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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

Live Recording (42 min) • “Vespers for the Sacred Heart”

Dr. Alfred Calabrese · June 14, 2020

RIDAY, June 19 is the Feast of the Sacred Heart. If anyone desires to sing Vespers on that evening, the wonderful video (below) will help tremendously. Recorded at last year’s Sacred Music Symposium, Richard J. Clark, Kevin Allen, and I led the Symposium Choir in the plainchants and hymns. Featured prominently are two beautiful pieces. The sublime opening hymn, “Blest Author of the World,” a composition by Mr. Clark, can be found in the Brébeuf hymnal #84. Please pay attention to the words of the hymn, which are quite beautiful, and Mr. Clark’s lovely melody is the perfect vehicle for them. The Recessional that night was Kevin Allen’s heartfelt motet, “Lead, Kindly Light,” a setting of a quite well-known text by St. John Henry Newman. Like all of Mr. Allen’s music, this is beautifully constructed, as each progression, dissonance, and cadence spring directly from the text. And while not an easy piece to sing, the choir did an amazing job! I had the privilege of conducting, among some other things, the polyphonic Magnificat for five voices by Francisco Guerrero (marker 27:22). Set in alternatim with plainchant verses, I find that this is one of the most effective and expressive ways to sing a Magnificat.

The Choir You Hear

A word about the Symposium Choir: as you listen, please remember that this is a completely volunteer group, many of them under the age of 30 (some in high school!), and that we are literally sight-reading everything except the Magnificat and the Allen motet. Before traveling to the Sacred Music Symposium, some participants had never sung in Latin—but we sure fixed that! You will hear, as the service progresses, how unisons become more and more refined and how subtlety finds its way into the psalmody. Many of these same singers have formed themselves into the new Brébeuf Virtual Choir. If there is any concern over the future of beautiful and true sacred music in the Church going forward, you may take great comfort in these young people of tremendous talent and faith whom you will hear on this 42-minute video. I miss them, and I can’t wait for next year’s Sacred Music Symposium!

 

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

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: In festo sacratissimi Cordis Jesu ad Vesperas, Vespers Last Updated: January 19, 2022

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About Dr. Alfred Calabrese

Dr. Alfred Calabrese is Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Rita Catholic Church in Dallas, TX. He and his wife have two children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “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

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

Many declare that Vatican Council II brought about a true springtime in the Church. Nevertheless, a growing number of Church leaders see this “springtime” as a rejection, a renunciation of her centuries-old heritage, or even as a radical questioning of her past and Tradition. Political Europe is rebuked for abandoning or denying its Christian roots; but the first to have abandoned her Christian roots and past is indisputably the post-conciliar Catholic Church.

— ‘Pope Francis’ Chief Liturgist (31 March 2017)’

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