• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

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.”

  • Donate
  • Our Team
    • Our Editorial Policy
    • Who We Are
    • How To Contact Us
    • Sainte Marie Bulletin Articles
    • Jeff’s Mom Joins Fundraiser
  • Pew Resources
    • Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal
    • Jogues Illuminated Missal
    • KYRIALE • Saint Antoine Daniel
    • Campion Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Repository • “Spanish Music”
    • Ordinary Form Feasts (Sainte-Marie)
  • MUSICAL WEBSITES
    • René Goupil Gregorian Chant
    • Noël Chabanel Psalms
    • Nova Organi Harmonia (2,279 pages)
    • Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Catechism of Gregorian Rhythm
    • Father Enemond Massé Manuscripts
    • Lalemant Polyphonic
  • Miscellaneous
    • Site Map
    • Secrets of the Conscientious Choirmaster
    • “Wedding March” for lazy organists
    • Emporium Kevin Allen
    • Saint Jean de Lalande Library
    • Sacred Music Symposium 2023
    • The Eight Gregorian Modes
    • Gradual by Pothier’s Protégé
    • Seven (7) Considerations
Views from the Choir Loft

Learn To Sing SATB • “A New Approach!”

Jeff Ostrowski · May 30, 2019

HERE IS A NEW Catholic hymnal with a fresh approach to helping choirs sing in SATB harmony. The hymns found in the Brébeuf Hymnal are being recorded in a special way, allowing choir members to hear individual lines louder than the other voices. There’s one for Soprano, one for Alto, one for Tenor, one for Bass, and one for Equal Voices. Twelve (12) hymns are available already, with tons more on the way!

A new rehearsal video was just added—Mundus effúsis redémptus translated 1 into English:


To understand the new approach, visit the Brébeuf website and scroll to #282. Choir members can now practice their individual lines!   How cool is that?

Normally, a parish choir will sing “German style”—that is, unison with organ. This allows the congregation to join the singing; even when verses alternate between female and male voices. But parishes which purchase the Brébeuf Hymnal are immediately provided with a DVD containing all the SATB versions. 2 In my opinion, choirs singing in SATB harmony add great solemnity to the Mass; especially during Holy Communion.

(To get a feel for the harmonies, obtain a copy of the Brébeuf organ accompaniment.)

HE MELODY in that video is a beautiful tune called ALL SAINTS. The Brébeuf Hymnal uses that same tune for five (5) different texts; so once the choir learns the SATB version, they are “good to go.” This technique is called shared melodies, and is amazing for helping congregations learn a tune. The text is also quite remarkable:

84413 Mundus Effusis Redemptus • the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal

Something nobody is talking about—and which needs to be spoken of—is how the Brébeuf Hymnal has rescued an insane amount of ancient Latin hymns which contain marvelous theological truths. Consider the beginning of verse 2 (“Desinat legis sacerdos”):

Priest beneath the Law, and guilty,
for the guilty cease to plead!

That is to say: The priest of the old Law is guilty, like those for whom he prays; he “is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people” (Heb 5.3); whereas Christ, our High Priest, “in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning” (Heb 4.15). Again: “God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us” (Rom 8.3-4): The old Law required holiness and justice, but could not overcome vice and sin, unlike our Lord.

A little later, we have an intriguing line:

Those who thee in fury torment
yield thee service unawares;
as thy blood they shed, it cleanses
all the world, its crime repairs.

In other words, the frenzied torture inflicted on Christ assists him in redeeming us, because the suffering and bloodshed it causes is also the cause of the world’s salvation.

OME CATHOLIC HYMNALS seemingly lack a firm grasp of musical principles. Accepted conventions (“rules”) certainly do exist when it comes to SATB hymns. Generally speaking, the conventions—doublings, voice-leading, melodic leaps, and so on—should be followed, because they help create wonderful music. They exist for a sonic purpose. (Adhering to common practice also makes life easier for the singer.) When somebody “breaks a rule,” it should be done in order to achieve a musical goal; it should not be done out of ignorance.

Flipping through the pages of certain Catholic hymnals, I’m often puzzled when contrapuntal and harmonic rules are routinely disregarded. The SSPX hymnal (“The Traditional Roman Hymnal”) is notorious for baffling harmonizations such as this:

84412 Traditional Roman Hymnal Printed by SSPX

But the SSPX hymnal is hardly alone! Consider this example from the popular Saint Michael Hymnal, which contains double parallel octaves and double hidden fifths:

84411 Saint Michael Hymnal double parallel octaves

The New Saint Basil hymnal (1958) altered most of the standard harmonies. Often, they do so in a thoughtful way, to help avoid excessively low bass notes or to add color. Other times, however, they make puzzling choices, such as failing to resolve sevenths downward:

84410 New Saint Basil Hymnal seventh resolution wrong

The Pope Saint Pius X hymnal (1953) allows parallel octaves and fifths in a way that—to my ear—is inelegant and unjustified:

84408 Pius X Hymnal part writing

When it comes to Saint Mark’s Hymnal For Catholics In The United States (1910), there are so many bizarre voice-leading choices I hardly know where to begin:

84406 St Mark Hymnal errors

Those who look closely at the Brébeuf harmonies will undoubtedly find “rules” occasionally disregarded. But whenever this was done, it was done for a musical purpose, after much consideration.

 


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   By Fr. Dominic Popplewell, based on a work by Fr. Caswall.

2   A choral edition is also being produced, but many choirmasters prefer the DVD method—where they place into The Black Folder only those pieces which will be sung SATB.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Jean de Brebeuf Hymnal Last Updated: August 26, 2023

Subscribe

It greatly helps us if you subscribe to our mailing list!

* indicates required

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).

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

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

“The chapter decides to penalize singers or instrumentalists who are tardy by a few minutes at the same rate as if they had been absent the whole hour.” [From “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

— Sevilla: Chapter Resolution (2 June 1563 )

Recent Posts

  • PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
  • “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Flor Peeters In A Weird Mood?
  • Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
  • Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser

Subscribe

Subscribe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2025 Corpus Christi Watershed · Isaac Jogues on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

The election of Pope Leo XIV has been exciting, and we’re filled with hope for our apostolate’s future!

But we’re under pressure to transfer our website to a “subscription model.”

We don’t want to do that. We believe our website should remain free to all.

Our president has written the following letter:

President’s Message (dated 30 May 2025)

Are you able to support us?

clock.png

Time's up