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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

“From a Recent Convert” • Symposium Review

Corpus Christi Watershed · August 1, 2022

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FIRST HEARD about the Sacred Music Symposium in early 2021, at a time when many events were still suspended owing to Covid-19. After stumbling across a testimony from a participant on the Corpus Christi Watershed website, I was immediately intrigued. I made a promise to myself that as soon as Covid-19 relented enough to allow this event to take place, I would attend. In my heart, I knew how beautiful and awesome an experience it would be for me as a musician.

Spontaneous Tears: Even though I “knew” what I was in for, I was nevertheless overwhelmed by the ethereal and transcendent moments. (I was not prepared for the tears that spontaneously began streaming down my face during Vespers one evening.) As a recent convert to the Faith, the Symposium exposed the beauty of the Mass in a new light, and highlighted the importance of authentic church music.

My Father’s Death: The Symposium was a faith-deepening experience. My dad had passed away the previous week, and the Symposium brought me closer to God at a time when I needed it the most. It also united me with fellow Catholics through music and the sacred liturgy.

The Greatest Week: I would recommend this conference without hesitation. It was one of the greatest weeks of my life. I made friends and connections that will last a lifetime, and was moved to tears by the presence of the Holy Ghost among us in that beautiful church. I was inspired by the holy people surrounding me, both clergy and lay. I was blown away by the talent, brilliance, enthusiasm, and intellect of the presenters and directors. From them, I learned an immeasurable amount of information about chant and polyphony, as well as church history in relation to liturgical music.

What More Could One Ask? Truly, what more could one ask for out of a conference this side of heaven? Many thanks to Mr. Ostrowski, Mrs. Leal, the priests of Saint Vitus, and all the presenters and directors. It was truly the experience of a lifetime!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Sacred Music Symposium 2022 Last Updated: August 1, 2022

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President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 19th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (10 August 2025). 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 feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    This Sunday’s Communion Antiphon
    This coming Sunday—10 August 2025—is the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). The COMMUNION ANTIPHON is really gorgeous, and two of its features are worth mentioning. First of all, the Gospel reading assigned is from Saint Luke, whereas the the antiphon—although it matches the account—comes from Saint Matthew. (If anyone can point to a similar example, please notify me.) Furthermore, if you look at the authentic Gregorian Chant version posted on the feasts website, you’ll notice that it’s MODE III but ends on the ‘wrong’ note. A comparable instance of such a ‘transposed’ chant would be KYRIE IV.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
    Using “Ye” vs. “You” is rather tricky, because it depends upon which era one is trying to recreate—if that makes any sense. In other words, the rules haven’t always been the same for these two. Nevertheless, Father Philip George Caraman (the legendary Jesuit scholar) gives us a masterclass using Saint Luke’s Gospel. Father Caraman was close friends with Monsignor Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, and Sir Alec Guinness.
    —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

“Pope Francis breaks Catholic traditions whenever he wants because he is free from disordered attachments. Our Church has indeed entered a new phase: with the advent of this first Jesuit pope, it is openly ruled by an individual rather than by the authority of Scripture alone or even its own dictates of tradition plus Scripture.”

— Fr. Thomas Rosica (31 July 2018)

Recent Posts

  • Is this what the new “Youth Mass” looks like?
  • “Music List” • 19th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • This Sunday’s Communion Antiphon
  • Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
  • Installment #3 • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”

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