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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

Natália Explains: “Why You Should Care About Shared Melodies.”

Jeff Ostrowski · September 14, 2023

E ALL HAVE been there! In your practice room, you discover the most magnificent hymn (which you never knew about). Naturally, you want to share it with everybody, so with excitement in your heart you program it for Mass the following Sunday. Everything’s going great … until you start playing and singing. Suddenly it dawns on you that you’re the only one who knows this hymn! A terrible feeling comes over you, and you become very self-conscious. Your voice cracks and you start hitting wrong notes. Instead of playing all the verses as you’d planned, you break off after the second verse. In your brain, you make a private vow never again to program a hymn people don’t know.

Solving The Conundrum • So what’s the solution to this conundrum? Playing the same handful of hymns over and over again until you die doesn’t seem right. The following video—as explained by Natália—is something you must watch! [I provided the background music, so please don’t criticize it too harshly.]

Here’s the direct URL link.

Last Week • Last week, I was on the telephone with a wonderful musician from the Midwest. I was telling this person how the Brébeuf Hymnal had completely transformed my volunteer choirs, and explaining various items (including the powerful and innovative “shared melody” strategy). After an hour’s conversation, the person had just one remaining question: Is the Brébeuf Hymnal Catholic? This was because his pastor was fully committed to orthodox texts. I almost shouted my response: “Not only is it Catholic, it’s the most Catholic hymnal you’ll ever find and was named in honor of Father John Brébeuf, the patron saint of North America!”

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Common Hymn Melodies Last Updated: September 14, 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

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 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 propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

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

“It is the same Church which has introduced the vernacular into the sacred liturgy for pastoral reasons, that is, for the sake of people who do not know Latin, which gives you the mandate of preserving the age-old solemnity, beauty and dignity of the choral office, in regard both to language, and to the chant.”

— Pope Saint Paul VI (15 August 1966)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “Jeff’s Mom Joins Our Fundraiser”
  • “Musicam Sacram” (5 March 1967) • Does It Apply?
  • “What Martin Luther Said…”
  • “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Worship the Lord in Holy Attire

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