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Corpus Christi Watershed

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

Dr. Tappan • Article Archive

Dr. Lucas Tappan is a conductor and organist whose specialty is working with children. He lives in Kansas with his wife and four children.—Read full biography (with photographs).

Dr. Lucas Tappan · March 7, 2017

Let Everything That Hath Breath Praise the Lord!

Point us once again to God Who is Beauty Itself!

Dr. Lucas Tappan · February 21, 2017

Music and the Imagination

Along the “via pulchritudinis” (the way of beauty) they will come to know Him Who is Beauty itself.

Dr. Lucas Tappan · February 14, 2017

Singing for Cardinal Burke’s Pontifical Low Mass

I told Cardinal Burke that is was a blessing for us to sing for the Mass and assured him of our prayers.

Dr. Lucas Tappan · February 8, 2017

Beauty, Music and the Sacred Liturgy

Beauty will return to the Sacred Liturgy when we once again turn our hearts to the Lord.

Dr. Lucas Tappan · January 24, 2017

Chorister Pitfalls

A misguided belief states that the quality of our liturgical music should be sacrificed on the altar of good intentions.

Dr. Lucas Tappan · January 10, 2017

When to Teach Children to Sight-Read Plainsong

Children can and should be taught Gregorian chant by hearing and repeating—but this binds them to singing only what they have memorized.

Dr. Lucas Tappan · January 3, 2017

God or Nothing

I think we can slay the current and popular belief that by making the liturgy, and by extension liturgical music, “relevant” to people we will somehow bring them back to God.

Dr. Lucas Tappan · December 27, 2016

A Christmas Carol

Keep the flame of the true Christmas spirit burning brightly and carol to your heart’s content.

Dr. Lucas Tappan · December 20, 2016

Appropriate Music for the Sacred Liturgy

It’s hard to implement a program of truly sacred music, focused on the Lord, when so many of our Masses and other services are celebrated as if God were a side note…

Dr. Lucas Tappan · December 13, 2016

A Late Gift for Nicholasmas

Unfortunately we live in a society in which parents can no longer allow the culture to help form their children, and in most instances are forced to fight such an un-cultural leviathan.

Dr. Lucas Tappan · December 6, 2016

Where Does Your Heart Lie?

If Christmas day arrives and you haven’t been to confession, your daily prayer has suffered, and you haven’t eaten supper with your family at least five nights a week during Advent, you’re in too far.

Dr. Lucas Tappan · November 22, 2016

Pastors & Church Musicians: Are We Really Working Together?

Msgr. Marini recently spoke to a group of Italian musicians as part of a choral festival.

Dr. Lucas Tappan · November 15, 2016

Seven Tips for the Organist

I also want to say “thank you” to all of you who play the organ during the sacred liturgy. We owe you a great song of gratitude!

Dr. Lucas Tappan · October 25, 2016

Music for the Year of Mercy

Puccini’s music allows us to glimpse the love of a Father, Who doesn’t merely sit on the 50 yard line waiting to see which side of the eternal line we die on…

Dr. Lucas Tappan · October 18, 2016

Music and the Formation of Our Youth

“While it is true that children can make beautiful music, it is more important that music can make beautiful children…”

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Which Mass?
    In 1905, when the Vatican Commission on Gregorian Chant began publishing the EDITIO VATICANA—still the Church’s official edition— they assigned different Masses to different types of feasts. However, they were careful to add a note (which began with the words “Qualislibet cantus hujus Ordinarii…”) making clear “chants from one Mass may be used together with those from others.” Sadly, I sometimes worked for TLM priests who weren’t fluent in Latin. As a result, they stubbornly insisted Mass settings were ‘assigned’ to different feasts and seasons (which is false). To understand the great variety, one should examine the 1904 KYRIALE of Dr. Peter Wagner. One should also look through Dom Mocquereau’s Liber Usualis (1904), in which the Masses are all mixed up. For instance, Gloria II in his book ended up being moved to the ‘ad libitum’ appendix in the EDITIO VATICANA.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Like! Like! Like!
    You won’t believe who recently gave us a “like” on the Corpus Christi Watershed FACEBOOK PAGE. Click here (PDF) to see who it was. We were not only sincerely honored, we were utterly flabbergasted. This was truly a resounding endorsement and unmistakable stamp of approval.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Atténde Dómine”
    Although it isn’t nearly as ancient as other hymns in the plainsong repertoire, Atténde Dómine, et miserére, quía peccávimus tíbi (“Look down, O Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against Thee”) has become one of the most popular hymns for LENT—perhaps because it was included in the famous Liber Usualis of Solesmes. This musical score (PDF file) has an incredibly accurate version in English, as well as a nice version in Spanish, and also the original Latin. Although I don’t claim to have a great singing voice, this morning I recorded this rehearsal video.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Extreme Unction
    Those who search Google for “CCCC MS 079” will discover high resolution images of a medieval Pontificale (“Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 079”). One of the pages contains this absolutely gorgeous depiction of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    PDF Chart • “Plainsong Rhythm”
    I will go to my grave without understanding the lack of curiosity so many people have about the rhythmic modifications made by Dom André Mocquereau. For example, how can someone examine this single sheet comparison chart and at a minimum not be curious about the differences? Dom Mocquereau basically creates a LONG-SHORT LONG-SHORT rhythmic pattern—in spite of enormous and overwhelming manuscript evidence to the contrary. That’s why some scholars referred to his method as “Neo-Mensuralist” or “Neo-Mensuralism.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Simplified)
    I admire the harmonization of “Adeste Fideles” by David Willcocks (d. 2015), who served as director of the Royal College of Music (London, England). In 2025, I was challenged to create a simplified arrangement for organists incapable of playing the authentic version at tempo. The result was this simplified keyboard arrangement (PDF download) based on the David Willcocks version of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Feel free to play through it and let me know what you think.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

The local church should be conscious that church worship is not really the same as what we sing in a bar, or what we sing in a convention for youth.

— Francis Cardinal Arinze (2005)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “Funerals in the Ordinary Form”
  • Extreme Unction
  • Which Mass?
  • Like! Like! Like!
  • PDF Download • “Pange Lingua” in Simple (Contemporary) Polyphony for Three Voices

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