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Corpus Christi Watershed

“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

“Easy Polyphonic Agnus Dei” • Part 1 of 3

Jeff Ostrowski · June 11, 2021

INGERS LOVE CANONS. And this canon by the great Nanino (d. 1607) is a masterpiece. I love how one voice is entirely “boring” notes—all half notes, a lot of stepwise motion, and so forth. But Nanino makes up for that in the other voices, which leap all over the place, use tons of different rhythmic values, and have a “thumpy” or “hammer” sound which contrasts with the top voice. It would seem Nanino was not a priest, but was very likely in minor orders (similar to Abbé Franz Liszt). In 1670, Pope Clement X ordered that all papal singers had to be tonsured within two years of their entrance into the choir or lose their pay.

Please don’t forget to check out the rehearsal videos for each individual voice:

*  PDF Download • AGNUS DEI (3 Voices)
—The bottom two voices are a perfect canon!

Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #64932.

Live Recording: On Sunday, we made our first attempt at singing this. I’m sure it will improve each time we sing it, but I’m happy with our first attempt. I tried everything I knew to get the singers to avoid saying “Pay”-ccata for the word Peccata (which is supposed to be “Peh”-ccata) but we’ll keep working on it. We’ve only had a few rehearsals so far, thanks to California’s Covid-19 restrictions:

*  Mp3 Download • LIVE RECORDING
—First attempt at singing this “Agnus Dei” recorded on 13 June 2021.

We actually connected it to this Agnus Dei for Two Voices by Father Guerrero, which is in the same “key.” It worked well.

Here’s a Live Recording from 27 June 2021 with the score.

Speaking Of Canons: I suppose everyone has a “pet peeve.” I personally hate when composers pretend something is a canon when it’s not. A perfect canon—a genuine one—is the most difficult thing to compose. When I see composers fibbing about canons, it reminds me of when I was in kindergarten. I would see Olympic skaters on television, and then I’d hop around saying: “Look mom, I’m doing the Olympics, too.” But saying something doesn’t make it so. If I can find the time, I’d like to write an article about people who write fake canons. I have an entire collection of fake canons by GIA Publications, and it’s disgusting. More on that fiasco when I have time…

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: Easy Canons for Singers, Giovanni Maria Nanino, Piecemeal Agnus Dei, Piecemeal Polyphony, Polyphony For Three Voices Last Updated: February 26, 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

    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

When the matter is thus regarded, an assertion which is being made today, not only by laymen but also at times by certain theologians and priests and spread about by them, ought to be rejected as an erroneous opinion: namely, that the offering of one Mass, at which a hundred priests assist with religious devotion, is the same as a hundred Masses celebrated by a hundred priests. That is not true.

— Pope Pius XII (2 November 1954)

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