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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

“Reader Feedback” • 19 November 2024

Jeff Ostrowski · November 19, 2024

The following came from Beatrice O.
[We usually redact names for anonymity’s sake.]

EAR CCW TEAM: Good morning, I hope this email finds you well. My name is [redacted], and I’m currently gathering materials for a newly ordained priest. Your website has been an invaluable resource in finding materials for singing the Holy Mass in Latin. Thank you for the excellent work you do in preserving and promoting this sacred tradition. For some weeks now, I’ve been searching for musical scores of the Canon Missae in Cantu (“Eucharistic Prayer I”), but unfortunately, I haven’t been able to locate them. I have consulted sources such as GREGOBASE and several PDFs of the GRADUALE ROMANUM, but without success. I’m reaching out in the hope that you might know where I could find these scores. It would mean a great deal to provide this as a gift to my priest friend. Thank you in advance for your assistance, and I greatly appreciate the work you continue to do.

The following is Jeff Ostrowski’s response:
[This response was posted on 19 November 2024.]

The Answer • Beginning on page 1915 of Volume 1 of the special PDF files we posted in 2013, you will find what you seek. Indeed, all four Eucharistic prayers are given there in musical notation.

Jeff’s (Unsolicited) Opinion • That being said, it might be important to remember that it’s quite “untraditional” to sing the Eucharistic Prayer. Throughout the entire history of the Catholic Church this was never done—until the 1970s. Indeed, the person responsible for all the liturgical reforms of the 1960s (viz. CARDINAL LERCARO) declared in a public letter dated 2 March 1965 that priests who pray the Eucharistic Prayer in an audible voice commit an extremely grave liturgical abuse. For many centuries, the Canon was said in a quiet voice: sotto voce. (Cardinal Lercaro was put in charge of all the liturgical reforms by Pope Saint Paul VI.) The 1970s was very much a liturgical low point; the order of the day was “change for the sake of change.” Someday, all this will have to be sorted out.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Cardinal Giacomo Lercaro Consilium President, CCWatershed Feedback, Reader Feedback Corpus Christi Watershed Last Updated: November 19, 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

“We must acknowledge that We have been somewhat disturbed and saddened by these requests. One may well wonder what the origin is of this new way of thinking and this sudden dislike for the past.” [Paul VI responding to requests from monks asking permission to remove Latin from the Divine Office.]

— Pope Saint Paul VI (15 August 1966)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “Catholic Texts Transcend”
  • 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)

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