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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 • César Franck Book of Gregorian Chant Accompaniments (156 Pages)

Jeff Ostrowski · May 16, 2023

AROLD C. SCHOENBERG said of César Franck: “He must have been a cocky lad, exultant in his talent.” At the age of fifteen, César—who had been born in Liège (Belgium)—was sent to the Paris Conservatoire. At the finals of the piano competition he was given a difficult piece to read at sight. Young César suddenly elected to transpose the piece selected a third below the key in which it was written (!), which he was able to do without any hesitation or slip. The judges were transfixed. After some discussion, the legendary Luigi Cherubini (d. 1842) announced: “The jury has now decided that Monsieur Franck stands so incomparably far ahead of his fellow competitors that it is impossible to nominate another to share the prize with him. Accordingly, a second first prize will be given to those who would in ordinary circumstances have deserved the senior award.”

DUGUET, Franck’s Teacher • According to the Belgian organist Flor Peeters, Maestro Edgar Tinel (director of the LEMMENSINSTITUUT) confessed to his orchestra quite late in life: “Gentlemen, I, Tinel, was wrong. César Franck is a great composer.” A childhood crush of mine was Franck’s glorious Variations symphoniques. Franck’s first organ teacher was Abbé Dieudonné Duguet (d. 1849), the blind organist of the Church of Saint-Denis. If you search Mr. James Doherty’s fabulous Brébeuf Portal for “DUGUET,” you will find many settings. Below is one for 6 August, the Feast of the Transfiguration. The melody is attributed to Dieudonné Duguet:

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

Bad Attribution • Below, you can see how the DUGUET melody appears in the “Christ The King Hymnal” published by Father Aloysius Knauff in 1955. It is erroneously called “Gregorian Chant”—but deficient hymnal attributions were pretty common until the 1970s:

*  PDF Download • “DUGUET” in CTK Hymnal

Père Lambillotte • Among Franck’s acquaintances at the Jesuit College of the Immaculate Conception (where he taught piano) was the Jesuit priest Louis Lambillotte (d. 1855). Camille Saint-Saëns described Père Lambillotte as a “ridiculous composer” of “dreadful music,” who left an indelible impression on Catholic church music with hymns like On This Day, O Beautiful Mother. Father Lambillotte helped push forward the Gregorian revival, and his tombstone says: Qui cecinit Jesum et Mariam, eripuitque tenebris Gregorium, hunc superis insere, Christe, choris. [“Receive, O Christ, into Thy choirs above him who sang the praises of Jesus and Mary, and rescued the music of Gregory from the darkness of ages.”]

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Franck’s Gregorian Accompaniments • In 1851, Père Lambillotte published a facsimile of Saint Gall 359 (an adiastematic “Cantatorium”), and Abbat Prosper Guéranger spoke with him in 1854. When Père Lambillotte died in 1855, César Franck completed for publication their collaboration, a five-part Chant Grégorien: restauré par le R.P. Lambillotte; accompagnement d’orgue par César Franck. The work is Franck’s note-for-note accompaniment of Lambillotte’s modern notation transcriptions of plainsong then being reintroduced into the churches of France. It consisted of five sections. GALLICA has placed online the complete work, which is fascinating:

*  PDF Download • GREGORIAN ACCOMPANIMENTS (César Franck)
—156 pages • Gregorian harmonizations to “corrupt” plainsong by César Franck.

You can read an English translation of Franck’s Preface:

*  PDF Download • Franck’s “Preface”

Missing Page? • “Ad regias Agni dapes” is supposed to be number 11, according to the index, right after “A solis ortus cardine,” but I can’t find it for some reason. In any event, here’s the harmonization by César Franck of his teacher’s hymn (DUGUET):

Eastertide Hymn • And speaking of “Ad Régias Agni Dapes,” here’s a hymn we like to sing during the season of Easter:

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

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Dieudonne Duguet, Flor Peeters, Maestro Edgar Tinel Last Updated: June 18, 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

    A Nice Hymn In Spanish
    In my humble opinion, this is a really beautiful hymn in Spanish. If I practice diligently, I’ll be able to pronounce all the words properly. If you’re someone who’s interested in obtaining a melody only version (suitable for your congregational ORDER OF WORSHIP) you can steal that from this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 21st in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir returns on Sunday, 24 August 2025. Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for it, which is the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). 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 spectacular feasts website. When it comes to the feast of the Assumption (15 August 2025), I have uploaded the music list for that Mass—but not the “bi-lingual” Mass in the evening (Spanish, Latin, and English) which has completely different music.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Entrance Chant” • 21st Sunday Ordin. Time
    You can download the ENTRANCE ANTIPHON in English for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) which is coming up on 24 August 2025. Corresponding to the vocalist score is this free organ accompaniment. It’s set in a melancholy mode, but if you heard my choir’s female voices singing it your soul would be uplifted beyond belief. If you’re someone who enjoys rehearsal videos, this morning I tried to sing it while simultaneously accompanying my voice on the pipe organ.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    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

Random Quote

“This chapter hereby extends the prohibition of 13 June 1561 against loaning singers or instrumentalists on any account whatsoever to include even the humblest choirboy.” [From “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

— Sevilla: Chapter Resolution (10 June 1562)

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