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Corpus Christi Watershed

“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Pipe Organ During Lent?

Jeff Ostrowski · March 5, 2023

OR THE DURATION of Lent—with the exception of LAETARE SUNDAY—the pipe organ may only be used “to support the voices.” At least that’s the rule for the Missale Vetustum. Needless to say, we don’t use the pipe organ when we sing the MASS ORDINARY (which we do in classical polyphony), since we sing that a cappella. However, we do use the pipe organ rather generously to support the voices. I would argue this is important for two reasons.

First Reason • First of all, removing the pipe organ does not have the impact it once did. A century ago, the pipe organ was sometimes abused during the Holy Mass. Particularly in France, famous organists would give what essentially amounted to concerts during Low Mass, and some would come listen as if they were attending a concert. (The organist would play right through Low Mass, never stopping.) How different things are today! Many Catholics have never heard the pipe organ during Mass. Indeed, when I was in charge of Masses in Texas, the young man in charge of providing music for the LIFETEEN Masses approached me and asked how I was allowed to use organ during Mass. This person never knew it was allowed (!) and had gone his entire life without ever hearing the organ at Mass! For such people, removal of the pipe organ clearly would not have same “penitential” impact as it did in former times.

Second Reason • The second reason I believe it’s helpful to use organ has to do with Holy Communion. As I have already explained (in an article which generated much controversy), the notion of the congregation receiving Holy Communion during Mass would have been quite strange to our ancestors, who were required to fast from Midnight—even from water!—if they desired to receive the SANCTISSIMUM. Holy Communion was ordinarily given outside of Mass. During the Mass itself, normally only the Celebrant received. By the way, this excerpt from a book by Father Joseph Crehan supports my position.

On the 1st Sunday of Lent, our volunteer choir sang a gorgeous hymn during the distribution of Holy Communion:

M To access this hymn’s media in the Brébeuf Portal, click here.

The Introit was accompanied on the organ:

M For a direct link to this video, click here.

The wonderful hymn tune called BRESSANI—married to a Lenten text (“Ex More Docti Mystico”)—was accompanied on the organ:

M To access this hymn’s media in the Brébeuf Portal, click here.

We also sang BRESSANI—with a different text for Lent (“Audi Benigne Conditor”)—without accompaniment:

M To access this hymn’s media in the Brébeuf Portal, click here.

Conclusion • During Lent, I don’t play any interludes. Moreover, I use ‘softer’ registration.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: Audi Benigne Conditor, classical polyphony, Ex More Docti Mystico, Missale Vetustum, Pipe Organ During Lent Last Updated: March 6, 2023

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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

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —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

“We must say it plainly: the Roman rite as we knew it exists no more. It has gone. Some walls of the structure have fallen, others have been altered—we can look at it as a ruin or as the partial foundation of a new building. Think back, if you remember it, to the Latin sung High Mass with Gregorian chant. Compare it with the modern post-Vatican II Mass. It is not only the words, but also the tunes and even certain actions that are different. In fact it is a different liturgy of the Mass.”

— Fr. Joseph Gelineau (1978)

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