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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • “Magnificat” + Rehearsal Videos!

Jeff Ostrowski · June 4, 2019

ORE THAN ONE THING can be true at the same time. Certainly I have advocated very simple music for church; and the Brébeuf Hymnal is full of beautiful melodies that fit the bill. I have emphasized that Brébeuf makes it possible for a congregation to get through the entire liturgical year, even if they only know one solid tune. That’s because it provides a solution where common melodies can be shared with different texts. Just last Sunday I was using it with my choirs, and it literally saved my life. (I would stand on my head to make this point!)

At the same time—in conjunction with these simple hymns—I fully endorse “complicated” polyphony. At present, I direct more than fifty singers in two different choirs, and every singer learns polyphony. I, therefore, “put my money where my mouth is” in terms of complex polyphony. (We don’t sing it unless we’re prepared.)

I don’t know a greater piece of polyphony than this Magnificat by Guerrero, which will be sung at this year’s Sacred Music Symposium:

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled

SOPRANO : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled

1st ALTO : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled

2nd ALTO : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled

TENOR : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled

BASS : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled


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HOSE WHO READ this blog already know how difficult the life of a choirmaster is; I don’t need to repeat that. We have challenges that often seem insurmountable: physical challenges, musical challenges, psychological challenges, and so on. On a personal level, I struggle to communicate (what I consider to be) basic concepts to our readers. I talk so much about common melodies and how important they are for a Catholic choir—yet, I don’t think I’m articulating this concept well. I believe there is so much that could be accomplished, if we can all stick together; and part of sticking together is communication. A few days ago, I was thinking about how difficult it must have been to implement the document of Pope Pius X. After all, this was long before the invention of television, internet, xerox copy machines, and so forth. The airplane had just been invented; and it really was such a different time. Archduke Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated by mistake. (The initial attempt failed, hitting people behind him; but when he went to the hospital to see how they were doing, he accidentally ran into the same assassin while sitting in traffic; and that’s how he was assassinated, which began the Great War.) The Great War ended up causing the Second Sino-Japanese War and also World War II—and 150 million people died as a result. Read about what it was like to fight in the trenches: bizarre and horrible! In those days, they wouldn’t give the wounded first aid. Instead, they would place wounded men on a train and transport them to a city which had a hospital, even if that city were far away. During the Great War they began to realize this was insane; so they started to have better medical stations on the actual battlefields. The United States ended up entering the Great War, but can you imagine? Can you imagine loading thousands of USA soldiers on a boat to take them to Europe so they could fight for countries they’d never visited? Again, this was all going on around the time of the Motu Proprio of Pius X. Yet, they had choirs back then, in spite of having virtually no technology at all. I guess if they could do it, we should “soldier on” as well…pardon the pun.

Finally: Why do I love Guerrero’s setting so much? It has to do with the fact that my parish sings Solemn Vespers every Sunday. I’ve fallen in love with Vespers, and this Mode 1 psalm tone is frequently used. What Guerrero does with it—in spite of all the other settings by other composers, such as Lassus (who wrote something like 200 Magnificat settings)—is truly remarkable. The entrance of the Alto at the beginning: Powerful. The way he uses contrasting themes—some ascending, some descending: brilliant! The way he will often have one voice just repeat the same notes while the others are going nuts: clever! The Alto canon at the end: not to be missed! In particular, what Guerrero does with this melody is beyond anything I could imagine; after all, it’s just a psalm tone, right? But it went into Guerrero’s brain and look what comes out! Truly marvelous. We will discuss all these things at Sacred Music Symposium 2019.

My friend Nancho sent me the original part books for this piece. Here’s how it looked in the 16th century (Verse 6, Fecit potentiam in brachio suo):

84328 Guerrero MSS


Do you see how Nancho (wisely) preserves the ligatures in his editions? Look at the section in yellow. That’s a ligature. By this time, it was done mainly through tradition—because different ways to form those notes were also available in the time of Guerrero. Still, it’s a nice reminder not to disaggregate that syllable! And it reminds us this comes directly from a psalm tone.

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Last Updated: January 1, 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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

Alabama Assessment!

We received this evaluation of Symposium 2022 from an Alabama participant:

“Oh, how the Symposium echoed the words of Cardinal Merry Del Val: …choosing only what is most conformed to Thy glory, which is my final aim. In one short and fast paced week, the faculty and attendees showed me the hand of God and our Lady working in our lives. The wide range of education—from Gregorian Chant, jazz modes in organ improvisation, to ‘staying sane’ while leading a choir—were certainly first-class knowledge from the best teachers of the art. However, the most powerful lesson was learning how to pray as a choir. The sacrifice of putting songs together, taking time to learn the sacred text, meditating on the church teaching through the chants, and gaining the virtues required to persevere in these duties were not only qualities of a choir but of a saint. The sanctification of the lives of the attendees was a beautiful outcome of this event … and that in itself is worth more than a beautifully-sung Solesmes style chant!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
PDF Download • Trinity Sunday (22 pages)

Feel free to download this Organ Accompaniment Booklet for Trinity Sunday (Second Vespers). Notice how the modes progress by number. Psalm 1 is mode 1; Psalm 2 is mode 2; Psalm 3 is mode 3; Psalm 4 is mode 4; Psalm 5 is mode 5. I am told by an expert that other feasts (such as Corpus Christi) are likewise organized by mode, and it’s called a “numerical office.”

—Jeff Ostrowski
10 June 2022 • “Official” rhythm of plainsong

I continue to search for the most beautiful way to present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores. (Technically, the “pure” rhythm of the official edition is what everyone is supposed to use.) You can download my latest attempt, which is the Introit for this coming Sunday: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Because this is not an ancient feast, the Introit had to be adapted (perhaps around 750AD). Prior Johner says the adaptation is “not an entirely happy one.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

On 12 March 1908, Feast of St. Gregory the Great, the complete publication of the “Graduale” was issued by the Vatican Press. That very day, Dom Pothier solemnly presented the first copy to the Holy Father. Pius X wished to be the first to see the new book; he opened it at random, at page 128 of the supplement “pro aliquibus locis”—the Introit of the new Feast of Our lady of Lourdes. The Pope sang it with perfect taste to the last note.

— A witness of the papal audience writing circa 1915

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