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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

“Victimæ Paschali Laudes” • Nineteen (19) Organ Accompaniments

Jeff Ostrowski · April 6, 2022

Updated Version:

*  “Victimæ Paschali Laudes” • Thirty-One (31) Different Versions

*  PDF Download • 2 VERSIONS (Latin + English)
—English Translation approved for liturgical use in the United States by the USCCB.

HOSE WHO PUBLISH books on Gregorian chant almost never speak about the “French vs. German Trochee.” Why is that? I actually can’t think of anything more important. The only author who treats this subject is Dom Johner—and he only includes a tiny section. For our purposes, a trochee is a word whose accent falls on the penultimate syllable. Trochees are words like: Déus, própter, nómen, méus, plantátus, posuísti, diérum, florébit, confitéri, prævenísti, and so on. A trochee is different from a dactyl, whose accent is on the ante-penult. (Dactyls are words like: Dóminus, quóniam, illúminas, témperas, Líbani, córnibus, átriis, lápide, longitúdinem, and so forth.) Both the French and the Germans treat dactyls the same; so there’s no issue with dactyls. But there’s a major issue with trochees.

No Help: The first thing to realize is that the official version (a.k.a. Editio Vaticana) doesn’t give you any help. It leaves the interpretation to each choirmaster:

*  PDF Download • EDITIO VATICANA (Singer)
—“Víctimæ Pascháli Láudes” (Sequence) • Dominica Resurrectionis.

French Trochee Method: The French school (a.k.a. “ictus rhythm of Dom Mocquereau”) does not elongate the accent of each trochee, as you can see here. It’s almost like the tonic accent has been moved to the final syllable of each trochee. When you harmonize strictly according to the Dom Mocquereau “ictus” method, you end up with this organ accompaniment. Some people feel this method bumps the tonic accents erroneously: “recóncilíavít” instead of reconciliávit; peccátorés instead of peccatóres; “victímæ” instead of víctimæ; “rédemit” instead of redémit; and so forth. You can hear a female choir sing the VICTIMAE PASCHALI LAUDES accompanied by that “French Trochee” score if you click here.

Father Fortescue: Courtesy of the forthcoming Campion Missal, 3rd edition (Sophia Institute Press, 2022), we’ve received a special English translation of “Víctimæ Pascháli Láudes” created by Father Adrian Fortescue (d. 1923).

*  PDF Download • Father Fortescue (ENGLISH VERSION)
—“Víctimæ Pascháli Láudes” (Sequence) • Dominica Resurrectionis.
“French Trochee” accompaniment for Father Fortescue’s Version

English Again, But Different: A priest of the Fraternity of Saint Peter recently sent us his “singable” translation of the VICTIMAE PASCHALI LAUDES. This priest was trained in Germany, and it seems best to sing his version with the “German Trochee” method. I have made two slight modifications to his score, and these are indicated by an italic font:

*  PDF Download • FSSP Priest (ENGLISH VERSION)
—“Víctimæ Pascháli Láudes” (Sequence) • Dominica Resurrectionis.

For the record, if you sing that version according to the “French Trochee” method, you would end up with this organist score.

“Germanic Trochee” Harmonizations:

To understand the “German Trochee Method,” simply download this sheet. The German Trochee can even be found in psalm tones; check out ámen.

*  PDF Download • Max Springer (1910s)
—Max Springer (d. 1954) was organist at the Saint Emmaus Monastery (Prague).

*  PDF Download • Father Franz Xaver Mathias (1936)
—Father Mathias founded the SAINT LEO INSTITUTE FOR SACRED MUSIC in 1913.

*  PDF Download • Dr. Peter Wagner (1910s)
—Wagner founded the “Gregorian Academy” in Fribourg, Switzerland.

*  PDF Download • Nova Organi Harmonia (1944)
—Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel was choirmaster at the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold (Belgium).

*  PDF Download • Monsignor Nekes (1910)
—This is an awful accompaniment, yet Msgr. Franz Nekes was quite popular in Germany.

“French Trochee” Harmonizations:

*  PDF Download • Giulio Bas (1874-1929)
—Giulio Bas was the editor of the “Rassegna Gregoriana” (Rome).

*  PDF Download • Desrocquettes (1887-1972)
—Dom Jean Hébert Desroquettes was organist of Solesmes Abbey.

*  PDF Download • Achille P. Bragers (1887-1955)
—Bragers taught at the Pope Pius X School of Liturgical Music (Manhattanville College, New York).

*  PDF Download • Achille P. Bragers (TRANSPOSED)
—This has been transposed very high.

*  PDF Download • (first) Henri Potiron (1882-1972)
—Potiron was Choirmaster of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Paris).

*  PDF Download • (second) Henri Potiron (1882-1972)
—Another version by Henri Potiron.

*  PDF Download • Father Andrew Green (1865-1950)
—Father Green headed the music department at St. Benedict’s College (Atchison, KS).

*  PDF Download • Dom Gregory A. Murray (1905-1992)
—Dom Murray was a Downside Abbey monk who eventually came to hate Mocquereau’s method.

*  PDF Download • Dr. Eugene Lapierre (1957)
—Lapierre (University of Montreal) granted Roger Wagner his doctorate “in absentia” (from California).

*  PDF Download • Father Percy Jones (1952)
—Dr. Percy Jones lived until 1992 • He produced the Pius X Hymnal (Australia).

*  PDF Download • Dr. Ted Marier (1970s)
—The famous hymnal created by Dr. Theodore Marier has been reviewed by Daniel Craig.

*  PDF Download • Nicola A. Montani (1920)
—Nicola A. Montani produced the Saint Gregory Hymnal (1920).

*  PDF Download • Father Carlo Rossini (1932)
—Father Carlo Rossini produced the Parochial Hymnal (1936).


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

*   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.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, PDF Download Tagged With: Dr Peter Wagner Gregorian, Easter Sequence, French Vs German Trochee, Monsignor Franz Nekes, Rev Fr Adrian Fortescue Liturgy, victimae paschali, Victimae Paschali Laudes Last Updated: March 22, 2024

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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

    A Nice Hymn In Spanish
    In my humble opinion, this is a really beautiful hymn in Spanish. If I practice diligently, I’ll be able to pronounce all the words properly. If you’re someone who’s interested in obtaining a melody only version (suitable for your congregational ORDER OF WORSHIP) you can steal that from this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 21st in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir returns on Sunday, 24 August 2025. Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for it, which is the 21st 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. When it comes to the feast of the Assumption (15 August 2025), I have uploaded the music list for that Mass—but not the “bi-lingual” Mass in the evening (Spanish, Latin, and English) which has completely different music.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Entrance Chant” • 21st Sunday Ordin. Time
    You can download the ENTRANCE ANTIPHON in English for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) which is coming up on 24 August 2025. Corresponding to the vocalist score is this free organ accompaniment. It’s set in a melancholy mode, but if you heard my choir’s female voices singing it your soul would be uplifted beyond belief. If you’re someone who enjoys rehearsal videos, this morning I tried to sing it while simultaneously accompanying my voice on the pipe organ.
    —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

“In everything of any importance at all, Sarum (and all other mediæval rites) was simply Roman, the rite which we still use.”

— Fr. Adrian Fortescue (1912)

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