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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

Articles

Daniel Tucker · December 20, 2020

What’s With All the Chant?

I had the honor of presenting this material to my parishioners at St. Thérèse Little Flower Catholic Church last week.

Richard J. Clark · December 20, 2020

Announcement of Easter & the Movable Feasts • 2021 • English & Spanish

The following free downloads in English and Spanish contain dates for 2021 in the score.

William J. Fritz · December 17, 2020

(Installment #15) “Catholic Hymnals” • William Fritz

To (re)Harmonize a Hymn—“Anima Christi” by Dr. Theodore Marier

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Jeff Ostrowski · December 16, 2020

The First Time We’ve Ever Done This Correctly!

Abbot Pothier included a section called “De Ritibus Servandis In Cantu Missae.”

Jeff Ostrowski · December 15, 2020

“Blessing the Bell” • Most Rev’d Alejandro D. Aclan

When a monk hears the bell, he stops whatever he’s doing and immediately goes to prayer. It is the voice of God calling us to pray, to avoid sin, and to forget the things of this world and think of Him.

Richard J. Clark · December 15, 2020

Saint Paul’s Choir School Presents “Starry Night: Christmas in Harvard Square”

A beacon of light in a dark time, the Saint Paul’s Choir of Men and Boys presents “Starry Night: Christmas in Harvard Square”

Keven Smith · December 14, 2020

How to Help Children Match Pitch (part III)

Three more tips on what to do and how to act with your young music students. Learn the secret ingredient of success!

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Jeff Ostrowski · December 13, 2020

“Rorate Mass” (FSSP) • 12 December 2020

Attendance was standing room only. Afterwards, the children presented roses to Mary—as the entire parish prayed the Rosary—and then we consecrated California to Jesus Christ.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 12, 2020

“Homily — 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B” • Father Valentine Young, OFM

As the Gloria during Mass suggests, we should “thank Him simply because of His great glory.” When is the last time you did that?

Richard J. Clark · December 11, 2020

Safety in Music is a Pro-Life Issue

Updated music protocols in the Archdiocese of Boston include multiple layers of protection: masks, ventilation, distance, time.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 10, 2020

Offertory Compared • “Ave Maria” (4th Sunday of Advent) vs. “Ave Maria” (Immaculate Conception)

Consider the melody found in “Le Graduel Romain,” published in 1800—nine years before Napoleon Bonaparte kidnapped Pope Pius VII

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Jeff Ostrowski · December 8, 2020

Gregorian Chant • “How To Sing The Repercussion” (such as: Bistropha, Tristropha, etc.)

Each monastery had its own particular way of singing plainsong.

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Keven Smith · December 7, 2020

How to Help Children Match Pitch (part II)

Got your kids singing in head tone? Good. Next, try these two tips to eliminate obstacles to their success.

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Fr. David Friel · December 6, 2020

The Prophet Baruch: Surge, Ierusalem, Look to the East!

The communion chant for the Second Sunday of Advent, together with the introit and offertory, invite us to reflect on the Holy City, Jerusalem.

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Jeff Ostrowski · December 6, 2020

“Homily — 2nd Sunday of Advent, Year B” • Father Valentine Young, OFM

Yes, these are extraordinary times—and they require something extraordinary from us.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Good Friday Flowers
    Good Friday has a series of prayers for various parties: the pope, catechumens, pagans, heretics, schismatics, and so forth. In the old liturgical books, there was no official ‘name’ for these prayers. (This wasn’t unusual as ‘headers’ and ‘titles’ for each section is a rather modern idea.) The Missal simply instructed the priest to go to the Epistle side and begin. In the SHERBORNE MISSAL, each prayer begins with a different—utterly spectacular—flower. This PDF file shows the first few prayers. Has anyone counted the ‘initial’ drop-cap flowers in the SHERBORNE MISSAL? Surely there are more than 1,000.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music List • (3rd Sunday of Lent)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 3rd Sunday of Lent (8 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has magnificent propers. Its stern INTROIT (“Óculi mei semper ad Dóminum”) is breathtaking, and the COMMUNION (“Qui bíberit aquam”) with its fauxbourdon verses is wonderful. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.
    —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

Quick Thoughts

    “Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation
    It isn’t easy to determine what Alice King MacGilton hoped to accomplish with her very popular book—A Study of Latin Hymns (1918)—which continued to be reprinted in new editions for at least 34 years. This PDF file shows her attempt to translate the DIES IRAE “in the fewest words possible.” There’s a place for dynamic equivalency, but this is repugnant. In particular, look what she does to “Quærens me sedísti lassus.”
    —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
    Grotesque Pairing • “Passion Chorale”
    One of our rarest releases was undoubtably this PDF scan of the complete Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) by Father Joseph Roff, a student of Healey Willan. One of the scarcest titles in existence, this book was provided to us by Mr. Peter Meggison. Back in 2018, we scanned each page and uploaded it to our website, making it freely available to everyone. Readers are probably sick of hearing me say this, but just because we upload something that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wonderful or worthy of imitation. We upload many publications precisely because they are ‘grotesque’, interesting, or revealing. Whereas the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal had an editorial board that was careful and sensitive vis-à-vis pairing texts with tunes, the Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) seems to have been rather reckless in this regard. Please take a look at what they did with the PASSION CHORALE and see whether you agree.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“At the hour for the Divine Office, | as soon as the signal is heard, | let them abandon whatever they may have in hand | and hasten with the greatest speed, | yet with seriousness, so that there is no excuse for levity. | Let nothing be preferred to the sacred liturgy.”

— Rule of St. Benedict (Chapter 43)

Recent Posts

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  • Good Friday Flowers
  • PDF Download • “Entrance Chant” for Holy Thursday (Plainsong in English)
  • “Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation

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