Views from the Choir Loft

An American Requiem

Andrew Leung · October 28, 2015

WO BIG DAYS are coming up. We will be celebrating the Feast of All Saints and the Commemoration for All Souls on Sunday and Monday. Both of these days are closely related to the Church, the body of Christ. On Sunday, we will celebrate the feast of the Church in Heaven with glorious and solemn music. And on Monday, we will pray for our brothers and sisters in purgatory by observing the extra sacred silence in the Liturgy. About a month ago, I uploaded a list of hymns for Catholic Funerals which you might find useful if you are planning a sung Mass on All Souls Day.

* * PDF • 32 HYMNS FOR CATHOLIC FUNERALS

WOULD LIKE TO share another great resource here. A very impressive booklet has been published online by my friends, Fr. Charles Byrd and Bridget Scott. The name of the booklet is An American Requiem. It is a guide that helps priests, musicians and the families of the deceased to plan the funeral. The booklet is not meant to be a “Church Document”, but a useful guide and explanation of the Catholic funeral. The booklet explains the spirituality of the Requiem Mass in light of the Tradition of the Church and it discusses some of the “special musical features” of the funeral. This table of content may interest you:

CTL An American Requiem Booklet 4

CTL An American Requiem Booklet 5

CTL An American Requiem Booklet 6

The PDF of the booklet is free for download:

* * PDF • AN AMERICAN REQUIEM

THINK this booklet is very well-done academically, theologically, pastorally and artistically. It is a great resource for priests and church musicians. Please feel free to email Bridget Scott if you have any feedback at: olmchoirs@gmail.com

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

About Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly

Using “Ye” vs. “You” is rather tricky, because it depends upon which era one is trying to recreate—if that makes any sense. In other words, the rules haven’t always been the same for these two. Nevertheless, Father Philip George Caraman (the legendary Jesuit scholar) gives us a masterclass using Saint Luke’s Gospel. Father Caraman was close friends with Monsignor Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, and Sir Alec Guinness.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”

My pastor asked me to write brief 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 most recent article speaks about the recent announcement by Pope Leo XIV, which does have an impact on church musicians. Scheduled for publication on 2025 08 10th, it’s called: “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

All the chants for 3 August 2025—which is the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)—have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (from the book of Wisdom) is stunning. That feast website has been called “the best kept secret of Church music.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Pope Pius XII Hymnal?

Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Hybrid” Chant Notation?

Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

Antiphons Don’t Match?

A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).

—Corpus Christi Watershed