Corpus Christi Watershed

“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)

Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • “Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Mass”

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ODAY IS THE FOURTH installment, which can also be called penultimate, meaning “second from the last.” (In Latin, the accent often falls on the penultimate syllable.) You might remember that I received a telephone call from a musician I deeply respect—from a different country—who strongly encouraged me to release my Mass settings. This ended up requiring tons more effort than I realized, and I would never undertaken such a project without his encouragement. (I generally have a very low opinion of my productions.)

Today’s release is a Mass in honor of SAINT EDMUND ARROWSMITH, an English Catholic priest who was put to death for his faith. He became a martyr approximately 20 years before another Jesuit, Saint Isaac Jogues, became a martyr.

*  PDF Download • ORGAN ACCOMPANIMENT
—Including organ accompaniment for the new ICEL “Our Father” melody.

*  PDF Download • Congregational Booklet
—Make sure to select “double sided” when printing.

You can see the other Masses I’ve released if you click here.

“Glory To God” sung SATB

In this time of Covid-19, some congregations are being encouraged not to sing. It might be worth considering singing the ARROWSMITH GLORIA as an SATB piece. If you want to do that, use this score. All my Masses use a careful—almost obsessive—control over dissonance and consonance, so they sound good SATB. Here’s an example of what I mean:


A choir which attempts this piece SATB must have great sensitivity and a strong (pure) soprano section. The piece is “free” rhythm.

SATB Training Video SOPRANO:  (VIDEO)   •   (Mp3 audio)
SATB Training Video ALTO:  (VIDEO)   •   (Mp3 audio)
SATB Training Video TENOR:  (VIDEO)   •   (Mp3 audio)
SATB Training Video BASS:  (VIDEO)   •   (Mp3 audio)

Rehearsal Videos • Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Mass

Approximately ten years ago, I created some rehearsal videos—and I’m not pleased with the results—but they’re the only ones available at this time:

KYRIE: (rehearsal video)

GLORIA: (rehearsal video)

SANCTUS: (rehearsal video)

“Mystery of Faith”—1st option: (rehearsal video)

“Mystery of Faith”—2nd option: (rehearsal video)

GREAT AMEN: (rehearsal video)

AGNUS DEI: (rehearsal video)

Here are some images of Saint Edmund Arrowsmith (d. 1628)

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

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.