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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

“Ash Wednesday” • Banned after 93,000 Views!

Jeff Ostrowski · February 24, 2025

OR EVERY RULE, there is an exception. Our blog is 100% dedicated to positive things: providing more than 85,000 free musical scores, articles, instructional films, Mp3 recordings, rehearsal videos, and so forth. But if you search hard enough, you’ll discover an occasional article highlighting something scandalous in the Church. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. In 2019, we posted a video from Germany with truly offensive “sacred music” for Ash Wednesday. Within 48 hours, it received approximately 40,000 views. Then YouTube (and other film-hosting companies) removed it. Their actions were reprehensible as the video is covered under the “fair use” doctrine.1 Two years later, I was notified that somebody is going around banning—in spite of the “fair use” doctrine—the video from numerous platforms. It was posted on Facebook and within 24 hours garnered 35,000 views before Facebook ‘canceled’ the video. It’s remarkable that people are spending such energy making sure nobody sees the video yet they weren’t ashamed to use such music at Mass.

This video keeps
being removed illegally
although it falls under
the “fair use” category:

*  Direct Download • 22.4MB
—Download this video file directly from GloriaTV.
*  Direct Download • 22.4MB
—Download this video file directly from a Google Mirror.
*  Complete Mass • On YouTube
—Ash Wednesday Mass • Basilica of St. Cunibert (6 March 2019).
*  Watch Video • On GloriaTV
—Watch this video on GloriaTV.

Ash Wednesday’s True Music

Now, let us speak of the real music for Ash Wednesday; I don’t know any feast which makes greater use of tone painting. For instance, consider “Juxta Vestíbulum,” which is one of the antiphons sung during the distribution of ashes. The theme of “weeping before the Lord” is quite prominent on Ash Wednesday:

In another antiphon for the distribution of ashes—“Immutémur Hábitu”—we again find very mournful melodies:

Something happens Ash Wednesday which, as far as I know, is unique in the repertoire of Cantus Gregorianus, viz. a musical motif gets repeated in the different chants. Juxta Vestíbulum has it:

The Communion Antiphon also has it:

Another chant sung while the ashes are distributed—“Emendémus In Mélius,” famously set by composers like Pierre de Manchicourt (d. 1564) and Father Cristóbal de Morales (d. 1553)—has the melody three times:

70991-EMENDEMUS-2nd
70991-EMENDEMUS
70991-EMENDEMUS-3rd

The Ash Wednesday Entrance Antiphon (“Miseréris Ómnium Dómine”) has the motif twice:

70990-INTROIT
70990-INTROIT-2nd

Many more beautiful instances could be cited. For example, the way “Atténde Dómine” is set sounds like we are “calling out” to God.

Father Frederick Oakeley

Canon Frederick Oakeley (d. 1880) was a Catholic priest and disciple of Saint John Henry Newman. He was best known for the Christmas Carol: “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” Canon Oakeley published a book of hymns called Lyra Liturgica. I’m curious to know what readers think of this Ash Wednesday hymn:

*  PDF Download • ASH WEDNESDAY HYMN
—By Canon Frederick Oakeley (d. 1880), a Catholic priest.

Perhaps these verses seems a little “quaint” compared to the hymn texts chosen for professional liturgical collections, such as the Brébeuf hymnal. Yet, Canon Oakeley’s was inspired by his love for God, and that’s very important!

1 The “fair use” would take too long to describe in detail. It allows tiny excerpts of videos and articles to be shared freely.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Canon Frederick Oakeley, Dominik Susteck Ash Wednesday Last Updated: February 24, 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

    “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

“Partly on account of these alterations, and partly because I have been unable to ascertain the authorship of many compositions—which have come to me either in manuscript or through other collections—I have thought it right to publish the volume without appending the names of writers to their works. This, however, I confess to be a defect…”

— Benjamin Hall Kennedy (1863)

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