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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 • Organ Accompaniments for “Lauda Sion Salvatorem” (Sequence)

Jeff Ostrowski · June 2, 2021

HE SEQUENCE for the feast of Corpus Christi was written by Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican priest. This prayer contains rich Eucharistic theology. Consider its twelfth verse: “Man cannot understand this, cannot perceive it; but a lively faith affirms that the change (which is outside the natural course of things) takes place.” Or what about verses 7 and 8? “At this table of the new King, the new law’s new pasch puts an end to the old pasch. The new displaces the old, reality the shadow, and light the darkness.”

I really hope you will read the entire poem; an English translation is provided alongside the musical notation:

*  PDF • “LAUDA SION SALVATOREM” (Organist)
—Organ Accompaniment by Marinus de Jong (d. 1984).

*  PDF • “LAUDA SION SALVATOREM” (Vocalist)
—With a literal English translation.

*  Mp3 Download • Rehearsal Recording (Mp3 File)
—Provided as an Mp3 in case you want to listen in your car.

Monsignor Franz Nekes: You can also try out a few more accompaniments, although none are as excellent as the one by Marinus de Jong (d. 1984) which was given above. Here’s how the Germans accompany the “Lauda Sion” Sequence:

*  PDF Download • Monsignor Franz Nekes
—Organ accompaniment by Monsignor Franz Nekes (d. 1914).

Dr. Peter Wagner: Staying with German school a bit longer, we have Dr. Peter Wagner (d. 1931), a student of Father Michael Hermesdorff at Trier. If memory servers, Wagner’s dissertation was on the secular music of Palestrina. He founded a special school for the study of Gregorian chant at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland), and when his publications appeared in Francophone countries he often signed his name as Docteur Pierre Wagner, Professeur à l’Université de Fribourg or at other times as Le Docteur Pierre Wagner, Professeur de science musicale et de musique sacrée à l’Université de Fribourg. His students included: Joseph Gogniat, Father Charles Dreisoerner, and Dr. Karl Gustav Fellerer. I usually hate his organ accompaniments, but his harmonization of the “Lauda Sion” is quote nice. I just wish somebody had not vandalized it with a pencil:

*  PDF Download • Dr. Peter Wagner
—Par le Dr. P. Wagner, Membre de la Commission Vaticane de Chant Grégorien.

Dom Murray: Dom Andrew Gregory Murray (d. 1992) was a marvelous organist and composer who lived in England. Based on his many published attacks against Solesmes Abbey, he seems to have had quite an unpleasant personality—although in those days, polemics routinely got contentious. His organ compositions, however, are beautiful. Dom Gregory studied with Sir Richard Runciman Terry as a child, and later served as organist for Downside Abbey.

*  PDF Download • Dom Gregory Murray
—Organ accompaniment by Dom Andrew Gregory Murray (d. 1992).

Unknown Composer: It is not known which composer created this version. Perhaps a reader can supply this information?

*  PDF Download • Unknown Musician
—The one who created this harmonization is not known.

Henri Potiron: Henri Potiron (d. 1972) was choirmaster of Sacred Heart Basilica (Paris) and taught at the Gregorian Institute. He was friends with Dom Desrocquettes. Here is something rather peculiar: Dom Desrocquettes died the same year as Henri Potiron died, and was born the same year as Achille P. Bragers was born (viz. 1887). Potiron adheres to the Dom Mocquereau method, so he tries to make the accents: “Novúm paschá novaé legís…” Etc. etc.

*  PDF Download • Henri Potiron
—Organ accompaniment by Mæstro Henri Potiron.

Achille P. Bragers: Bragers studied at the Lemmensinstituut (Belgium). He later taught at The Pius the Tenth School of Liturgical Music at Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart in New York. When Bragers studied at the Lemmensinstituut, his teachers were people like Edgar Tinel, Alfons Desmet, Aloysius Desmet and Oscar Depuydt. (By the way, Edgar Tinel was so jealous of the musicians chosen by Pius X to be part of the Editio Vaticana committee, he wrote them a very spiteful message.) When Bragers writes accompaniments, they are usually unobjectionable but somewhat dull and tedious. This might be called “prima prattica” of Lemmensinstituut. The days of Flor Peeters, Marinus de Jong, Monsignor Jules Vyverman, Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel, Gustaaf Nees, Henri Durieux, and Edgard de Laet might be called “seconda prattica” of the Lemmensinstituut. But Bragers never allowed his style to grow—that was his Achilles’ heel…

*  PDF Download • Achille P. Bragers
—This file has the “Lauda Sion” harmonized by Achille P. Bragers.

Father Green: Father Andrew Green (d. 1950) assisted Father Herman Koch with a 1942 collection called “Laudate Hymnal.” Dr. Horst Buchholz—Director of Sacred Music at the Cathedral and the Archdiocese of St. Louis—has expressed admiration for this hymnal, which uses many German melodies. Father Andrew was famous as a poet, musician, composer, author and teacher. He was part of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison, Kansas. Father Green marks the “ictus” with little dots, but often ignores it, unlike Henri Potiron.

*  PDF Download • Father Andrew Green
—Organ accompaniment by Father Green, OSB.

Mr. Julius Bas: Julius Bas was engaged by Solesmes Abbey to compose accompaniments for the entire Editio Vaticana (“Vatican Edition”). He served as editor of the famous Rassegna Gregoriana.

*  PDF Download • Julius Bas
—Accompaniment by Julius Bas, who follows the Dom Mocquereau rhythm.

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: Corpus Christi Sequence, Dom Gregory Murray, Lauda Sion Salvatorem, Monsignor Franz Nekes, Organ Accompaniments Last Updated: June 2, 2021

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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” • All Souls (2 November)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 2 November 2025, which is the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (“All Souls”). 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 top-notch feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

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

“Pope Francis breaks Catholic traditions whenever he wants because he is free from disordered attachments. Our Church has indeed entered a new phase: with the advent of this first Jesuit pope, it is openly ruled by an individual rather than by the authority of Scripture alone or even its own dictates of tradition plus Scripture.”

— Fr. Thomas Rosica (31 July 2018)

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