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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

PDF Download • Extremely Simple (Yet Gorgeous) Polyphonic Funeral Mass

Jeff Ostrowski · October 23, 2020

HEN YOUNG CHURCH MUSICIANS emerge from the conservatory, they are filled with zeal. I wanted to sing every polyphonic piece ever written: Manchicourt, Pierre de la Rue, Marenzio, Lassus, Guerrero, Palestrina, the brothers Nanino, and so forth. I hated repeating pieces too frequently because I always wanted to be learning something new. 1 But one eventually realizes that pieces must be rehearsed repeatedly (even with professional singers) before the tuning “clicks”—perhaps because someone enjoying sight-reading can’t focus 100% on intonation. A mature choirmaster realizes that it is often better to sing a “simple” Mass setting, rather than a very difficult one. Shortly before the death of Pope Pius XII, the Sacred Congregation for Rites issued De musica sacra et sacra liturgia (3 September 1958):

“In general, it is better to do something well on a small scale than to attempt something elaborate without sufficient resources to do it properly.”—§60a

That, my friends, is the raison d’etre for this extremely simple yet absolutely gorgeous setting of the Requiem Mass: KYRIE, SANCTUS-HOSANNA, BENEDICTUS-HOSANNA, and AGNUS DEI. It is basically the same piece repeated five times:

If you have ever attended a Solemn Requiem Mass, you will never forget it. The holiness of the prayers—truly marvelous. The black vestments in particular are so very powerful. I have seen black & gold vestments, but my absolute favorite is black & silver. Stunning! The Requiem Mass demands a distinctive musical setting; an “ordinary” Ordinary won’t do…and please pardon the pun!

Requiem • “Kyrie Eleison”

*  PDF Download • REQUIEM KYRIE (Simple)
—After “Missa pro defunctis” (1605AD) by Father Tomás Luis de Victoria (d. 1611).

The following rehearsal videos were recorded by one person—Jeff Ostrowski—and he apologizes for the poor singing quality, but they were meant for rehearsal only.

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
1st SOPRANO : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
2nd SOPRANO : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
ALTO : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
1st TENOR : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
2nd TENOR : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
BASS : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled

Requiem • “Sanctus & Benedictus”

*  PDF Download • REQUIEM SANCTUS (Simple)
—After “Missa pro defunctis” (1605AD) by Father Tomás Luis de Victoria (d. 1611).

The following rehearsal videos were recorded by one person—Jeff Ostrowski—and he apologizes for the poor singing quality, but they were meant for rehearsal only.

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
1st SOPRANO : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
2nd SOPRANO : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
ALTO : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
1st TENOR : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
2nd TENOR : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
BASS : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled

Requiem • “Agnus Dei”

*  PDF Download • REQUIEM AGNUS DEI (Simple)
—After a manuscript (circa 1310AD) in the Worcester Cathedral Library.

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
TOP : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
MIDDLE : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled
BASS : YouTube   •   Mp3 Labeled

* You can hear how this Agnus Dei sounds in real life by listening to this live recording from a Funeral.

See also: #88089 — 3-part Medieval “Worcester” Agnus Dei

74094-Simple-Requiem-KYRIE
74094-Simple-Requiem-SANCTUS
74094-Simple-Requiem-AGNUS

 


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Such an attitude is natural and healthy for a young choirmaster.

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: Missa Pro Defunctis, Officium Defunctorum, Requiem Mass, Tomas Luis de Victoria Composer Last Updated: July 22, 2023

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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

    “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
    “Music List” • 21st in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir returns on Sunday, 24 August 2025. Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for it, which is the 21st 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. When it comes to the feast of the Assumption (15 August 2025), I have uploaded the music list for that Mass—but not the “bi-lingual” Mass in the evening (Spanish, Latin, and English) which has completely different music.
    —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

“The following few hints on the selection of voices may be useful: (1) Reject all boys who speak roughly, or sing coarsely; (2) Choose bright, intelligent-looking boys, provided they have a good ear; they will much more readily respond to the choirmaster’s efforts than boys who possess a voice and nothing more; therefore, (3) Reject dull, sulky, or scatter-brained boys, since it is hard to say which of the three has the most demoralizing effect on his more willing companions.”

— Sir Richard Runciman Terry (1912)

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