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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

    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
    “Reminder” — Month of October (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
    “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

Quick Thoughts

    “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
    “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

I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a direct war, a direct killing—direct murder by the mother herself. And we read in the Scripture, for God says very clearly: “Even if a mother could forget her child, I will not forget you: I have carved you in the palm of my hand.”

— Mother Theresa (11 Dec 1979)

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