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Views from the Choir Loft

Brave Schola Director Posts Live Recording

Jeff Ostrowski · October 1, 2021

NOW THIS: I could not survive as a choirmaster without the phenomenal hymnal we use at our parish. We spend so much time working on Renaissance Mass settings, contemporary polyphony, and plainsong that we don’t have rehearsal time remaining for hymnody. But here’s the awesome part: the Brébeuf hymnal makes it possible—because of the unprecedented method used in its choral supplement—for singers to add parts, even though many have never sung in a choir before.

Below is a live recording from a few days ago. Notice how the voices keep splitting off into harmony (with each subsequent verse), something only possible thanks to the revolutionary way the score is printed in the Brébeuf choral supplement:

Not A Perfect Recording: I don’t claim that recording is perfect … but for a volunteer choir which is sight-reading, I’m quite pleased. We’re on the right track; and choirs need delightful, bright, fun pieces like this one. This beautiful tune—known as “ROCKINGHAM”—is worth singing, worth learning, and worthy of the temple. For the record, this melody appears in reputable Catholic hymnals. For instance, it’s Number 72 in the London Oratory Hymnal (as a hymn for Lent). In the New Westminster Hymnal it’s Number 73, paired with a hymn by Saint Thomas Aquinas (as a hymn for the Holy Eucharist).

Restoration: The other day I spoke about the Second Vatican Council’s missed opportunity vis-à-vis revision of the hymns. The Council declared—Sacrosanctum Concilium §93—that “the hymns are to be restored to their original form.” Sadly, what happened too often was elimination of verses. The ancient hymn for All Saints (1 November) is a good example. When Vatican II “restored” this hymn, a verse was deleted. However, the Brébeuf hymnal always gives you the entire hymn, with no verses deleted. It is without question the hymnal with the most textual authenticity; yet few these days seem to care about textual integrity.

Here’s a live recording of “Placáre Christe Sérvulis” (a.k.a. “Christe Redemptor”) from a few days ago:

Common Hymn Melodies: That hymn is number 161 in the Brébeuf hymnal. Notice how it utilizes what I have spoken about frequently—something absolutely necessary for choirmasters wishing to make headway in today’s environment—namely Common Hymn Melodies.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Christe Redemptor All Saints, Common Hymn Melodies, Feast of All Saints, Placare Christe Servulis, Rockingham Hymn, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Urbanite Hymn Reform Last Updated: October 1, 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

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —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

Re: Low Mass: “It is desirable that in read Masses on Sundays and feast-days, the Gospel and Epistle be read by a lector in the vernacular for the convenience of the faithful.”

— 1958 document, issued under Pope Pius XII

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

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