the site for this conference is St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana.

More information about the Winter Pastoral Chant Conference is available here.

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).

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

Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published

Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.

—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