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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.”

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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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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Simplified Accomp. • Schubert’s “Ave Maria.”
    Sometimes the organist must simultaneously serve as the CANTOR. (Those who work in the field of church music know exactly what I’m talking about.) One of our contributors composed this simplified keyboard accompaniment for Franz Schubert’s “Ave Maria,” a piece which is frequently requested for Catholic funerals and weddings. In terms of the discussion about whether that piece is too theatrical (‘operatic’) for use in Church, I will leave that discussion to others. All I know is, many church musicians out there will appreciate this simplified version.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of April (2026)
    On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. It couldn’t be easier to subscribe! Just scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplified Accompaniment (Easter Hymn)
    Number 36 in the Brébeuf Hymnal is “At the Lamb’s high feast we sing,” an English translation for Ad Cenam Agni Próvidi (which was called “Ad Régias Agni Dapes” starting 1631). As of this morning, you can download a simplified keyboard accompaniment for it. Simply click here and scroll to the bottom. Many organists are forced to serve simultaneously as both CANTOR and ACCOMPANIST. In spite of what some claim, this can be difficult—which explains why choirmasters appreciate these simplified keyboard accompaniments. Sadly, many readers will click that link but forget to scroll to the bottom where the simplified PDF file is located.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    PDF Download • “Anima Christi”
    I received a request for an organ accompaniment I created way back in 2007 for the “Anima Christi” Gregorian Chant. You can download this PDF file which has the score in plainsong followed by a keyboard accompaniment. Many melodies have been paired with “Anima Christi” over the centuries, but this is—perhaps—the most common one.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Liturgical Law” (467 Pages)
    On Good Friday during the middle ages, the pope privately recited THE ENTIRE PSALTER. If you don’t believe me, see for yourself by reading this passage by Dom Charles Augustine Bachofen (d. 1943). His famous book—called “Liturgical Law: A Handbook Of The Roman Liturgy”—was published by the Benjamin Herder Book Company, which was the American arm (operating out of St. Louis, Missouri) of one of the world’s most significant Catholic publishers. Dom Charles Augustine Bachofen was born in Switzerland but spent his career between the Benedictine monasteries at Conception (Missouri) and Mount Angel (Oregon). His 1931 masterpiece, Liturgical Law can be downloaded as a PDF file … 467 pages!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “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

Random Quote

“The only really effective apologia for Christianity comes down to two arguments: namely, the _saints_ the Church has produced and the _art_ which has grown in her womb.”

— Josef Cardinal Ratzinger (Interview, 1985)

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  • “Gregorian Chant Isn’t a Platform for Your Personal Theories, Jeff” • (A Letter We Received)

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