Views from the Choir Loft

Father Friel • Article Archive

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.—(Read full biography).

Fr. David Friel · October 5, 2014

Pope Francis & Mike Rowe Are in Agreement

Tell People What They Need to Hear

Fr. David Friel · September 28, 2014

Married Couples at the Synod

Celibates have something to offer married couples, just as married couples have lessons to teach celibates.

Fr. David Friel · September 14, 2014

The Meaning of Marriage 1

Does This Mean That Cohabitation Is Okay Now?

Fr. David Friel · September 7, 2014

Bishop Sheen Speaks

Pointers on Public Speaking

Fr. David Friel · August 31, 2014

Liturgy vs. Social Justice

A Classic Case of the Catholic “Both/And”

Fr. David Friel · August 17, 2014

Hippolytus of Rome & Eucharistic Prayer II

What’s the Connection?

Fr. David Friel · August 13, 2014

Assumption Mass

Msgr. Andrew Wadsworth will celebrate a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form this Friday evening in Philadelphia.

Fr. David Friel · August 10, 2014

Important Resources for Liturgical Reform (3 of 7)

Public Domain Scores & Published Resources

Fr. David Friel · August 3, 2014

The 15th Station?

The 9/11 Memorial and Conveying Catharsis through Art

Fr. David Friel · July 27, 2014

Is Recorded Music Okay for Children?

There is a prevalent notion that young people somehow need to be accommodated in the work of divine worship. As a former child, I find this to be an errant hankering.

Fr. David Friel · July 20, 2014

Basic Steps To Improve Music At Your Parish — Part 5

Silence is one of the most important sounds of the liturgy.

Fr. David Friel · July 13, 2014

The “Children’s Liturgy of the Word”

Are We Past This Yet?

Fr. David Friel · July 8, 2014

Colloquium Roundup

How to Experience Colloquium XXIV Belatedly and From Afar

Fr. David Friel · July 6, 2014

Colloquium Update IV

The Glories of A Single Proper

Fr. David Friel · July 5, 2014

Colloquium Update III

“Minding the Gap” — Organ Improvisation

Luis Martínez Must Go!

Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

—Jeff Ostrowski

Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!

A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)

I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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