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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

Analysis • “Archaic and Quack Ideas on Chant”

Jeff Ostrowski · May 24, 2023

N FEBRUARY of 1958, John Sandar of Saint Patrick’s Church (Auckland, New Zealand) wrote as follows to the editorial team of CAECILIA MAGAZINE: “Gentlemen: Nobody is going to follow the archaic and quack ideas on Chant you are trying to propagate.” Mr. Sandar was referring to the fact that during the late 1950s, Monsignor Francis P. Schmitt (editor of CAECILIA MAGAZINE) was promoting the official edition and disparaging the rhythmic modifications Dom Mocquereau made to the official edition. According to Monsignor Schmitt, the majority of the CAECILIA editorial team preferred the pure Editio Vaticana, and rejected what Schmitt sarcastically dubbed the Neo-Solesmes school “which had nothing but episemas to fall back on.” In particular, Monsignor Schmitt was quite excited about the new edition of the Editio Vaticana prepared by Schwann, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Pope Pius X’s MOTU PROPRIO “Inter pastoralis officii” (a.k.a. Tra Le Sollecitudini) dealing with church music, which appeared on 22 November 1903. This 1953 edition bore a letter of approbation by the Most Reverend JOSEPH CARDINAL FRINGS, Archbishop of Cologne.1

Argument From Authority • For twenty years, I have been aware that Dom Mocquereau’s modifications were technically in violation of the Vatican decrees. The 1958 document issued under Pope Pius XII (“De musica sacra et sacra liturgia”) was explicit and unambiguous when it spoke of modifications to the official rhythm. Indeed, as Terence Gahagan of Westminster noted: “Dom Mocquerau’s home-made rhythmic system […] conflicts with the Vatican’s own instructions for performance of the Chant.” I can’t think of any other word except dishonest when it comes to the INTRODUCTION to the Liber Usualis (Solesmes, 1961), which said: “The place of honour in this Solesmes Edition of the Vatican Official text is given to the VATICAN PREFACE. Its wise counsels and general Principles of interpretation are embodied, elucidated and enlarged upon in the Rules given further on.” Then, if you turn the page, that same book explicitly contradicts (!) the VATICAN PREFACE.

Why Did Jeff Change? • For decades, I spent hours listening to gramophone recordings by Dom Gajard and his successors. I knew the Mocquereau editions backwards and forwards. They were—quite literally—all I’d ever known. Indeed, the books edited by Mocquereau were so pervasive, I often said: “Only a lunatic would adopt the pure Vaticana at this point.” So what finally made me switch? First of all, I grew embarrassed trying to justify Mocquereau’s contradictions—such as the fake salicus—to my volunteer choir members. Secondly, some of the Mocquereau tenets seemed increasingly difficult to justify, such as Mocquereau’s obsession with placing accents on the final syllable, as the French language does. Thirdly, I came to feel that Mocquereau’s excessive elongations distorted the melodic line, creating (as Cardine’s boss used to say) a “Neo-Mensuralism.” Therefore, I decided to sing the official edition as it was intended to be sung by those who created it.

Apples-To-Apples Comparison • At this year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium, the participants will make a recording of the ALLELUIA VERSE for June 22nd (“Tu Es Sacérdos In Ætérnum”). The ladies will sing according to the “untouched” Editio Vaticana and the men will sing according to the rhythmic method of Dom Mocquereau. Then, when the conference is over, the participants can go home and compare the two approaches. I have attempted to compose an organ accompaniment for the “pure” Editio Vaticana version. This morning, I also recorded a rehearsal video:

*  PDF Download • ORGAN ACCOMPANIMENT (23 May 2023)
—ALLELUIA VERSE • “Tu es sacérdos in ætérnum” • Accompaniment by Jeff Ostrowski.

Here’s the direct URL link.

The version by Dom Mocquereau is quite different, because he adds elongations which are not in the official edition and ignores elongations which are supposed to be there. The two versions are exhaustively discussed and meticulous compared in the 330-page booklet which will be given to each symposium participant. (The entire booklet—all 330 pages—can be downloaded at the website for the Sacred Music Symposium.)

1 I have written voluminously about these issues, but I still have more to say. I will do so over the coming months. For the time being, it must be said that, in spite of the 1953 note by the editors regarding the “melismatic mora vocis,” their edition only made matters worse. By the way, notice how they mention “the possibility of a nocturnal Easter ceremony.” They are talking about the 1951 option of celebrating the Holy Saturday’s Easter Vigil in the evening rather than the morning. This became mandatory starting in 1956.

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: ALLELUIA Tu Es Sacerdos, Alleluia Tu es sacérdos in ætérnum Editio Vaticana, blank space salicus scandicus, Inter pastoralis officii Pius X, Joseph Cardinal Frings, melismatic morae vocis, Mocquereau Rhythmic Signs, Monsignor Francis P Schmitt, Tu es sacérdos in ætérnum Last Updated: June 3, 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

    “Music List” • 29th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 19 October 2025, which is the 29th 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 sensational feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Liturgical Round (“Canon”) in C-Major
    Those who direct children’s choirs are always on the lookout for repertoire that’s dignified, inspired, and pleasing—yet still within reach of young choristers. Such directors will want to investigate this haunting liturgical round (PDF download) which has been married to the KYRIE from Mass VI (EDITIO VATICANA). I have provided an accompaniment, but it’s only for use during rehearsal; i.e. when teaching this round to your choristers. I also provided an organ accompaniment for the KYRIE—which some know by its trope (Kyrie Rex Genitor)—so that your congregation can take part when this round is used as a choral extension during Mass.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Latin Liturgy Association
    We note with pleasure that Mrs. Regina Morris, president of the Latin Liturgy Association, has featured—on page 4 of Volume CXXIX of their official newsletter—the three (3) terrific versions of the Stations of the Cross found in the Brébeuf Hymnal. One of the main authors for the blog of the Church Music Association of America said (6/10/2019) about this pew book: “It is such a fantastic hymnal that it deserves to be in the pews of every Catholic church.”
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    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
    “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

Random Quote

“The banality and vulgarity of the [ICEL] translations which have ousted the sonorous Latin and little Greek are of a supermarket quality which is quite unacceptable.”

— Sir Alec Guinness (1985)

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  • Children’s Repertoire • Three More Recommendations by Keven Smith
  • Liturgical Round (“Canon”) in C-Major
  • PDF Download • Liturgical Round (“Canon”) for your Children’s Choir

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