Views from the Choir Loft

“Resplendent Beyond Reckoning” • Sherborne Missal (1399AD)

Jeff Ostrowski · August 28, 2020

HE SHERBORNE MISSAL is the largest (and most lavishly decorated) Medieval Missal from England to have survived the Reformation. The manuscript was produced for the Benedictine abbey of St Mary’s in Sherborne, Dorset, circa 1399AD. The principal artist—a Dominican friar named John Siferwas—included his portrait and coat of arms several times in the manuscript. We were made aware of this by Father Lawrence Lew. One of the attendants of the Blessed Virgin Mary (next to the Cross) has braided hair, so I guess young women did that even in the 1400s:

74922-Sherborne-Missal-CRUCI

74920-Sherborne-Missal-C

Similar to the Saint Isaac Jogues Illuminated Missal, Gradual, and Lectionary there appear to be fantastic little images of the different motions the priest makes during the Canon:

Priests who want to help congregations follow the Mass should really look into the Jogues Missal, because it provides photographs alongside the Ordinary of the Mass, in addition to having the complete Lectionary readings (ABC) and complete Propers in Latin and English.

The Sherborne Missal is now available
in its entirety to view online.

Meménto, Dómine, famulórum famularúmque tuárum…

…in primis quæ tibi offérimus pro Ecclésia tua sancta cathólica…

Communicántes, et memóriam venerántes, in primis gloriósæ semper Vírginis Maríæ…

Qui prídie quam paterétur, accépit panem in sanctas ac venerábiles manus suas…

Hanc ígitur oblatiónem servitútis nostræ, sed et cunctæ famíliæ tuæ…

Quam oblatiónem tu, Deus, in ómnibus, quaésumus, benedíctam, adscríptam, ratam, rationábilem, acceptabilémque fácere dignéris…

Præcéptis salutáribus móniti, et divína institutióne formáti, audémus dícere…

The level of detail is astounding:

Notice how the monks along the side have the words (on little white flags) to the Ave Regina Caelorum, which matches the drawings:

Roráte cæli désuper et nubes pluant justum…

Nunc scio vere, quia misit Dóminus ángelum suum…

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

Follow the Discussion on Facebook

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