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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

Post-Pandemic Liturgy

Wilfrid Jones · May 15, 2020

As the Scottish historian Sir Tom Devine once joked, “the future is not my period”, but having just read Amy Welborn’s pithy article in Medium, it seemed worth sharing her observation with our readers.

  • No touching. Noli me tangere: not yet taken as an episcopal motto, but one for us all to adopt. Since offertory processions involve touching the sacred vessels, perhaps it will suffice for the priest to have the chalice and ciborium (if there is one) on the altar from the start of mass and the liturgical actions at the offertory could be enriched by the offertory antiphon.
  • No shared Sign of Peace. And with its suspension, perhaps also the permanent disappearance of the “song of peace” that still persists in some places before the Agnus Dei. Perhaps in the Church’s wisdom, this was one reason that the pax took a more ceremonial form until the liturgical reform in the first place.
  • No congregational singing. Meaning the need to rediscover the true liturgical participation which liturgical singing symbolises and promotes. It also gives us the opportunity to rediscover the proper antiphons which can enter into a dialogue with the other scripture readings casting light upon particular themes and drawing connections between them.
  • So any music should be provided by a choir or cantor. Meaning a greater need for an aesthetic of beauty now that the alternative, an aesthetic of “participation”, is not possible (a false binary, but an operative one).
  • People should be super cautious about receiving Communion. At least that isn’t new.
  • No Communion from the shared chalice for the congregation. As one Dominican student brother has observed: communion under one kind but only in the hand, so no one is happy. That said, with fewer people going to communion, the short antiphon from the Graduale Romanum or Graduale Parvum in Latin or English would seem a more appropriate length than a hymn.
  • Maybe even the priest should think about wearing a mask. Or better still, face in the same direction as the congregation to absolutely minimize contagion. Since he will have to do a lot of the singing to make up for the lack of congregational chanting, this will be particularly important.
  • No socializing before or after Mass. Though choir coffee will doubtless continue via Zoom/FaceTime even when the parousia comes.

All in all, if ever there was a time for a less busy, more contemplative, less wordy, more beautiful liturgy, that time is now. In this precedented time, let’s use the precedents already established by the Church to join in her worship of God and “never let a crisis go to waste.”

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: May 16, 2020

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About Wilfrid Jones

Wilfrid Jones is a PhD student in the theology faculty of the Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, studying the theology and practice of sacred music.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 22nd in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 31 August 2025, which is the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). 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 spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “The Worm That Dieth Not”
    My pastor asked me to write a column for our parish bulletin with reflections on the sacred liturgy and church music. In my most recent article, I discuss “The Worm That Dieth Not.” At this website, you can access it conveniently; simply scroll down to the one dated 31 August 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    A Nice Hymn In Spanish
    In my humble opinion, this is a really beautiful hymn in Spanish. If I practice diligently, I’ll be able to pronounce all the words properly. If you’re someone who’s interested in obtaining a melody only version (suitable for your congregational ORDER OF WORSHIP) you can steal that from this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    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

Random Quote

“Those who are trying to improve the quality of congregational singing cannot refuse to Gregorian chant the place which is due to it.”

— Sacred Congregation of Divine Worship (14 April 1974)

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