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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

Mark Haas • Article Archive

Mark Haas is a composer and speaker whose liturgical music has been sung in over 600 parishes and 10 countries. He lives in Florida with his wife and seven children.—Read full biography (with photographs).

Mark Haas · October 20, 2025

A Simple Way to Sing and Notate Organum Harmony

“Organum is a humble addition to Gregorian chant, yet it opens a profound sonic world.”

Mark Haas · October 10, 2025

Every Diocesan Music Commission Should Do This

“To assist this process, I have compiled links to the documents…” —Mark Haas

Mark Haas · October 1, 2025

My choir is devoid of this generation (And it’s a healthy sign)

“This unique vitality is nowhere more visible than in the choir loft.”

Mark Haas · September 22, 2025

The Old Gaffer: Parish Choir Director of Middle Earth

“Tending the garden of the liturgy so that, in God’s time, fruit may grow that is destined for eternity.”

Mark Haas · September 11, 2025

Charlie Kirk’s Fascination with Traditional Catholic Liturgy

“Charlie Kirk has repeatedly spoken about the power of traditional liturgy.”

Mark Haas · September 5, 2025

Is ‘Chant’ a Generic Word for ‘Sing’ ? • No!

To call any form of liturgical singing “chant” is to obscure the meaning the Church has always attributed to Gregorian chant.

Mark Haas · August 26, 2025

“Cracker Barrel & Catholicism” • Logos and Lessons

“A restaurant’s niche—just like a Church’s patrimony—draws people in not by blending with the generic, but by standing apart.”

Mark Haas · August 19, 2025

An Arranger’s Walkthrough of “King’s Weston” (PDF & MP3 Downloads)

“There is a sacred calling for those of us who compose and arrange music for the Church.”

Mark Haas · August 7, 2025

Is this what the new “Youth Mass” looks like?

“We had 14 singers in the loft—nearly all of them teenagers.”

Mark Haas · August 1, 2025

False! • “Youthful” Music Attracts the Young

We often underestimate the spiritual hunger of our youth. But children and teenagers are drawn to beauty, truth, and transcendence.

Mark Haas · July 12, 2025

Worship the Lord in Holy Attire

“Dressing with care and reverence for Mass is a sign—not just to God, but to others—of our awareness of the sacred.”

Mark Haas · July 4, 2025

“My First Year with the Latin Mass” • A Music Director’s Perspective

“Assisting at the Traditional Latin Mass has changed me.” —Mark Haas

Mark Haas · June 4, 2025

Biography • Mark Haas

Liturgical compositions by Mark Haas have been sung in over 600 parishes.

Mark Haas · January 2, 2024

Encourage the Clergy to Sing

Those in the pews are like sheep listening for the voice of the Good Shepherd. Guest article by Mark Haas.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
    Choirs love to sing the resplendent tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1929, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. Their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1929 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. As always, the Germans added an organ INTRODUCTION. For the record, I posted a different harmonization a few months ago which was downloaded more than 2,000 times.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
    Various shell corporations (in an effort to make money selling Sacred Scripture) have tinkered with the LECTIONARY texts in a way that’s shameful. It’s no wonder Catholics in the pews know so few Bible passages by heart. Without authorization, these shell corporations pervert the official texts. Consider the Responsorial Psalm for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If you download this PDF comparison chart you’ll notice each country randomly omits certain sections. Such tinkering has gone on for 60+ years—and it’s reprehensible.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Monsignor Klaus Gamber Speaks!
    An interesting quotation from the eminent liturgist, Monsignor Klaus Gamber (d. 1989): “According to canon law, a person’s affiliation with a particular liturgical rite is determined by that person’s rite of baptism. Given that the liturgical reforms of Pope Paul VI created a de facto new rite, one could assert that those among the faithful who were baptized according to the traditional Roman rite have the right to continue following that rite; just as priests who were ordained according to the traditional Ordo have the right to exercise the very rite that they were ordained to celebrate.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

It is unworthy that the stone holds Him, Who encloses everything in His hand, Locked in by the forbidding rock. (“Indígnum est cujus claudúntur cuncta pugíllo | Ut tegat inclúsum rupe vetánte lapis.”)

— SALVE FESTA DIES (Eastertide)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “Marian Antiphon Booklet” (4 pages) + Five Rhythmic Considerations
  • False Accusations
  • (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
  • PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
  • “Can Choral Music Survive?” • 3 Reasons It Will

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