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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • “Saint Ralph Sherwin Mass”

Jeff Ostrowski · June 11, 2020

ROUGHOUT my life, I have experienced something to which many artists can relate: I tend to loathe my compositions once I have “moved on” to other things. Readers may remember that about five years ago I basically stopped composing because of a “revelation” I received apropos the music of Father Francisco Guerrero. I realized Guerrero was composing on a completely different level; and this came out of his years of listening to choirs (since he was a small boy) and carefully studying music with his teacher, Father Cristóbal de Morales. I repeat: His music is on a completely different level. So I stopped composing. But a few days ago, I received a telephone call from one of the most famous choirmasters alive today. (He is not from the United States, by the way.) This person told me repeatedly how much my compositions meant to him. Indeed, he insisted on singing many of them over the phone! His kind words meant the world to me. The end result? I’m considering composing again, perhaps even before the year ends.

In the meantime, I will be releasing five (5) Mass settings which I composed about ten years ago. We begin with the “Mass in honor of Saint Ralph Sherwin.”

*  PDF Download • ORGAN ACCOMPANIMENTS
—Organ Accompaniment for the “Our Father” is included.

*  PDF Printable • Modern Notation Booklet
—Make sure to select “double sided” when you print this.

*  PDF Printable • Gregorian Notation Booklet
—Make sure to select “double sided” when you print this.

Let me be honest: I am not pleased with the quality of the rehearsal videos, but some might find them useful:

*  Rehearsal Video • “Kyrie Eleison” (St. Sherwin)

*  Rehearsal Video • “Lord, have mercy” (St. Sherwin)

*  Rehearsal Video • “Glory to God” (St. Sherwin)

*  Rehearsal Video • “Holy, Holy, Holy” (St. Sherwin)

*  Rehearsal Video • “Mystery of Faith” (St. Sherwin)

*  Rehearsal Video • “Great Amen” (St. Sherwin)

*  Rehearsal Video • “Lamb of God” (St. Sherwin)

Mæstro Gregory Glenn, one of greatest Catholic choirmasters in America, has said: “The Saint Ralph Sherwin Gloria is a remarkably prayerful musical setting of the text that is sure to serve our worship for years to come—well worth the investment of time to teach your parish community.”

 

Artwork taken from the The 12th Century Missal of Limoges.

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

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Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Cantor Plus Organist, Pieces For Small Choirs, Roman Missal Third Edition Last Updated: January 11, 2022

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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).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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

Random Quote

“In case of urgent danger of life anyone may baptize, even a heretic or pagan. It is sufficient that he administer the essential matter and form and have the implicit intention of doing what Christ instituted. Naturally a Catholic must be preferred, if possible. A man is preferred to a woman; but anyone else to the parents.”

— Father Adrian Fortescue (1917)

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