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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

At the Cross • Stabat Mater

Patrick Williams · March 20, 2023

ITH VESPERS THIS SATURDAY, the Church begins Passiontide, the last two weeks of Lent. It is fitting for us to reflect on what is arguably the most beloved of all Catholic Lenten hymns, “At the Cross Her Station Keeping.” The commonly sung version appears in the St. Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal as follows:

Along with the same version (but in the key of G), an alternative is given in the 1939 Westminster Hymnal:

Some hymnals omit the fermata, double bar line, or breath mark (luftpause) at the end of each phrase, and some parishes actually sing it that way, cutting those notes slightly short rather than lengthening them. Another common variant is a dotted antepenultimate note:

The above image is from the 1958 Service Book and Hymnal of the Lutheran Church in America. The text and melody appear not only in Catholic and Lutheran collections, but also Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, and other Protestant hymnals. I won’t examine all of the textual variants but would like to note that the translation beginning “At the Cross Her Vigil Keeping” is also widely used.

Liturgical AND Devotional • Most Catholic church musicians are aware that the Stabat Mater is one of only a handful of sequences retained in the Roman Missal. I was quite surprised to learn that it was not included in the Missal of Pope St. Pius V following the Council of Trent but was only restored by Pope Benedict XIII in 1727 for the feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary observed on the Friday after Passion Sunday and  later extended to the second feast on September 15. For Stations of the Cross, all but six of the twenty stanzas are typically sung: one after each of the fourteen traditional stations. Thus we have a liturgical hymn with a true plainsong melody and a devotional version of the same hymn employing a later tune derived from the 1661 Mainz Gesangbuch (Mäyntzisch Gesangbuch) but erroneously called “plainsong” in various sources. Here is the beginning of the sequence from the 1908 Graduale Romanum:

An Isometric Variant • Other than the last example, the versions above show an isometric chorale tune. The Solesmes Liber Usualis notates the same melody as equalist plainsong, complete with ictus marks:

In fact, if the 1661 Mainz Gesangbuch is truly the source, this tune is not plainsong at all, nor are the notes of equal value. Here is the presumed original:

and a modernized version of the same:

An audio recording (organ) is available here. It is apparent that the version in common use, while still recognizable as the same tune, makes substantial changes to both melody and rhythm. I see nothing objectionable about retaining the customary variants for devotional use, but performance practice should be informed by the historical facts. The hymn tune in question is emphatically not plainsong, and it would be a mistake to take it at a faster tempo in order to make it sound more “chant-like.” Especially if you have a smaller organ with somewhat limited tonal resources, changes in harmonization are an effective way to add variety to unison singing of fourteen stanzas. Christopher Bord has composed a nice set of thirteen reharmonizations, CanticaNOVA #6038, which you can hear played to accompany purely congregational singing without choir or cantor:

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: March 25, 2023

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President’s Corner

    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —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
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “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
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

No concession should ever be made for the singing of the Exsultet, in whole or in part, in the vernacular.

— ‘Fr. Augustin Bea, S.J. in the years immediately before the Second Vatican Council’

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  • New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”

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