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 · March 24, 2019

New Musical Settings for the Blessing of the Holy Oils

The USCCB has provided freely downloadable versions of the musical settings of these newly translated texts.

Fr. David Friel · March 17, 2019

The Lorica of St. Patrick

A fifth-century hymn preserved in an eleventh-century manuscript

Fr. David Friel · March 10, 2019

Square Notes: The Sacred Music Podcast

Dedicated to exploring the teaching and vision of the Church on the topic of liturgical music

Fr. David Friel · March 3, 2019

Leo XIII to St. Katharine Drexel: “What about you?”

Today marks the feast of Mother Katharine Drexel, whom the Holy Father challenged to become a missionary.

Fr. David Friel · February 23, 2019

New Resource! • Chant Videos for Treble Voices

A new website seeks to record the full Gregorian propers each week using a treble voice.

Fr. David Friel · February 17, 2019

Sacred Architecture and Brexit

A connecting link in the form of Gothic cathedrals

Fr. David Friel · February 2, 2019

Fourth-Century Advice for Choir Directors

A passage from Nicetas of Remesiana remains eminently applicable today.

Fr. David Friel · January 27, 2019

Formed in Beauty Lectures

Videos have been posted from the 2017 & 2018 conferences of the Catholic Art Guild

Fr. David Friel · January 20, 2019

Music Leads Us to Heaven

Franz Schubert’s famous art song, “An die Musik”

Fr. David Friel · January 13, 2019

Two February Workshops

A Symposium in Chicago and the Winter Pastoral Chant Conference in Indiana

Fr. David Friel · December 23, 2018

New Chair of Sacred Music at US Seminary

Dr. Nathan Knutson will inaugurate this new position.

Fr. David Friel · December 1, 2018

How Does Benedict XVI Perceive His Retirement?

Clues from a Wednesday General Audience

Fr. David Friel · November 18, 2018

Portland Publishes an “Archdiocesan Liturgical Handbook”

New publication from Archbishop Sample’s Office of Divine Worship

Fr. David Friel · November 4, 2018

Fulton Sheen on the Priesthood of the Baptized

A Lesson from a Retreat for the Priests of Gary, IN

Fr. David Friel · October 28, 2018

Proclaiming Christ’s Kingship

Acknowledging the Lord’s Dominion on Earth and in Heaven

Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)

With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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

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