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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

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 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

    “Music List” • 26th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 28 September 2025, which is the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a gorgeous melody and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of September (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • Communion (26th Sn. Ord.)
    This coming Sunday, 28 September 2025, is the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). The COMMUNION ANTIPHON with Fauxbourdon verses in honor of William Couture sparkles with beauty. It comes Psalm 118 (the lengthiest psalm) which is an “alphabetical acrostic.” That means each verse begins with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “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 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
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Side-By-Side Comparison”
    Pope Urban VIII modified almost all the Church’s ancient hymns in 1632AD. The team responsible for creating the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal spent years comparing the different versions of each hymn: “Urbanite” vs. “pre-Urbanite.” When it comes to the special hymn for the upcoming feast (9 November)—URBS BEATA JERUSALEM—Dr. Adrian Fortescue pointed out that “the people who changed it in the 17th century did not even keep its metre; so the later version cannot be sung to the old, exceedingly beautiful tune.” Monsignor Hugh Thomas Henry (d. 1946), a professor of Gregorian Chant at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary (Overbrook, Philadelphia), wrote: “Of this hymn in particular some think that, whereas it did not suffer as much as some others, yet it lost much of its beauty in the revision; others declare that it was admirably transformed without unduly modifying the sense.” You can use this side-by-side comparison chart to compare both versions. When it comes to its meaning, there’s little significant difference between the two versions: e.g. “name of Christ” vs. “love of Christ.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

This was first breach in the walls of a fortress, centuries old, stoutly built, strong and robust, but no longer capable of responding to the spiritual needs of the age. [N.B. the “fortress” is a liturgy which nourished countless great saints.]

— Annibale Bugnini (19 March 1966)

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  • “Music List” • 26th in Ordinary Time (Year C)

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