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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

“Register Today!” • Sacred Music Symposium 2025

Jeff Ostrowski · February 12, 2025

S OF A FEW MINUTES AGO, enrollment has opened for the 2025 Sacred Music Symposium. If you visit the official website you can download the SCHEDULE OF EVENTS for 2025. We couldn’t be more excited about this year’s conference. The repertoire is peerless; the best of the best. Here are three things that distinguish our conference: (a) The bulk of it is dedicated to interactive rehearsals, in which participants are shown how to run a rehearsal properly; (b) All our presenters have established (in the real world) acclaimed music programs at the parish level; (c) The church we’re singing in has incomparable acoustics, even nicer than SAINT VICTOR in West Hollywood (where we held the first symposium) which had splendid acoustics.

You can download the official 2025 poster:

*  PDF Download • 2025 POSTER (High Resolution)

News! News! News! • A generous benefactor has agreed to cover 50% of the tuition for those who register before 5 May 2025 (Feast of Pope Saint Pius V). This offer is outstanding, and you can learn all about it by visiting the official website for Sacred Music Symposium 2025.

(1 of 3) Giving Back • I grew up with a ton of brothers (but just one sister). They were obsessed with playing certain computer games where you control your character in a make-believe world. They had to choose which NPC faction they wanted to fight with: the “Alliance” or the “Horde.” One day I asked: “So, how come neither side ever wins the game?” My brothers explained the game will never end—the ALLIANCE will be fighting the HORDE eternally.

(2 of 3) Giving Back • That computer game reminds me of the battle for authentic sacred music. It seems extremely unlikely we’ll ever succeed in eradicating all undignified music from every single Catholic Church. But as the great Monsignor Robert Alex Skeris reminded us: “Say not the struggle nought availeth.” Ours is a fight worth fighting—no matter the outcome!

(3 of 3) Giving Back • Having founded the annual Sacred Music Symposium ten years ago, I must admit it requires a lot more work than I’d imagined. But it’s kind of like parents who—out of a super-abundance of love—choose to adopt orphans. My colleagues and I have been given so much, this conference is an opportunity for us to “give something back.”

The rare photograph below was taken at the very first Sacred Music Symposium:

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Sacred Music Symposium, Sacred Music Symposium 2025 Last Updated: May 1, 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

    “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
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th 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 spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Kids’ Choir Sings Thomas Aquinas
    Last Sunday, a children’s choir I’m teaching sang with us for the very first time at Sunday Mass. Females from our main choir sang along with them. If you’re curious to hear how they sounded, you can listen to a ‘live’ recording. That’s an English version of TANTUM ERGO by Saint Thomas Aquinas. That haunting melody is called GAUFESTRE and was employed for this 2-Voice Arrangement of a special hymn for 9 November (“Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome”) which replaces a Sunday this year.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Reminder” — Month of September (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —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
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“We being many are one bread and one body, All who share the one bread and one cup. Vs. Thou hast prepared of thy sweetness for the poor, O God, who makest us to dwell in one mind in thy house. All who share the one bread and one cup.”

— Responsory (Matins for Corpus Christi) transl. by Fortescue

Recent Posts

  • “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
  • Involving Women in the Communion?
  • “Toward a More Sacred Style With Pastoral Charity” • Guest Article by Dr. Myrna Keough
  • “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Kids’ Choir Sings Thomas Aquinas

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