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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 • “English Hymns for Three Voices” (SSA), edited by Dr. Theodore Marier—182 pages

Jeff Ostrowski · April 27, 2023

HAVE SPOKEN about how I communicate with dead composers. Today, I felt like the recipient of a “pat on the back” from Dr. Theodore Marier—one of America’s leading church musicians—who passed away on 24 February 2001. That’s because I was looking through one of his books (which I’d never seen before). It’s called CANTUS POPULI, which means “Songs for the people” in Latin. The word cantus can mean “chant” or “item which is sung” or “song.” This book has been out of print for more than a century. I was so pleased, because many of the items included by Dr. Marier were hymns I fought for while serving on the committee which produced the Brébeuf Hymnal. Here are some examples: (1) “Lift High The Cross”; (2) “Now Thank We All Our God”; (3) Numerous hymn translations by Monsignor Ronald Knox, whose works were honored and featured by the Brébeuf Hymnal; (4) Hymns by John Henry Cardinal Newman; (5) Translations by Alan McDougall; (6) An Irish melody, on page 31, which is enshrined in the Brébeuf Hymnal; (7) a setting of Sáncti Veníte, an ancient text honored greatly by the Brébeuf editors; (8) numerous Marian hymns which were also included in the Brébeuf Hymnal; (9) an English translation of Veni Redemptor Gentium, a text highly honored by the Brébeuf editors; (10) a text with VOM HIMMEL HOCH, a melody greatly exalted by the Brébeuf committee; (11) the way Dr. Marier writes out each verse of the hymn on page 107 reminds me of how the Brébeuf Hymnal notates each and every verse, making life easy for singers and organists; and so forth.

All hymn arrangements are for three (3) voices! That’s something many choir directors have been begging for!

*  PDF • “CANTUS POPULI” for SSA Voices (182 pages)
—182.4MB • Cantus Populi: A Collection of Psalms, Hymns & Chants for SSA Voices (1963).

Brief But Beneficial • Indeed, this book by Dr. Marier seems almost like an “abridged” version of the Brébeuf Hymnal, except for SSA voices. (Of course, Dr. Marier’s book is only 182 pages, whereas the Brébeuf has close to 1,000 hymns.) This collection by Dr. Marier contains tons of English plainchant settings, which I suspect were used again two decades later, in Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Canticles (reviewed by Daniel Craig here). Something which surprised and delighted me was when I saw Dr. Marier’s plainsong setting of an Advent hymn you’ll recognize!

Major Differences • There are, however, a number of differences between this book and the Brébeuf Hymnal: (A) Dr. Marier’s book only includes a small number of verses—usually two or three—whereas the Brébeuf Hymnal includes all the verses for each hymn; (B) Dr. Marier’s book, published in the early 1960s, uses lyrics that are a bit more “old-fashioned” than the Brébeuf Hymnal; (C) Dr. Marier’s book includes about sixty hymns, whereas the Brébeuf Hymnal contains about 900; (D) Dr. Marier’s book is for three voices—SSA or TTB—whereas the Brébeuf Hymnal is for four voices [SATB]. Nevertheless, when I direct choirs consisting of all women or all men, I will definitely investigate some of these fine settings by Dr. Theodore Marier!

1960s Anyone?

Early 1960s Musical Scene • As far as I can tell, this book was published in the early 1960s. What was taking place on the musical scene at that time? In short, a whole lot! Regarding the use of vernacular, the Second Vatican Council had declared: “the limits of its employment may be extended.” Nonetheless, the Council solemnly declared that “it is for the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority to decide whether, and to what extent, the vernacular language is to be used.” Indeed, the specific language ratified by Vatican II says Latin must be retained; this is not a suggestion.

The Boring Stuff • Perhaps nobody will care about this next part, but I will include it anyway. By the early 1960s, the “pure” Editio Vaticana rhythm had begun to fall away. It had been replaced by the rhythm of Dom André Mocquereau, who—broadly speaking—matched the official rhythm in the KYRIALE, but radically contradicted it in the GRADUALE and ANTIPHONALE. The NOH, produced in the 1940s by the Lemmensinstituut, adhered to the official rhythm. One of the NOH composers was Marinus de Jong. When Omer Westendorf (d. 1997) commissioned an organ accompaniment from him in 1964, Marinus de Jong departed from the official rhythm and adopted the rhythm of Dom Mocquereau. You can compare the 1940s NOH accompaniment (which follows the Editio Vaticana) with the 1960s accompaniment by Marinus de Jong, which matches the rhythmic modifications by Dom Mocquereau.

Notice how the “pure” Editio Vaticana changes chords on the tonic accent:

Notice how Dom Mocquereau’s method places the chords on the final syllable of the word (which corresponds to the French language):

I recently spoke at length about the way organ accompaniments are written to match the Dom Mocquereau rhythm. This method was particularly worrisome to Mocquereau’s confrère at Solesmes Abbey, Dom Delpech.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, PDF Download Tagged With: CANTUS POPULI MARIER, Dom Mocquereau Ictus, Hymns Psalms and Spiritual Canticles, Marinus de Jong Composer, Marinus de Jong Theorist, Mocquereau Rhythmic Signs Last Updated: April 27, 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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President’s Corner

    PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 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 the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —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

Legitimate and necessary concern for current realities in the concrete lives of people cannot make us forget the true nature of the liturgical actions. It is clear that the Mass is not the time to “celebrate” human dignity or purely terrestrial claims or hopes. It is rather the sacrifice which renders Christ really present in the sacrament.

— Pope Saint John Paul II (20 March 1990)

Recent Posts

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  • “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
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  • Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
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