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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

Eucharistic Hymn • By a Jesuit Martyr Priest

Jeff Ostrowski · February 18, 2022

OME PEOPLE love to argue, and never concede anything. They go to sleep each night believing nobody can match their intellectual prowess. These arrogant men—who were never properly educated (from Latin, meaning “to lead out”)—frequently embrace a fatal error: viz. that each word in English has just one definition. As a matter of fact, many English words have multiple meanings. There are even words whose meanings directly contradict each other (such as “cleave” or “sanction”), but context will guide the reader. One of my favorite words is MEAN, which has at least eight different meanings.1

Wrong About Hymns: Sometimes we encounter cantankerous people who insist that hymn lyrics should be inordinately archaic and impossible for 99% of the congregation to understand. They justify their position by saying: “If people don’t understand archaic speech, they’re imbeciles.” We have discussed this in the past, and I won’t repeat everything I’ve already said. Do I have solution? I would suggest that—generally speaking—hymns should be intelligible to an “average” person. On the other hand, if an unfamiliar word is used, that’s okay. After all, learning new words is both good and healthy. These days, one need not go home to consult the dictionary since everyone carries a “smart phone” containing more data than 100,000 dictionaries.

For Every Rule… For every rule, there is an exception. The Brébeuf hymnal does contain some hymns which use archaic language. If you have a priest who absolutely hates archaic language, it would be better to choose other selections (and the Brébeuf hymnal has a billion). The following is a Eucharistic hymn by Father Robert Southwell, a Jesuit who suffered brutal martyrdom at the hands of the Anglicans:

His Words Matter: Only a very foolish person would change or “modernize” the words of Saint Robert Southwell, whose lengthy hymn is a brilliant treatise on Transubstantiation. We must remember that the Anglicans were vehemently opposed to Catholic doctrines, especially the invocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and (in particular) the doctrine of Transubstantiation. After the time of King Henry VIII—in both England and its American Colonies—religious oaths were required to hold a rank in the military or government. For example, the oath George Washington signed read as follows:

“I [……] do declare that
there is no Transubstantiation
in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper
or in the Elements of bread and wine
at or after the consecration thereof
by any person whatsoever.”

By signing this oath, George Washington was assuring the Anglican government he was not Catholic. If you want to learn more, Google “Anglican Test Act.”


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Perhaps some of our readers have experimented with “mean tone” organs.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: archaic hymn lyrics, Eucharistic Hymn SATB, The Catholic Hymnal, The Holy Eucharist Last Updated: February 21, 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 • “7 September 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 is called: “Professor Bouyer’s Regret.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Cardinal Ranjith on “Active Participation”
    From 2005–2009, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith served as Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. He was considered ‘papabile’ during the last conclave. On 8 December 2008, he wrote this powerful statement concerning Gregorian Chant, participatio actuosa, celebration “ad orientem,” and other subjects. When it comes to the question of what “sacred” means, Monsignor Robert A. Skeris provides a marvelous answer.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 22nd in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 31 August 2025, which is the 22nd 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.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    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

Random Quote

“We decided to entrust this work to learned men of our selection. They very carefully collated all their work with the ancient codices in Our Vatican Library and with reliable, preserved or emended codices from elsewhere. Besides this, these men consulted the works of ancient and approved authors concerning the same sacred rites; and thus they have restored the Missal itself to the original form and rite of the holy Fathers.”

— ‘Pope St. Pius V (Quo Primum, 1570)’

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  • Cardinal Ranjith on “Active Participation”

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