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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

Veronica Brandt • Article Archive

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. As editor, she has produced fine publications (as well as valuable reprints) dealing with Gregorian chant, hymnody, Latin, and other subjects. These publications are distinguished on account of their tastefulness. She lives in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia, with her husband Peter and six children.—Read full biography (with photographs).

Veronica Brandt · January 27, 2018

Can You Sing Along to Monks?

A video to supplement our local choir practices – a quick run through Missa Orbis Factor (also known as Mass XI) – the Gregorian Mass setting for Sundays during the year.

Veronica Brandt · January 6, 2018

Tweaking Linebreaks Online with Gregorio

You CAN add linebreaks with Illuminare Score Editor. All in the browser.

Veronica Brandt · December 30, 2017

GABC Propers Tool Revisited

A major shortcut to preparing Gregorian chant propers and ordinaries.

Veronica Brandt · December 23, 2017

Epiphany Proclamation 2018

Fifteen years typing up the Proclamation of Moveable Feasts!

Veronica Brandt · December 16, 2017

Not That Gaudete

A simple misunderstanding that arises with new choir members who are aware of the Christmas Carol called Gaudete and that the Third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday.

Veronica Brandt · December 9, 2017

Online Advent Calendars 2017

What do you use to countdown to Christmas?

Veronica Brandt · December 2, 2017

Tantum Ergo Comically Misunderstood in Italian

Tantum Ergo or Canta Merlo? A bit of fun with Italian and Latin.

Veronica Brandt · November 25, 2017

Sing Salve Regina in Your Rosary

A good chant to begin with. Print a copy with interlinear translation and join with one of the best known chants from the Church Universal.

Veronica Brandt · October 14, 2017

Christus Vincit – Christ Conquers

A little more on the triumphal chant inspired from Roman victory celebrations.

Veronica Brandt · September 30, 2017

Corda Pia – A Franciscan Hymn

A really old hymn commemorating the Stigmata of St Francis of Assisi.

Veronica Brandt · September 23, 2017

How Much Latin Do You Need?

How to learn to read 20% of the Missale Romanum – forget “Amo, Amas, Amat” – dive into the most frequently used words.

Veronica Brandt · September 16, 2017

Catena Legionis in Gregorian Chant

Our Lady sings Magnificat with tones surpassing sweet – and you can too with this simple Gregorian chant setting.

Veronica Brandt · September 9, 2017

The Place of Pews in the Church

Are chairs or pews a hindrance or a help?

Veronica Brandt · April 29, 2017

Sing everyday! Regina Caeli!

Singing isn’t just a Sunday thing – if you want to sing well, then it’s good to sing everyday! Bring this ancient antiphon into your life and see how it goes.

Veronica Brandt · April 20, 2017

Patterns in the Easter Sequence

I had a go at finding the structure of the melody…

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Music List • (Palm Sunday, 2026)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for Palm Sunday—a.k.a. “Dominica in palmis de Passione Domini”—which is 29 March 2026. Please feel free to download it as a PDF file if such a thing interests you. The OFFERTORY (Impropérium exspectávit cor meum) is quite moving. Even though the COMMUNION ANTIPHON is relatively simple, the Fauxbourdon makes it sound outstanding.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Easter • Would You Sing This Hymn?
    He who examines Laudes Dei: a hymnal for Catholic congregations (St. Louis, 1894) will discover this pairing of a hymn for Easter. For the record, this isn’t the only Catholic hymn book to marry that text and melody; e.g. Saint Mark’s Hymnal for Use in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States (Peoria, 1910) does the same thing. Sometimes an unexpected pairing—chosen with sensitivity—can be superb, forcing singers to experience the text in a ‘fresh’ and wonderful way. On the other hand, we sometimes encounter something I’ve called “PERNICIOUS HYMN PAIRINGS.” If you find the subject in intriguing, feel free to peruse an article I published in May of 2023. As always, my email inbox is open if you have a bone to pick with my take.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Pipe Organ “Answers” in Plainsong?
    In 2003, I copied a book by Félix Bélédin (d. 1895), who was titular organist—from 1841 to 1874—at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Lyon (France). In 2008, we scanned and uploaded the book to the Lalande Online Library. Nobody knows for sure when the book was published; some believe it first appeared in the 1840s. In any event, one who examines this excerpt, showing GLORIA IX might wonder why it says the organ answers in plainsong. However, the front of the book explains, telling the organist explicitly when to “respond in plainchant.” This is something called organ alternatim. Believe it or not, the pipe organ would take turns with the choir, playing certain texts instrumentally instead of having them sung. I’m not very well-versed in this—pardon the pun—but if memory serves, ORGAN ALTERNATIM was frowned upon by the time of Pope Saint Pius X. Nevertheless, French organists kept doing it, even after it was explicitly condemned as an abuse.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Gregorian Chant Quiz” • 24 March 2026
    How well do you know your Gregorian hymns? Do you recognize the tune inserted into the bass line on this score? For many years, we sang the entire Mass in Gregorian chant—and I mean everything. As a result, it would be difficult to find a Gregorian hymn I don’t recognize instantly. Only decades later did I realize (with sadness) that this skill cannot be ‘monetized’… This particular melody is used for a very famous Gregorian hymn, printed in the LIBER USUALIS. Do you recognize it? Send me an email with the correct words, and I promise to tell everybody I meet about your prowess!
    —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
    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

Random Quote

“In all this mediaeval religious poetry there is much that we could not use now. Many of the hymns are quite bad, many are frigid compositions containing futile tricks, puns, misinterpreted quotations of Scripture, and twisted concepts, whose only point is their twist. But there is an amazing amount of beautiful poetry that we could still use. If we are to have vernacular hymns at all, why do we not have translations of the old ones?”

— Fr. Adrian Fortescue (d. 1923)

Recent Posts

  • Music List • (Palm Sunday, 2026)
  • Easter • Would You Sing This Hymn?
  • “Priest Saying Mass” • Medieval Illumination
  • From Sentiment to Sacrament: Reclaiming Sacred Music for the Wedding Mass
  • Pipe Organ “Answers” in Plainsong?

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