Views from the Choir Loft

Spring Lecture Series • Society for Catholic Liturgy

Fr. David Friel · March 16, 2021

URING this unique year, wherein so much has been cancelled due to the pandemic, the Society for Catholic Liturgy (SCL) has been creatively offering additional events via Zoom. Back in September, for example, Prof. David Fagerberg began SCL’s Virtual Lecture Series with an engaging talk on What Happens to Us in Liturgy? Three additional lectures in the series have just been announced.

The three upcoming presentations are as follows:

The Mass in the Later Middle Ages: Decline and Vitality
Fr. Uwe Michael Lang
Saturday, 20 March 2021 • 11:00 AM (EDT)

Eucharistic Sacrifice in Maurice de la Taille: Does it (still) matter in today’s Church?
Michon M. Matthiesen
Wednesday, 14 April 2021 • 3:00 PM (EDT)

Suspecting Suspicion: What We Can Know of the Early Eucharist
Fr. Daniel Cardó
Wednesday, 19 May 2021 • 7:00 PM (EDT)

Fuller descriptions of each lecture, along with registration links, may be found in this flyer.

The SCL is to be congratulated for this very interesting and innovative lecture series. Readers who have a scholarly interest in liturgy—whether from architectural, musical, textual, or other perspectives—should consider membership in the Society. Membership is possible at full, associate, and student levels.

Since 1995, SCL has been dedicated to scholarly study and practical renewal of the Church’s liturgy. Members receive copies of the journal Antiphon, published three times annually.

More information about SCL is available here.

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

About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

Dom Pothier • Photo from 1904

Dom Paul Cagin, in a 1904 publication (L’oeuvre de Solesmes dans la restauration du chant grégorien) made sure to include a beautiful image of Dom Pothier, the legendary abbot of St-Wandrille. Also shown is a very young Dom André Mocquereau. Auguste Pécoul—considered the spiritual “son” of Abbat Prosper Guéranger of Solesmes—wrote as follows on 24 June 1901: “To forestall any confusion, let us remember that there is just one Gregorian notation—that restored, according to the ancient manuscripts, by the eminent Abbot of Saint-Wandrille, Dom Pothier.” ✠

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “3-Voice Motet” (Father De Laet)

I believe 99% of our readers will recognize this hymn tune. Perhaps Father Edgard De Laet should have called it a ‘hymn’ instead of a ‘motet for three voices’—but he’s technically correct, since MOTET is defined as: “a short piece of sacred choral music, typically polyphonic and unaccompanied.” The even verses are for three voices, as you will see if you download the PDF score at #20245. The odd verses may be song a cappella SATB or unison with organ.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Hymn for 2 Voices”

Readers who click on this video will see that it starts with verses of the “Pange Lingua” hymn by Saint Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274) arranged for two voices. However, there’s a polyphonic refrain (“Tantum Ergo”) for three voices, taken from Kevin Allen’s Motecta Trium Vocum. If your choir is very small, this piece is for you! You can download the PDF score free of charge—and you can also utilize the rehearsal videos for each individual voice—by navigating yourself to #20323.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Chart • “Plainsong Rhythm”

I will go to my grave without understanding the lack of curiosity so many people have about the rhythmic modifications made by Dom André Mocquereau. For example, how can someone examine this single sheet comparison chart and at a minimum not be curious about the differences? Dom Mocquereau basically creates a LONG-SHORT LONG-SHORT rhythmic pattern—in spite of enormous and overwhelming manuscript evidence to the contrary. That’s why some scholars referred to his method as “Neo-Mensuralist” or “Neo-Mensuralism.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Reminder” — Month of January (2026)

On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Simplified)

I admire the harmonization of “Adeste Fideles” by David Willcocks (d. 2015), who served as director of the Royal College of Music (London, England). In 2025, I was challenged to create a simplified arrangement for organists incapable of playing the authentic version at tempo. The result was this simplified keyboard arrangement (PDF download) based on the David Willcocks version of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Feel free to play through it and let me know what you think.

—Jeff Ostrowski