• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

  • About
  • Symposium
  • Hymnal
  • Jogues Missal
  • Site Map
  • Donate
Views from the Choir Loft

Composing Your Own Antiphons?

Jeff Ostrowski · June 11, 2022

OUNG CHURCH MUSICIANS have a natural tendency, which is a healthy one. They desire to follow that which is correct. (Sometimes this desire can become a “mania.”) It’s similar to when one studies piano. One begins by scrupulously following the fingerings in the editions. Then, after many years of practice, one gains the freedom to devise one’s own fingerings. We remember that Toscanini (and all great conductors) constantly edited Beethoven’s orchestration to improve the result—but they certainly did not do things like that when they were still students!

Composing Antiphons? Anyone who’s attempted to sing the post-conciliar Divine Office—a.k.a. the “Liturgy of the Hours”—knows that it’s necessary to compose many (all?) of the antiphons, especially if one sings in the vernacular! Questions arise: Is this correct? Is this cheating? Is this bad? Is this inauthentic? As a matter of fact, there’s a long history of choirmasters being forced to compose antiphons for the Divine Office. In the days before Vatican II, most Catholic dioceses had their own special feast days. And if a High Mass took place on such a feast, it was necessary to compose music. It was very rare that an “official” book would contain melodies for such local feasts. Even more rare was a book containing organ accompaniments for local feasts—although you can see that Flor Peeters and his team did create such a book for Belgium if you go to the NOH website and download the sixth volume.

Modern Day Example: Because Dr. Calabrese sings Vespers in the Ordinary Form, I’ve noticed he often composes his own antiphons. Doing that is “NNN” … Normal, Natural, and Necessary. There is nothing “weird” or “incorrect” about doing that. Here is a beautiful antiphon he composed, followed by Father Guerrero’s MAGNIFICAT IN THE FIRST MODE (which can be downloaded at #84476). The recording—captured by an iPhone microphone—cannot accurately reproduce the sumptuous choral sound one hears in real life:

More Examples: When the Church added new feasts, a “delay” was quite common before the new feast was given musical notation. Some of the feasts were created rather willy-nilly. For example, Pope Pius XII wanted to add a feast for the Queenship of Mary (“Maria Regina”). The Commissio Piana wanted the feast to occur on May 1st, but the Holy Father wanted to reserve that day for the feast of “Christ the Worker.” (As a matter of fact, May 1st eventually became not Christ the Worker, but Saint Joseph the Worker.) Then it was decided to place the Queenship of Mary as 22 August [cf. Antonelli Development of the Liturgical Reform, page 281]. In the end, the feast of Mary’s Queenship was placed on 31 May. The NOH includes an organ accompaniment for that feast-day (Beatæ Mariæ Virginis Reginæ) as an appendix to Volume 3.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: Alfred Calabrese Conductor, Flor Peeters, Francisco Guerrero Composer, Liturgy of the Hours, Polyphonic Magnificat, Vesperale seu Liber Antiphonarius Last Updated: June 11, 2022

Subscribe to the CCW Mailing List

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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

PDF Download • Trinity Sunday (22 pages)

Feel free to download this Organ Accompaniment Booklet for Trinity Sunday (Second Vespers). Notice how the modes progress by number. Psalm 1 is mode 1; Psalm 2 is mode 2; Psalm 3 is mode 3; Psalm 4 is mode 4; Psalm 5 is mode 5. I am told by an expert that other feasts (such as Corpus Christi) are likewise organized by mode, and it’s called a “numerical office.”

—Jeff Ostrowski
10 June 2022 • “Official” rhythm of plainsong

I continue to search for the most beautiful way to present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores. (Technically, the “pure” rhythm of the official edition is what everyone is supposed to use.) You can download my latest attempt, which is the Introit for this coming Sunday: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Because this is not an ancient feast, the Introit had to be adapted (perhaps around 750AD). Prior Johner says the adaptation is “not an entirely happy one.”

—Jeff Ostrowski
7 June 2022 • FEEDBACK

From Chelan, Washington: “CCWatershed is a God-sent resource that I can’t function without! Such great work by the team to bring beauty back to our liturgy!” From Gainesville, Florida: “I am so appreciative of the work, of my brothers and sisters in music!” From Troutman, North Carolina: “Keep up the excellent work in service of the Liturgy!”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Gerard Manley Hopkins once argued that most people drank more liquids than they really needed and bet that he could go without drinking for a week. He persisted until his tongue was black and he collapsed at drill.”

— A biography of Fr. Gerard M. Hopkins (d. 1889)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “Polyphony For Choirs” (262 Pages)
  • What. Did. My. Eyes. Just. See.
  • “You Are Invited” • Solemn Mass sung by 95 singers!
  • “Stowe Missal Eucharistic Motets” • For 3 Voices
  • PDF Download • Trinity Sunday (22 pages)

Copyright © 2022 Corpus Christi Watershed · Gabriel Lalemant on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

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.