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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

PDF Download • Traditional Notation Gradual-Book (692 Pages) on Five Lines!

Jeff Ostrowski · November 25, 2022

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GREAT CHURCH MUSICIAN used to ask a question ad infinitum. Whenever names of choir directors came up during conversation, he’d ask: “What does his choir sound like?” You see, it doesn’t matter how eloquent a particular choirmaster might be, whether he has the entire New Grove Dictionary memorized, whether he can pontificate on the internet, or whether he can play a million notes correctly on the pipe organ. Ultimately, the choirmaster will be judged on how his choir sounds. This comes to mind today—when we release an impressive book by FATHER KARL WEINMANN—because I can tell (just by looking at his publication) that Dr. Weinmann must have been an excellent choirmaster.

Our Mission • All our contributors here at Corpus Christi Watershed feel called by God to make a contribution to sacred music. We hope that a new generation of church musicians will be assisted by our humble efforts in their efforts to promote what is Good, True, and Beautiful. When we share various projects and important books, we hope to inspire and encourage readers. And today’s offering is no exception. This book makes it easy for singers who only know TREBLE CLEF. Furthermore, it’s excellent for organists who like to improvise accompaniments (for obvious reasons).

Weinmann Gradual • Father Karl Weinmann (d. 1929) reproduced the Editio Vaticana in quite a remarkable way. His intention was to help church musicians “in the trenches.” He seemed to understand perfectly the challenges at the average Catholic parish. As you can see below, Father Weinmann placed the traditional notation on five (!) musical staves. Except for the major feasts, he provided a simple way to handle the chants between EPISTLE and GOSPEL, because full-blown Solemn Masses have always been relatively rare in parishes.1 How best to handle these so-called “meditation chants” was discussed extensively by the Pontifical Commission on Gregorian Chant, especially by Dom Michael Horn and Dr. Peter Wagner, who taught Father Karl Weinmann at the GREGORIAN ACADEMY of Fribourg, Switzerland.

Gradual Book (1928) • We have scanned Father Weinmann’s entire Gradual—all 692 pages! You can download it completely free of charge. Broadly speaking, this 1928 edition is identical to the first edition, which was published in 1909. The files are large; please be patient as they download:

*  PDF Download • “Gradual on Modern Staves” (1 of 4)
—92.2MB • “Introduction” + “Proper of the Time” until Easter Sunday
*  PDF Download • “Gradual on Modern Staves” (2 of 4)
—85.3MB • “Proper of the Time” starting at Easter Sunday
*  PDF Download • “Gradual on Modern Staves” (3 of 4)
—191MB • “Proper of the Saints” + “Votive Masses”
*  PDF Download • “Gradual on Modern Staves” (4 of 4)
—89MB • “Settings for the Ordinary of the Mass (Kyriale)” + “Indices”

Fabulous Features • This book first appeared in 1909. Our modern conveniences were in their infancy: electricity, radio, the phonograph, modern medicine, refrigeration, telephones, airplanes, automobiles, and so forth. Considering what Father Weinmann had at his disposal, I think you’d agree what he produced is remarkable:

Improved Scanning • In 2008, Corpus Christi Watershed had released the 1909 version, but we have scanned the 1928 at a much higher resolution. Click on the following comparison to see how much the quality has been improved:

Melismatic Mora Vocis • The official edition—as our readers already know—uses blank spaces to indicate the MMVs (MELISMATIC MORAE VOCIS). That means for any melisma one must watch carefully for the MMVs, where a slight elongation (“slowing down”) is to be observed. Broadly speaking, the KYRIALE has almost no instances of the MMV. When it comes to the Introits and Communions, MMVs are also quite infrequent. For reference purposes, the MMVs look like this:

A few screenshots:

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1 It is sometimes claimed that the plainsong which comes between EPISTLE and GOSPEL (Gradual, Alleluia, Tract, Sequence, and so forth) is sung “for its own sake.” The assertion made is that nothing happens liturgically, therefore those chants exist purely for the sake of meditation. However, those familiar with the traditional liturgy realize this view is difficult to defend, because many actions take place while those chants are being sung. For instance, the Deacon gets a blessing from the priest, the Deacon quietly says a prayer, the Celebrant quietly prays the entire Gospel (before it is sung by the Deacon), incense is blessed, and there is a Gospel procession.

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, Editio Vaticana, Graduale by Dr Weinmann, Karl Weinmann 1873-1929, melismatic morae vocis, Mora Vocis Last Updated: December 1, 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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President’s Corner

    2-Voice Arr. • “Creator of the Starry Height”
    Do you direct a choir consisting of women or children only? (Some call this a “treble” choir.) Download a two-voice arrangement of Creator of the Starry Height set to the tune of IOANNES by clicking here and then scrolling to the bottom. In our times, this hymn is normally used during ADVENT, and the Latin title is: Cónditor alme síderum. It’s important to say “cónditor”—placing the accent on the antepenult—because ‘condítor’ in Latin means “one who embalms the dead.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Equal Voices” Choir Pieces
    My colleague, CORRINNE MAY, has posted some delightful compositions for equal voices: that is, choirs consisting of all men or all women. Included there are settings of the “Ave Maria” and “Tantum Ergo.” They strike me as relatively simple and not excessively lengthy. (In other words, within reach of volunteer singers.) Even better, all the scores have been made available as instant PDF downloads, completely free of charge. Bravo!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
    The 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM was a transitional missal. It was on its way to becoming the 1970 version, but wasn’t there yet. It eliminated certain duplications, downplayed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, expanded the role of laymen, minimized the Last Gospel, made many items optional, and so forth. Father Valentine Young spotted many typos in the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, especially incorrect accents. The Offertory Antiphon for this coming Sunday (OF kalendar) contains an error, citing the wrong verse from Psalm 118. It should be 118:107b, not 118:154. If you read verse 154, you’ll understand how that error crept in. [In this particular case, the error pre-dates the 1962 Missal, since the 1940s hand-missal by Father Lasance also gets it wrong.]
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 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 (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

The local church should be conscious that church worship is not really the same as what we sing in a bar, or what we sing in a convention for youth.

— Francis Cardinal Arinze (2005)

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