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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

“Are They Ugly?” • May 1st Propers For Saint Joseph

Jeff Ostrowski · April 28, 2021

L.M.B. sent the following inquiry (edited for clarity, as is our custom):

The Latin Mass Magazine—in an article by Michael P. Foley—had this to say about the Gregorian melodies for May 1st, the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker: “According to Dr. William Mahrt, president of the Church Music Association of America, the Gregorian chant for the feast is not Gregorian enough. When I asked him to explain what he meant in layman’s terms, he replied: ‘It’s too choppy; it jumps from one note to another.’ Real Gregorian chant has gradual transitions, giving it its sinewy, mellifluous, and ethereal quality.” Others have repeated similar sentiments, such as Père Jean Crété (January 1981): “And it was only in 1960 that the melodies of the Mass and office were composed—melodies based on models of the worst taste.” On an internet forum, someone named Matthew Roth said: “the texts are horrible, and they use the Bea psalter, which makes them unsuitable for chant.” Paul Dang (on the same forum) chimed in: “If you look at the Propers, they were very banal compared to the Patronage of St. Joseph! And the Gregorian melodies were atrocious, to tell the truth!” Can someone at Corpus Christi Watershed speak to me Re: the quality of the May 1st melodies?

Jeff Ostrowski responds:

If you are quoting these people accurately, I do not see how their assertions can be defended. For example, if you examine the First and Second Alleluia for the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker (added in 1955), you will see that these Gregorian melodies and texts are 100% identical to the First and Second Alleluia from the feast known as “The Patronage of St Joseph,” added to the universal calendar in 1847 by Blessed Pope Pius IX:

It is nonsensical to pretend that these Propers were beautiful when they were sung for the feast of the Patronage of Saint Joseph but ugly when sung for the feast of Saint Joseph the Workman. It’s difficult to see why Mr. Roth said the Pius XII Psalter had any impact upon these texts or melodies, because that edition of the Psalter came more than sixty years after these texts and melodies already existed. Sister Thomas More (d. 2008) was a chant teacher who had great influence on Father Guy Nicholls. She called the Alleluia: Fac Nos Innocuam an “insipid melody.” I agree with Sister Thomas More, although she did not explain why she said that. (She was teaching at a time when the zeitgeist said anything Neo-Gregorian was horrific.) But again, this has nothing to do with the feast of Saint Joseph the Workman!

The Offertory for May 1st (Bónitas Dómini) is based upon Pópulum Húmilem, which is one of the most ancient Gregorian melodies we have, and is assigned as the Offertory for the 8th Sunday after Pentecost:

It is difficult to understand what is “choppy” about this ancient melody, although I suppose somebody could always complain about the quality of the adaptation. (Now is not the time to go down the rabbit hole of Gregorian adaptation, which has existed since the very beginning.)

Final Thoughts:

The Saint Goupil website contains the complete Propers for May 1st: “Saint Joseph the Worker.” These days, it is common to hear people say the Propers for the Patronage of Saint Joseph were “good” whereas the Propers for Saint Joseph the Workman are “bad.” We’ve seen that such a position is indefensible. By the way, they are both very recent feasts! Anyone interested should visit the Lalande Library and carefully examine the 19th century plainsong books provided free of charge. That would give an idea of the provenance of these Neo-Gregorian chants, and I would love to publish the results of such a study! Here are some names of the feasts you might want to examine:

“May 1 • Saint Joseph the Workman, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Die 1 Maii • Sancti Joseph Opificis, Sponsi B. Mariæ Virg. Confes.
“Saint Joseph the Worker”
“Saint Joseph the Craftsman”
The Wednesday before the Third Sunday after Easter
«Feria IV Infra Hebdomadam II. post Octavam Paschae • In Solemnitate S. Joseph, Sponsi B. Mariae Virg. Confessoris et Ecclesiae Universalis Patroni»
Missa votiva de S. Joseph.
Dominica III. post Pascha. • In Festo Patricinii S. Joseph Conf. Sponsi B.M.V.
Feria IV. De S. Joseph, Sponso B.M.V. Conf. et Catholicae Ecclesiae Patrono
III. Dimanche Après Paques • Fête Du Patronage De Saint Joseph, Époux de la B.M.V., Confesseur
Missa de Sancto Joseph

There are valid reasons to wish the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker had not been added in 1955. For example, it moved the ancient feast of Saint Philip and Saint James the Lesser from 1 May to May 11. But when it comes to the Gregorian melodies, we must make sure to avoid propagating nonsense.


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

*   For further reading, please see: Three Radical Liturgical Changes • (Pope Pius XII).

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

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Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: BEA PSALTER, Fr Guy Nicholls, Joseph The Workman, Pope Pius XII Psalter, Questions From Our Readers, Saint Joseph the Craftsman, Saint Joseph The Worker Last Updated: August 2, 2022

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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

    2-Voice Arr. • “Creator of the Starry Height”
    Do you direct a choir consisting of women or children only? (Some call this a “treble” choir.) Download a two-voice arrangement of Creator of the Starry Height set to the tune of IOANNES by clicking here and then scrolling to the bottom. In our times, this hymn is normally used during ADVENT, and the Latin title is: Cónditor alme síderum. It’s important to say “cónditor”—placing the accent on the antepenult—because ‘condítor’ in Latin means “one who embalms the dead.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Equal Voices” Choir Pieces
    My colleague, CORRINNE MAY, has posted some delightful compositions for equal voices: that is, choirs consisting of all men or all women. Included there are settings of the “Ave Maria” and “Tantum Ergo.” They strike me as relatively simple and not excessively lengthy. (In other words, within reach of volunteer singers.) Even better, all the scores have been made available as instant PDF downloads, completely free of charge. Bravo!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
    The 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM was a transitional missal. It was on its way to becoming the 1970 version, but wasn’t there yet. It eliminated certain duplications, downplayed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, expanded the role of laymen, minimized the Last Gospel, made many items optional, and so forth. Father Valentine Young spotted many typos in the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, especially incorrect accents. The Offertory Antiphon for this coming Sunday (OF kalendar) contains an error, citing the wrong verse from Psalm 118. It should be 118:107b, not 118:154. If you read verse 154, you’ll understand how that error crept in. [In this particular case, the error pre-dates the 1962 Missal, since the 1940s hand-missal by Father Lasance also gets it wrong.]
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Yet, with all its advantages, the new Missal was published as if it were a work put together by professors, not a phase in a continual growth process. Such a thing never happened before. It is absolutely contrary to the laws of liturgical growth, and it has resulted in the nonsensical notion that Trent and Pius V had “produced” a Missal four hundred years ago.

— Josef Cardinal Ratzinger (1986)

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