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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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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

To end an impropriety, noticed particularly at orchestral Vespers, when two or three Psalms are sung with full orchestra, and then the other Psalms and the Hymn are rapidly hurried through with organ accompaniment only […] we order that at Mass all portions of the text, including “Agnus Dei,” be sung with orchestral accompaniment. […] Moreover, the musicians are not allowed to put the instruments away and leave their places before the conclusion of the sacred function.

— Cardinal Patrizi (18 November 1856)

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