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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

Propers and “the Menu Approach”

Andrew R. Motyka · May 14, 2014

AY WHAT YOU WILL about the music put out by most mainstream Catholic liturgical music publishers in the last 25 years, but they do have an effective business model. The publisher that is largest by far has an approach toward liturgical preparation that removes all necessity for training, familiarity with literature, and quite a bit of time from the planning equation. Pick up their quarterly magazine, flip to this week’s Mass, and there it is laid out for you: handy selection of appetizers, entrées, and desserts to plug into each musical “slot” of the liturgy. Five minutes, tops, and you are ready to go with music for the Mass.

I know that description is pretty snarky, but actually, I admire the simplicity that this publisher has boiled the process down to. Since most music directors are part time (if they are compensated at all), they don’t have the time to be familiar with six different hymnals, several Gregorian propers, and the vast and growing collection of online resources of music for choir and congregation. When you have another full time job, and your “Church gig” is what you do on the weekends, you have to budget your time accordingly (protip: spend time on what feeds your kids).

There is most certainly a glut of “options” when it comes to celebrating the Ordinary Form of the Mass. The presence of these options make it far more difficult to prepare for Mass than it would be without them. Do we have a chanted Introit? A processional hymn? Are we using the Sprinkling Rite? If not, which setting of the Penitential Act are we using? How many different Glorias does our parish know? Yikes. We haven’t even started the readings yet, and we have already been asking musicians with little-to-no liturgical knowledge to make many decisions that impact the prayer and disposition of the faithful in their parish. It’s no wonder we’ve turned to handy little periodicals that spell it out for us.

I used to use this exact same approach when I was younger and first starting out. You have Publisher X’s resources in the pews, so isn’t it easier to plan the liturgy using their resources? What’s that you say? There are other publishers? There are lots of free resources online? Pay no attention to the Other Options Behind the Curtain. You’ve already subscribed to our resource, so you should use what we tell you to.

Okay, I’ll stop being snarky now, I promise (for now). When I started to learn more about the Propers of the Mass, whether Gregorian or otherwise, I realized that the Church already has a menu set out for us, one that has been refined for hundreds of years, not just picked out last month by an editor hawking this year’s hot new partner song to Amazing Grace. These texts, this music, fits the Scripture readings of the Mass perfectly because it almost always is Scripture. The Communion Antiphon hearkens back to the Gospel. The Introit calls us to go together to the altar.

The “menu approach” has a much longer tradition than the most recent planning resource. Check out the proper texts and find a good setting. There are hymn tune settings, plainchants, choral settings, responsorial settings, and everything in between. Plus, you’ll never have to worry about choosing that piece with sketchy theology; every one of the propers is not only approved, but encouraged by the Church. So break out the menu and order.

Just don’t get cole slaw. Nobody likes cole slaw.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Andrew R. Motyka

Andrew Motyka is the Archdiocesan Director of Liturgical Music and Cathedral Music for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Liturgical Round (“Canon”) in C-Major
    Those who direct children’s choirs are always on the lookout for repertoire that’s dignified, inspired, and pleasing—yet still within reach of young choristers. Such directors will want to investigate this haunting liturgical round (PDF download) which has been married to the KYRIE from Mass VI (EDITIO VATICANA). I have provided an accompaniment, but it’s only for use during rehearsal; i.e. when teaching this round to your choristers. I also provided an organ accompaniment for the KYRIE—which some know by its trope (Kyrie Rex Genitor)—so that your congregation can take part when this round is used as a choral extension during Mass.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Latin Liturgy Association
    We note with pleasure that Mrs. Regina Morris, president of the Latin Liturgy Association, has featured—on page 4 of Volume CXXIX of their official newsletter—the three (3) terrific versions of the Stations of the Cross found in the Brébeuf Hymnal. One of the main authors for the blog of the Church Music Association of America said (6/10/2019) about this pew book: “It is such a fantastic hymnal that it deserves to be in the pews of every Catholic church.”
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Music List” • 28th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 12 October 2025, which is the 28th 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 dazzling feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —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 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

“The authority of the Pope is not unlimited. It is at the service of Sacred Tradition. Still less is any kind of general ‘freedom’ of manufacture, degenerating into spontaneous improvisation, compatible with the essence of faith and liturgy. The greatness of the liturgy depends—we shall have to repeat this frequently—on its lack of spontaneity.”

— Josef Cardinal Ratzinger (2000)

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