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Corpus Christi Watershed

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

National Catholic Register Features Our Own!

Corrinne May · July 22, 2024

N UNASSUMING, HUMBLE, spirited individual with a deep-interior life and musical genius to boot. That is how I see Mr. Bill Fritz. Although I live in Singapore, where weekly I direct a choir of about 40 singers at our Catholic Church, I like to keep apprised of what goes on in the United States—and I could not have been happier to see an entire article at the NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER dedicated to our colleague here at Corpus Christi Watershed:

Bill’s Peaceful Disposition • During the course of the two music symposia I’ve attended—the Sacred Music Symposium of 2022 and that of 2023, both of which were held at Saint John the Baptist Church in Costa Mesa, California (where Bill serves as music director)—I was most taken by Bill’s calm, peaceful disposition. Despite there being a whole throng of people descending upon his church premises to attend the weeklong Sacred Music Symposium, and having to trouble-shoot the various technical snafus (sound system decided to crash at the last-minute, no problem), (need to get some food for the participants, no issue), Bill impressed me with his ability to multi-task, take care of the church logistics, teach music to the participants, play the organ for rehearsals, and have his compositions sung by the attendees.

Our Eucharistic Lord • Over the course of the week, I had the chance (over lunch) to hear his story; about how he spent nine years in the seminary with the Norbertines. How beautiful to know that Bill’s deep interior life was formed in his time with the Norbertines. This calm interior peace and deep love for Our Lord comes through in his composition ‘Oculi Omnium’, a setting of the Gradual of the Mass from the Feast of Corpus Christi. His composition was featured recently at The Composition Institute with Sir James MacMillan. In that article from the NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER (see above) Bill Fritz speaks about this composition, saying:

“I wanted to highlight the intense, inner spiritual longing for our Eucharistic Lord. I cast the music in a slower, more contemplative feel: sometimes with musical lines that move around each other, but mostly with broad, lush harmonies that (hopefully!) melt into one another. I really felt inspired by both forms of the Mass: the Novus Ordo and the Traditional Latin Mass; and I composed trying to capture the continuity of the different forms.”

I listened to his composition in awe. You can hear it at this link:

Here’s the direct URL link.

Pure Bliss • As the melodic lines intertwine and breathe and open up at the lines ‘Aperis tu manum tuam’, (‘Openest dost Thou the hand of Thee’) one feels the heavens and earth open and meet. Pure bliss.

Photograph • The NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER included this photograph, which shows Bill Fritz with Sir James MacMillan, whom some consider our generation’s most famous Catholic composer:

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: William Fritz Composer Last Updated: July 22, 2024

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About Corrinne May

Corrinne May is one of Singapore’s most celebrated singer-songwriters. She is also a wife and homeschooling mother.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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
    “Music List” • 28th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 12 October 2025, which is the 28th 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 dazzling feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Offertory” for this Sunday
    This coming Sunday, 12 October 2025, is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). Its OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF) is gorgeous, and comes from the book of Esther, as did the ENTRANCE CHANT last Sunday. Depending on a variety of factors, various hand-missals (all with Imprimatur) translate this passage differently. For instance, “príncipis” can be rendered: King; Prince; Lion; or Fierce lord. None is “more correct” than another. It depends on which source text is chosen and what each translator wants to emphasize. All these pieces of plainsong are conveniently stored at the blue-ribbon feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

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

“For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders”—is that English idiom? “For the Nazis, and all the Germans, except they say Heil Hitler! meet not in the street, holding their lives valuable”—is that English idiom?

— Monsignor Ronald Knox

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