Views from the Choir Loft

Biography • Mark Haas

Mark Haas · June 4, 2025

ARK HAAS is a composer and speaker who promotes sacred music of the Catholic tradition. His liturgical music has been sung in over 600 parishes, in 10 countries, including musical settings for various ordinations and dedications. In 2017, his orchestration of Michael Accurso’s I Will Praise Your Name Forever was presented by the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra during the Dedication of the HOLY NAME OF JESUS CATHEDRAL in Raleigh, North Carolina. Mark has also contributed over 30 articles promoting various Catholic topics published by Aleteia.org (a website connected to the Vatican), ChurchPOP.com, CatholicExchange.com, Crisis Magazine, CatholicVote.org, and The Patrick Madrid Show. In 2025, he became a full-time contributor for Corpus Christi Watershed.

* Mark Haas • PUBLICITY PHOTO

Additional Details • In 2016, his original choral piece, Prayer of Saint Francis, was sung for Mass at the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Assisi, Italy. In 2024, Mark again collaborated with the Diocese of Raleigh for their 100th Centennial Mass, performing his arrangement of At the Name of Jesus (KING’S WESTON) for mixed choir and full orchestra. His YouTube Channel with over 18,000 subscribers promotes Catholic life and culture. Mark holds a BFA in Music Composition from Marshall University, and an MFA in Composition from UNC School of the Arts. He currently serves as the Director of Music at Ave Maria Catholic Church in Ave Maria, Florida where he lives with his wife and their seven original compositions.

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

About Mark Haas

Mark Haas is a composer and speaker whose music has been sung in over 600 parishes and 10 countries. He serves as the Music Director at Ave Maria Parish in Ave Maria, Florida where he lives with his wife and seven children.—(Read full biography).

A Nice Hymn In Spanish

In my humble opinion, this is a really beautiful hymn in Spanish. If I practice diligently, I’ll be able to pronounce all the words properly. If you’re someone who’s interested in obtaining a melody only version (suitable for your congregational ORDER OF WORSHIP) you can steal that from this.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Music List” • 21st in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Our choir returns on Sunday, 24 August 2025. Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for it, which is the 21st 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. When it comes to the feast of the Assumption (15 August 2025), I have uploaded the music list for that Mass—but not the “bi-lingual” Mass in the evening (Spanish, Latin, and English) which has completely different music.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Entrance Chant” • 21st Sunday Ordin. Time

You can download the ENTRANCE ANTIPHON in English for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) which is coming up on 24 August 2025. Corresponding to the vocalist score is this free organ accompaniment. It’s set in a melancholy mode, but if you heard my choir’s female voices singing it your soul would be uplifted beyond belief. If you’re someone who enjoys rehearsal videos, this morning I tried to sing it while simultaneously accompanying my voice on the pipe organ.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)

How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).

—Corpus Christi Watershed

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