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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

    Good Friday Flowers
    Good Friday has a series of prayers for various parties: the pope, catechumens, pagans, heretics, schismatics, and so forth. In the old liturgical books, there was no official ‘name’ for these prayers. (This wasn’t unusual as ‘headers’ and ‘titles’ for each section is a rather modern idea.) The Missal simply instructed the priest to go to the Epistle side and begin. In the SHERBORNE MISSAL, each prayer begins with a different—utterly spectacular—flower. This PDF file shows the first few prayers. Has anyone counted the ‘initial’ drop-cap flowers in the SHERBORNE MISSAL? Surely there are more than 1,000.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music List • (3rd Sunday of Lent)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 3rd Sunday of Lent (8 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has magnificent propers. Its stern INTROIT (“Óculi mei semper ad Dóminum”) is breathtaking, and the COMMUNION (“Qui bíberit aquam”) with its fauxbourdon verses is wonderful. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Ubi Caritas” (SATB)
    I remember singing “Ubi Cáritas” by Maurice Duruflé at the conservatory. I was deeply moved by it. However, some feel Duruflé’s version isn’t suitable for small choirs since it’s written for 6 voices and the bass tessitura is quite low. That’s why I was absolutely thrilled to discover this “Ubi cáritas” (SATB) for smaller choirs by Énemond Moreau, who studied with OSCAR DEPUYDT (d. 1925), an orphan who became a towering figure of Catholic music. Depuydt’s students include: Flor Peeters (d. 1986); Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel (d. 1953); Arthur Meulemans (d. 1966); Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989); and Gustaaf Nees (d. 1965). Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #19705. When I came across the astonishing English translation for “Ubi Cáritas” by Monsignor Ronald Knox—matching the Latin’s meter—I decided to add those lyrics as an option (for churches which have banned Latin). My wife and I made this recording to give you some idea how it sounds.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation
    It isn’t easy to determine what Alice King MacGilton hoped to accomplish with her very popular book—A Study of Latin Hymns (1918)—which continued to be reprinted in new editions for at least 34 years. This PDF file shows her attempt to translate the DIES IRAE “in the fewest words possible.” There’s a place for dynamic equivalency, but this is repugnant. In particular, look what she does to “Quærens me sedísti lassus.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”
    For vigil Masses on Saturday (a.k.a. “anticipated” Masses) we use this simpler setting of the “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989), a Belgian priest, organist, composer, and music educator who ultimately succeeded another ‘Jules’ (CANON JULES VAN NUFFEL) as director of the Lemmensinstituut in Belgium. Although I could be wrong, my understanding is that the LEMMENSINSTITUUT eventually merged with “Catholic University of Leuven” (originally founded in 1425). That’s the university Fulton J. Sheen attended.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Grotesque Pairing • “Passion Chorale”
    One of our rarest releases was undoubtably this PDF scan of the complete Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) by Father Joseph Roff, a student of Healey Willan. One of the scarcest titles in existence, this book was provided to us by Mr. Peter Meggison. Back in 2018, we scanned each page and uploaded it to our website, making it freely available to everyone. Readers are probably sick of hearing me say this, but just because we upload something that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wonderful or worthy of imitation. We upload many publications precisely because they are ‘grotesque’, interesting, or revealing. Whereas the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal had an editorial board that was careful and sensitive vis-à-vis pairing texts with tunes, the Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) seems to have been rather reckless in this regard. Please take a look at what they did with the PASSION CHORALE and see whether you agree.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Soloists are dangerous in any church choir! Their voices frequently do not blend with those of the other singers to form a rich, integrated tone.

— Roger Wagner

Recent Posts

  • Good Friday Flowers
  • PDF Download • “Entrance Chant” for Holy Thursday (Plainsong in English)
  • “Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation
  • PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”
  • Music List • (3rd Sunday of Lent)

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