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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

PDF Download • Choral Extension! • (Corresponding to the “Holy, Holy, Holy” of the Missal Chants)

Jeff Ostrowski · October 8, 2024

EXT TIME A PRIEST insists that it’s wrong for the choir alone to sing pieces at Mass (because “true” participation means the congregation must sing everything) don’t tell him his statement is in direct violation of SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM §114. Instead, try taking a different approach. In a respectful and calm manner, say to that priest: “Okay, then the entire congregation must read the Gospel along with you at Mass—because if they just listen while you read the Gospel, they’re not truly participating according to your logic.”

Choral Extensions • It’s incorrect to say the congregation must sing everything at Mass. On the other hand, since the 1950s there’s been a real push for congregational singing. Failing to recognize this is foolish. Indeed, a music director who completely ignores congregational singing runs the risk of being fired by the pastor! In my seminar, Secrets of the Conscientious Choirmaster, I harp on something I call choral extensions. Basically, choral extensions allow a choirmaster to introduce polyphony without getting fired. When it comes to the congregational SANCTUS we use at my parish (which can be sung in Latin, English, or Spanish), the following “extends” it polyphonically:

*  PDF Download • CHORAL EXTENSION (Father Morales)
—Cristóbal de Morales, a Spanish priest, is considered one of the greatest composers of all time.

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube
SOPRANO : YouTube
ALTO : YouTube
TENOR : YouTube
BASS : YouTube

Freedom To Shape • With regard to SANCTUS XVI, perhaps you’ve noticed how each church sings it in a slightly different manner. That’s because the official edition gives freedom to choirmasters to “shape” each phrase according to its text. For example, here’s how it appeared in a famous edition by Dr. Franz Xaver Mathias (an Alsatian priest). Father Mathias was organist at STRASBURG CATHEDRAL, where he founded the Saint Leo Institute for Church Music in 1913:

Renewal of Challenge • In many recent articles, I’ve been recommending the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal. I believe this book is indispensable for any serious Catholic choirmaster. (I certainly couldn’t run my choral program without it.) I don’t use the “P-word” word lightly, but I’m comfortable calling the BRÉBEUF HYMNAL peerless. Indeed, one of the main authors for the Church Music Association of America weblog declared (6/10/2022) that the BRÉBEUF HYMNAL “has no parallel and not even any close competitor.” For years, I’ve been searching for a qualified partner willing to debate this assertion over zoom. Today—8 October 2024—I respectfully renew my challenge. Our website garners millions of hits, but so far nobody has accepted my challenge.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Participatio Actuosa Last Updated: October 8, 2024

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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

“Gerard Manley Hopkins once argued that most people drank more liquids than they really needed and bet that he could go without drinking for a week. He persisted until his tongue was black and he collapsed at drill.”

— A biography of Fr. Gerard M. Hopkins (d. 1889)

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  • Worship the Lord in Holy Attire

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