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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

Watershed in 2019

Veronica Moreno · December 31, 2019

Article Categories
Liturgical Choices Catholic Beauty
Music Life Music
Brébeuf Hymnal Music Pieces

Liturgical Choices

“Church Music Manifesto” (2019) —
Mass should be a peaceful experience for the congregation, not an opportunity to be harassed.

Where do we go from here? —
We need to break away from simply providing music for the next Sunday’s Masses.

The Cantor and Congregational Singing —
I wonder if we haven’t lost sight of the cantor’s original purpose of fostering congregational singing…

Dominican Priest Calls Gregorian Chant “Infantile” —
Fr. Gerard Lessard is upset that millennials “seem to be mainly interested in returning to Gregorian chant and organ music of the distant past.”

(1988) • Cardinal Ratzinger Addresses Chilean Bishops —
“The grandeur of the liturgy rests upon…rendering tangible the Totally Other, whom we are not capable of summoning.”

Bishop Barron Vs. Hymn by Marty Haugen (2018) —
“Heaven is not light-years away; that’s a silly way to think about it.” —Most Rev’d Robert Barron

Just Released! • 2019 Pastoral Letter on Sacred Music (Archbishop Sample) —
“Every pastor and music director has a serious responsibility to read and become familiar with the ‘Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy…” —Archbishop Sample

Strive for Greatness! —
Stop trying to make everything easy, and therefore unimportant.

An Outrageous “Paradox” I Cannot Accept —
I’m not someone who believes everything was perfect before Vatican II—but calling the EF “worldly” compared to the OF is just silly.

Breaking! • Father Edwin C. Dwyer Development? —
Did Bishop A. Hurley have a change of heart?

Catholic Beauty

Formed in Beauty Lectures —
Videos have been posted from the 2017 & 2018 conferences of the Catholic Art Guild

Fr. Peter Gee • My First Chant Teacher —
Is it just me, or does England have extremely beautiful churches?

The Gratuity of Beauty —
Thoughts on the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Sacred Architecture and Brexit —
A connecting link in the form of Gothic cathedrals

New Stained Glass Windows of Military Saints —
Recently installed at the pastoral center of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA

Holy Souls in Purgatory • 15th-Century Missal Illumination —
Detail from the Missal of Eberhard von Greiffenklau

Music Life

“Your Choirmaster” • What Nobody Realizes —
Do you see the part where it specifically asks for humiliation?

If You Want to Catch All the Youth —
The “Schools Singing Programme” currently serves 4,000 children each year, many from the most economically depressed areas in England…

Colin Mawby (1936-2019) —
We commend his soul to the mercy of our Heavenly Father.

Are Choirmasters Allowed To Have A Bad Day? —
By 1941, Horowitz had been playing Rachmaninov’s 3rd Concerto for 23 years…

New Resource! • Chant Videos for Treble Voices —
A new website seeks to record the full Gregorian propers each week using a treble voice.

Fourth-Century Advice for Choir Directors —
A passage from Nicetas of Remesiana remains eminently applicable today.

“Homeschoolers, learn an Advent hymn!” —
As we navigate through this season, the secular world bombards us with decorated Christmas trees, “holiday music” on every station, and house after house drenched in festive lights…

Fr. Wasilewski: “Evil” to Remove Pachamama Idols —
His argument about “theft”—such as removing pornography from a church where children might see it—is incorrect and dangerous.

Music

Liturgica • Interview with Chris Mueller on the Release of New CD —
Mueller discusses his recently released recording of original compositions and Renaissance masterworks

“Woman of No Distinction” World Premiere —
What makes this work unique is its perspective: written entirely from the point of view of the Samaritan woman.

New England Catholic Choral Festival & Mass • 2019 —
It’s never just about the music. It’s about formation and transformation.

Music Leads Us to Heaven —
Franz Schubert’s famous art song, “An die Musik”

Trappist Monks in Hong Kong Chanting —
Monks in Hong Kong chanting parts of the Missa “Cum Jubilo”…

Marcel Dupré • “Live” Recording (2 Feb 1964) —
A recording of Bach’s A-minor Prelude & Fugue made by the master at age 78.

The Brébeuf Hymnal

Update! • Accompaniments for the Brébeuf Hymnal —
Oh, if only…if only you knew what’s going on behind the scenes!

“How To Use The Brébeuf Hymnal” (Video) —
Yay! Short tutorial videos eradicate confusion!

Video • What Are Common Hymn Melodies? —
Short demonstrations by a volunteer parish choir!

“Missa de Angelis” • But in Iroquoian! (1865) —
Many people don’t realize that gorgeous plainsong books were printed in the 19th century…but they were not in Latin.

“Mister Eye” • Do You Mind Him? —
What do you think of “eye rhymes” in hymnody?

When Hymn Names Don’t Match —
I submit to you that calling the same tune by multiple names in the same hymnal is unacceptable.

Music Pieces

Hymn • “A Solis Ortus Cardine” (In English) —
The Church’s greatest hymn? Many believe it’s this one

PDF Accompaniment • “Jesu Redemptor Omnium” —
You can compare my accompaniment to that of Achille P. Bragers.

Video • “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” —
Older Catholic hymnals did funny things with this melody.

Announcement of Easter & the Moveable Feasts • 2020 —
Free download of The Announcement of Easter and the Moveable Feasts for 2020

Fantastic! • “Somber Yet Powerful” Advent Hymn —
It’s impossible to incorporate all the awesome Advent hymns; the season is too short.

PDF • “Veni Veni Emmanuel” (2 Voices + Organ) —
Download this PDF score—free to all—and sing during Advent!

PDF Download • “Erunt Signa In Sole” (Advent) —
“One of the challenges of a small choir is having enough singers to pull off any kind of polyphony. ” —Andrea Leal

PDF Download • A Eucharistic Piece My Choir Loves —
Including a “preview” of the forthcoming Brébeuf Hymnal SATB Choral Supplement.

PDF • “Additional Versions of the Credo” (1934) —
This morning, fascinating versions of the Credo arrived in my inbox—versions I had never seen!

PDF Download • “Chant Service Book” (208 pages) —
An extremely rare book from 1941, containing all your favorite Gregorian chants!

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: May 9, 2020

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About Veronica Moreno

Veronica Moreno is married to a teacher and homeschools five children. She has been cantor at her local Catholic parish for over a decade.—(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    PDF Download • “Eb Organ Postlude”
    Gustav Adolf Merkel (d. 1885) was a German organist, teacher, and composer. Although a Lutheran himself, he held the appointment at the (Roman Catholic) Cathedral of Dresden from 1864 until his death. You can download his Organ Postlude in E-Flat, which I like very much. He has an interesting way of marking the pedal notes. What do you think?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music List • (Palm Sunday, 2026)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for Palm Sunday—a.k.a. “Dominica in palmis de Passione Domini”—which is 29 March 2026. Please feel free to download it as a PDF file if such a thing interests you. The OFFERTORY (Impropérium exspectávit cor meum) is quite moving. Even though the COMMUNION ANTIPHON is relatively simple, the Fauxbourdon makes it sound outstanding.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Easter • Would You Sing This Hymn?
    He who examines Laudes Dei: a hymnal for Catholic congregations (St. Louis, 1894) will discover this pairing of a hymn for Easter. For the record, this isn’t the only Catholic hymn book to marry that text and melody; e.g. Saint Mark’s Hymnal for Use in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States (Peoria, 1910) does the same thing. Sometimes an unexpected pairing—chosen with sensitivity—can be superb, forcing singers to experience the text in a ‘fresh’ and wonderful way. On the other hand, we sometimes encounter something I’ve called “PERNICIOUS HYMN PAIRINGS.” If you find the subject in intriguing, feel free to peruse an article I published in May of 2023. As always, my email inbox is open if you have a bone to pick with my take.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Gregorian Chant Quiz” • 24 March 2026
    How well do you know your Gregorian hymns? Do you recognize the tune inserted into the bass line on this score? For many years, we sang the entire Mass in Gregorian chant—and I mean everything. As a result, it would be difficult to find a Gregorian hymn I don’t recognize instantly. Only decades later did I realize (with sadness) that this skill cannot be ‘monetized’… This particular melody is used for a very famous Gregorian hymn, printed in the LIBER USUALIS. Do you recognize it? Send me an email with the correct words, and I promise to tell everybody I meet about your prowess!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Ubi Caritas” (SATB)
    I remember singing “Ubi Cáritas” by Maurice Duruflé at the conservatory. I was deeply moved by it. However, some feel Duruflé’s version isn’t suitable for small choirs since it’s written for 6 voices and the bass tessitura is quite low. That’s why I was absolutely thrilled to discover this “Ubi cáritas” (SATB) for smaller choirs by Énemond Moreau, who studied with OSCAR DEPUYDT (d. 1925), an orphan who became a towering figure of Catholic music. Depuydt’s students include: Flor Peeters (d. 1986); Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel (d. 1953); Arthur Meulemans (d. 1966); Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989); and Gustaaf Nees (d. 1965). Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #19705. When I came across the astonishing English translation for “Ubi Cáritas” by Monsignor Ronald Knox—matching the Latin’s meter—I decided to add those lyrics as an option (for churches which have banned Latin). My wife and I made this recording to give you some idea how it sounds.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”
    For vigil Masses on Saturday (a.k.a. “anticipated” Masses) we use this simpler setting of the “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989), a Belgian priest, organist, composer, and music educator who ultimately succeeded another ‘Jules’ (CANON JULES VAN NUFFEL) as director of the Lemmensinstituut in Belgium. Although I could be wrong, my understanding is that the LEMMENSINSTITUUT eventually merged with “Catholic University of Leuven” (originally founded in 1425). That’s the university Fulton J. Sheen attended.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“No one can reasonably find in the dispositions of Vatican II anything out of order, or any extreme opinions or tendencies which restrict the function of sacred music exclusively to the congregational singing of the faithful or on the other hand which replace or eliminate the singing of the congregation entirely by the singing of the choir.”

— Most Rev’d Archbishop D.M.M. y Gómez, Primate of Mexico (at that time, the world’s largest archdiocese)

Recent Posts

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  • PDF Download • “Eb Organ Postlude”
  • Fulton J. Sheen • “24-Hour Catechism”
  • Music List • (Palm Sunday, 2026)
  • Easter • Would You Sing This Hymn?

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