Click here to see a photograph of Saint Mary’s Volunteer
Choir (Muskegon, MI), founded by J. Ostrowski in 2024.
O SERIOUS PERSON would deny a great rupture occurred in the late 1960s. Before that time, the Mass was layered—meaning multiple things took place simultaneously. For instance, the SANCTUS was sung while the priest was praying the Canon. This was not unique to the Roman Rite. Every other Catholic rite was thus layered: the Alexandrian rites; the Byzantine rites; the Chaldean rites; and so forth. According to Father Adrian Fortescue: “The Eastern rites have developed this principle of simultaneous prayers much more than in the West. Large portions of their liturgies may be described as two services going on at once, one performed by the celebrant in a whisper at the altar, the other sung by the people, led by the deacon, outside the Ikonostasion (where there is one).” But starting in 1970, the Roman Rite became linear,1 except for a few spots. One such spot is the ENTRANCE CHANT, sung while the celebrant incenses the altar. Our choir recently returned from summer vacation, and here’s a live recording of them singing the ENTRANCE CHANT on 31 August 2025:
Offertory Incense • Another ‘non-linear’ spot in the Novus Ordo is the OFFERTORY. Below is a live recording of our choir singing Hymn #505 at that same Mass (31 August 2025) while the priest incenses the altar. The part where the voices ‘split’ into harmonious lines is not to be missed:
Reacting to Rupture • Broadly speaking, however, the 1970 MISSALE ROMANUM got rid of layering, and—as noted above—that’s a major rupture. Psychologists warn against “maladaptive rumination” (i.e. constant negative thoughts), and Father Valentine Young said something along those same lines:
“Looking back over my life, I probably suffered more from things that never happened than from things that actually did.”
Are we called by God to spend all our time ruminating over that rupture? Should we spend 4 hours each morning lamenting it and 4 hours each afternoon complaining about it? Wouldn’t it be better to accept the hand we’ve been dealt and then—having offered our lives to Christ—do the very best we can?
Polyphony for the Ordinary Form • The Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “The treasury of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with very great care” (SC §114). However, because the Novus Ordo is not a ‘layered’ service, it’s sometimes difficult to follow the mandate of Vatican II. Many have written to us asking some variant of the following question:
“How can choirmasters introduce
polyphony to the Ordinary Form
without getting fired?”
Jeff’s Solution • Well, for the past fifteen years, I’ve urged readers to consider using something I call “choral extensions.” But many still request specific instruction on how exactly such extensions work in real life. To that end, I have assembled the following list:
(a) Here’s an example of a “choral extension” for the KYRIE by William Byrd. You can learn more about that by locating #88208 at LALEMANT POLYPHONIC. The following was recorded live last week by our volunteer choir, and the “choral extension”—our way of complying with SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM §114—comes at the end:
(b) Here’s an example of a “choral extension” for the ALLELUIA by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. You can learn more about that by locating #26561 at LALEMANT POLYPHONIC. The following was recorded live last week by our volunteer choir. Again, the “choral extension” (our way of complying with SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM §114) comes at the very end:
(c) Here’s an example of a “choral extension” for the AGNUS DEI by Zipoli. You can learn more about that by locating #28784 at LALEMANT POLYPHONIC. The following was recorded live last week by our volunteer choir:
(d) This one is not strictly speaking a “choral extension” (per se). It’s the gorgeous fauxbourdon verses we sing for the COMMUNION ANTIPHON, as found on the feasts website. The following was recorded live last week by our volunteer choir. The haunting “Glory be” at the end is not to be missed:
If you listen carefully, you can hear a few members of the congregation trying to join in. They’re not supposed to join in, but we must not blame them for being confused, because faithful Catholics have been jerked around (liturgically-speaking) for the last 60+ years. It’s going to take some time to reëstablish traditions.
Final Thoughts • On a weekly basis, we involve the congregation in many pieces; not just the first section of each choral extension. For instance, they love singing melodies from the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal. We also make plenty of room for unaccompanied plainsong. Here’s an example from last Sunday:
Renewal of Challenge • In many recent articles, I’ve been recommending the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal. I believe this book is indispensable for any serious Catholic choirmaster. (I certainly couldn’t run my choral program without it.) I don’t use the “P-word” word lightly, but I’m comfortable calling the BRÉBEUF HYMNAL peerless. Indeed, one of the main authors for the Church Music Association of America weblog declared (6/10/2022) that the BRÉBEUF HYMNAL “has no parallel and not even any close competitor.” For years, I’ve been searching for a qualified partner who’s willing to debate this assertion over zoom. Today—9 September 2025—I respectfully renew my challenge. Our website garners millions of hits, but so far nobody has accepted my challenge.
1 The Extraordinary Form was like a movie in which the soundtrack, the videography, the sound effects, and the dialogue all took place simultaneously. But in the MISSALE RECENS, only one thing happens at a given time. If the MISSALE RECENS follows the course of every other rite in history, it will become ‘layered’ as time goes on. According to Dr. Adrian Fortescue (who taught at the seminary alongside Monsignor Knox at SAINT EDMUND’S, WARE): “In the Eastern rites constantly the celebrant says one set of prayers while the deacon chants aloud other prayers with the people.”
