Views from the Choir Loft

Rehearsal Video • Breathtaking Morales “Sanctus”

Jeff Ostrowski · March 21, 2020

ARIOUS CATHOLIC SAINTS—such as Padre Pio, Don Bosco, and St. John Vianney—have warned against the sin of idle gossip. Successful choirmasters almost never partake in gossip, because they are usually so overworked they have no time for it. Idle gossip would include constant & unceasing speculation about Covid-19 and the future; and I certainly will not add to such speculation. I would point out, however, that so many people staying home is a perfect opportunity to prepare for Sacred Music Symposium 2020. For this reason, CCWatershed contributors—Veronica Moreno, Andrea Leal, and Cynthia Ostrowski—have come together (digitally) to help me start recording rehearsal videos!

Here is the Sanctus by Father Morales “Missa Mille Regretz” Cappella Sistina MS 17:

Note: You won’t want to miss the “Hosanna” section!

You can also download this song as an Mp3 file.

If you dislike our version, you can hear a professional recording by the Hilliard Ensemble.

Sacred Music Symposium Participants

If you are planning to participate in June, please scroll to the bottom of the Symposium website and you will notice rehearsal videos have slowly begun to appear. Please practice! By the way, the success of the Symposium is not only due to the people who run the Symposium—it’s also due to the participants. The participants, whether they know it or not, are joining a proud line of Catholic Church musicians going back at least 120 years. If you read the old journals—such as Caecilia Magazine—you can find many descriptions of church music conferences.

Regarding this Sanctus by Father Morales, there is an amazing history behind this piece. We have already begun the process of explaining it, but there is much more to discuss. However, when it comes to complicated topics, they must be presented in an organized and proper way—otherwise they just lead to confusion. So please stay tuned!

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

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).

“Music List” • 19th in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (10 August 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 feasts website.

—Jeff Ostrowski

This Sunday’s Communion Antiphon

This coming Sunday—10 August 2025—is the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). The COMMUNION ANTIPHON is really gorgeous, and two of its features are worth mentioning. First of all, the Gospel reading assigned is from Saint Luke, whereas the the antiphon—although it matches the account—comes from Saint Matthew. (If anyone can point to a similar example, please notify me.) Furthermore, if you look at the authentic Gregorian Chant version posted on the feasts website, you’ll notice that it’s MODE III but ends on the ‘wrong’ note. A comparable instance of such a ‘transposed’ chant would be KYRIE IV.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly

Using “Ye” vs. “You” is rather tricky, because it depends upon which era one is trying to recreate—if that makes any sense. In other words, the rules haven’t always been the same for these two. Nevertheless, Father Philip George Caraman (the legendary Jesuit scholar) gives us a masterclass using Saint Luke’s Gospel. Father Caraman was close friends with Monsignor Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, and Sir Alec Guinness.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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