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Views from the Choir Loft

“All Saints” • Jeff Ostrowski Tries to Simultaneously Accompany His Voice on the Organ

Jeff Ostrowski · November 1, 2024

HOSE WHO HAVE studied the diaries of Cardinal Antonelli realize the disproportionately large role Professor Josef A. Jungmann (d. 1975) played in the liturgical reforms. During his entire priestly life, Father Jungmann never once celebrated a sung Mass. Although this beggars belief,1 perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised … because so many post-conciliar reforms could only have been enacted by people with a deficient knowledge of sacred music. (It gives me no joy to say this.)

Hidden By Humility • The world didn’t consider Father Valentine Young (d. 2020) a notable scholar, but I guarantee you he was in many ways smarter than Father Jungmann—or perhaps I should say “wiser.” Father Valentine took pains to disguise his great learning. He did this by tremendous humility. I still remember how he had a particular love for the Gaudeamus INTROIT and got excited whenever an upcoming feast included it. In those days, I didn’t understand why he made such a big deal about it. However, over the years I’ve come to love this ancient chant deeply.

November 1st • The marvelous feast-day of November 1st—viz. THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS—prescribes as its Entrance Chant the “Gaudeamus.” This morning, I attempted to simultaneously accompany my voice on the pipe organ while singing it:

*  PDF Download • Singer’s Score (Treble Clef)
*  PDF Download • ORGAN ACCOMPANIMENT (2 Pages)

Here’s the direct URL link.

A Saint Among Us • What can I say about Father Valentine Young? I was so blessed to know him. He brought happiness to the lives of everyone he encountered. And Father Valentine loved intensely the sacred liturgy, and especially Gregorian Chant. No matter where he went—even when he spent years as a missionary to the Navajo—he spread the love of CARMEN GREGORIANUM. He (of all people!) had a zillion reasons to be bitter … yet his heart was full of nothing but love, humility, and joy. Maybe someday God will give me the grace to be like Father Valentine.

Many profess to love God. Many claim they’re content each day to do God’s Will and not their own. Many profess to love Gregorian Chant. Many claim to love the sacred liturgy. But Father Valentine was the real deal.

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 who’s willing to debate this assertion over zoom. Today—1 November 2024—I respectfully renew my challenge. Our website garners millions of hits, but so far nobody has accepted my challenge.

1 This is according to the testimony of Dr. Louis Bouyer, who was a close friend of Pope Saint Paul VI. Cf. page 257 of “Louis Bouyer Memoirs” (San Francisco: IGNATIUS PRESS, 2015). Father Jungmann seems to have taken the famous motto (“Jesuita non cantat”) to absurd extremes. On the other hand, the undeniable erudition of his publications wouldn’t be incompatible with a priest who spent most of his time alone or in scholarly pursuits.

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Carmen Gregorianum, Catholic Hymnal Challenge, Father Valetine Young, Feast of All Saints, November 1st All Saints, Rev Fr Valentine Young OFM Last Updated: January 27, 2025

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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

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —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

“Participation” in the Mass does not mean hearing our own voices. It means God hearing our voices. Only He knows who is “participating” at Mass. I believe, to compare small things with great, that I “participate” in a work of art when I study it and love it silently.

— Evelyn Waugh

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

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