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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

Extremely Rare! • Pages from the “Directorium Chori” (Solesmes Abbey, 1864)

Jeff Ostrowski · November 29, 2020

OM PAUL JAUSIONS and Dom Joseph Pothier were both ordained priests in 1858. These two monks were the ones who restored plainson: the authentic rhythm, the true musical pitches (“tones”), and the “type-fonts” of the traditional notation. Both of them spent hours copying ancient Gregorian manuscripts—both diastematic and adiastematic—carefully by hand, and both were quite adept at this. On a trip to America in 1870, Dom Jausions died in Indiana at the age of 36. Anyone who wants to learn about the “early history” of Gregorian chant should obtain The Restoration of Gregorian Chant: Solesmes and the Vatican Edition, which was published in the 1960s by Dom Pierre Combe. A wonderful English translation was published in 2003 by Father Robert Skeris and Dr. Theodore Marier (who died before the project was finished). The very first serious book they created together was called “Directorium Chori.” Dom Pierre Combe wrote as follows: “The Directorium Chori of 1864 was the first book of the Gregorian restoration at Solesmes, and even, it can be said, of the Gregorian restoration anywhere.” Unfortunately, Dom Prosper Guéranger (d. 1875) delayed the distribution of the Directorium chori, and the entire edition, except for a few rare copies (only four), was destroyed in a fire at the Vatar Printing Company around 1866.

Here are two pages of this extremely rare book:

72449-DIRECTORIUM
72451-DIRECTORIUM-CHORI-B-KR

For a first attempt, it’s quite gorgeous—although Solesmes would continue to improve over the next 100 years. The most beautiful book Solesmes ever produced was probably the ANTIPHONALE OF 1949, which was reprinted circa 1961. In this “Directorium Chori” of 1864, the fonts are slightly too small. Also, they use the “æ” ligature, whereas in later publications they would always use “ae.”

The “shocking” feature of this publication was the fact that no Virga was placed above the accented syllables, as corrupt editions did. Consider this corrupt edition from 1858:

Some authors attribute the composition of the Directorium chori to “Dom Jausions, with the collaboration of Dom Pothier.”

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Abbot Joseph Pothier of Solesmes, Directorium Chori 1864, Dom Paul Jausions Last Updated: November 29, 2020

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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” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th 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 alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Kids’ Choir Sings Thomas Aquinas
    Last Sunday, a children’s choir I’m teaching sang with us for the very first time at Sunday Mass. Females from our main choir sang along with them. If you’re curious to hear how they sounded, you can listen to a ‘live’ recording. That’s an English version of TANTUM ERGO by Saint Thomas Aquinas. That haunting melody is called GAUFESTRE and was employed for this 2-Voice Arrangement of a special hymn for 9 November (“Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome”) which replaces a Sunday this year.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Prex • Particularly Powerful
    The Third Edition of the SAINT EDMUND CAMPION MISSAL contains a Latin-English translation for the ‘old’ Holy Week published by Monsignor Ronald Knox in 1950. His version is utterly splendid, and it’s astonishing it was totally forgotten for 70+ years. I find his translation of a prayer from Palm Sunday (Deus qui dispérsa cóngregas) particularly powerful: “O God, who dost mend what is shattered, and what thou hast mended, ever dost preserve, thou didst bless the chance comers who met Jesus with branches in their hands. Bless these branches too, of palm or olive, which we take up obediently in honour of thy name; rest they where they will, let them carry thy blessing to all who dwell there. All harm thence banish, and let thy power defend us, in proof that thy Son, Jesus Christ, has redeemed us…”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Reminder” — Month of September (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

And since it is becoming that holy things be administered in a holy manner, and of all things this sacrifice is the most holy, the Catholic Church, to the end that it might be worthily and reverently offered and received, instituted many centuries ago the holy canon, which is so free from error that it contains nothing that does not in the highest degree savor of a certain holiness and piety and raise up to God the minds of those who offer.

— Council of Trent (1562)

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