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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

“Prelim. Details” • Sacred Music Symposium 2025

Corpus Christi Watershed · January 8, 2025

HAT IS IT that distinguishes our Sacred Music Symposium from other conferences? One thing would be the heartfelt and powerful testimonies—hundreds of them—written by those who have attended. We encourage everyone to read those testimonies, posted at this website. Many participants traveled more than 6,000 miles to attend. Another thing that distinguishes our event is its purpose. Our conference is laser-focused on providing “hands-on” instruction for Catholic musicians.

This Year’s Theme • Indeed, the theme selected for 2025 is: “HOW TO AVOID COMMON PITFALLS FOR PARISH CHOIRS.” Too many parish choirs don’t sound as nice as they could (partially due to paltry and unjust salaries paid to choirmasters). We’re here to help! This year we provide practical tips to survive & thrive in an extremely challenging vocation. We know of no other church music conference attempting anything like what we have planned this year. You’re going to love it!

Four (4) Items To Remember:

(1) Confirmed Dates • Our conference will take place 23 June 2025 through 29 June 2025. Most participants will probably arrive on Sunday evening (22 June) or Monday morning (23 June). All the Monday events—which take place in the evening—aren’t required. That’s because we understand unforeseen delays sometimes occur when it comes to travel.

(2) Masses We Will Sing • As always, our conference is designed for both forms. We will sing for Mass in the EXTRAORDINARY FORM on Saturday (28 June 2025) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We will sing for Mass in the ORDINARY FORM on Sunday (29 June 2025) in Muskegon, Michigan.

(3) Location • The training sessions will take place in Muskegon, Michigan. It is less than a 3 hours’ drive from Detroit. It is a 4 hours’ drive from Indianapolis. It is less than a 3 hours’ drive from Chicago. The church hosting us has world-class acoustics.

(4) Further Details • Further details are forthcoming. Very soon, you will be able to sign up! We released the dates on 2 December 2024, but today we are reminding you—in case you haven’t marked them on your calendar.

If you have special requests—in terms
of courses you’d like us to offer—
now is your last chance! Send your
ideas to: dom.mocquereau@gmail.com

This film explains our conference:

Direct URL to the promo video.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Sacred Music Symposium, Sacred Music Symposium 2025 Last Updated: January 8, 2025

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President’s Corner

    PDF Download • “Ubi Caritas” (SATB)
    I remember singing “Ubi Cáritas” by Maurice Duruflé (d. 1986) at the conservatory. I was deeply moved by it. However, some feel the version by Duruflé isn’t suitable small choirs because it’s written for 6 voices and the bass tessitura is quite low. That’s why I was absolutely thrilled to discover this “Ubi cáritas” (SATB) for smaller choirs. Énemond Moreau studied with OSCAR DEPUYDT (d. 1925), an orphan who became one of sacred music’s most towering figures. Depuydt’s students include: Flor Peeters (d. 1986); Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel (d. 1953); Arthur Meulemans (d. 1966); Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989); and Gustaaf Nees (d. 1965). Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #19705. When I came across the astonishing English translation of the “Ubi Cáritas” by Monsignor Ronald Knox—matching the Latin’s meter—I decided to add it underneath the Latin (for churches which have banned Latin).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Cantus Mariales” (192 pages)
    Andrea Leal has posted an absolutely pristine scan of CANTUS MARIALES (192 pages) which can be downloaded as a PDF file. To access this treasure, navigate to the frabjous article Andrea posted Monday. The file is being offered completely free of charge. The beginning pages of the book have something not to be missed: viz. a letter from Pope Saint Pius X to Dom Pothier, in which the pope calls Abbat Pothier “a man versed above all others in the science of liturgy, and to whom the cause of Gregorian chant is greatly indebted.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music List • (2nd Sunday of Lent)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 2nd Sunday of Lent (1 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has magnificent propers. Its somber INTROIT is particularly striking—using a haunting tonality—but the COMMUNION with its fauxbourdon verses is also quite remarkable. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Extreme Unction
    Those who search Google for “CCCC MS 079” will discover high resolution images of a medieval Pontificale (“Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 079”). One of the pages contains this absolutely gorgeous depiction of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    PDF Chart • “Plainsong Rhythm”
    I will go to my grave without understanding the lack of curiosity so many people have about the rhythmic modifications made by Dom André Mocquereau. For example, how can someone examine this single sheet comparison chart and at a minimum not be curious about the differences? Dom Mocquereau basically creates a LONG-SHORT LONG-SHORT rhythmic pattern—in spite of enormous and overwhelming manuscript evidence to the contrary. That’s why some scholars referred to his method as “Neo-Mensuralist” or “Neo-Mensuralism.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Simplified)
    I admire the harmonization of “Adeste Fideles” by David Willcocks (d. 2015), who served as director of the Royal College of Music (London, England). In 2025, I was challenged to create a simplified arrangement for organists incapable of playing the authentic version at tempo. The result was this simplified keyboard arrangement (PDF download) based on the David Willcocks version of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Feel free to play through it and let me know what you think.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Yet, with all its advantages, the new Missal was published as if it were a work put together by professors, not a phase in a continual growth process. Such a thing never happened before. It is absolutely contrary to the laws of liturgical growth, and it has resulted in the nonsensical notion that Trent and Pius V had “produced” a Missal four hundred years ago.

— Josef Cardinal Ratzinger (1986)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “Ubi Caritas” (SATB)
  • PDF • “Cantus Mariales” (192 pages)
  • PDF Download • Fourteen (14) Versions of the Splendid Hymn: “Salve Mater Misericordiae”
  • Fulton J. Sheen • “24-Hour Catechism”
  • Music List • (2nd Sunday of Lent)

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