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Corpus Christi Watershed

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

Our Editorial Policy

UST BECAUSE YOU SEE something published on our website, that doesn’t mean all our contributors agree with it. Nor does it de facto mean our editorial team endorses it. In the olden days, music journals often published opposing viewpoints. Here at Corpus Christi Watershed, we sometimes follow that tradition. Needless to say, we would never permit views contrary to the holy Catholic Faith—but when it comes to musical matters, we don’t rule out opposing views. If somebody is bothered by disagreements (e.g. disagreements over plainsong rhythm) it might be best to skip those articles. Our volunteers have produced something like 40,000 Pdf scores, Mp3 files, and rehearsal videos. Therefore, there’s plenty of variety for everyone to enjoy on our blog! Over the years, we’ve received beautiful messages of encouragement. These emails mean more to us than you’ll ever know.

Hate Mail • We’ve also received enormous amounts of hate mail. For instance, several years ago, an email we sent said THANK YOU to readers who’d generously given us donations. In response, someone accused us of “attacking people in nursing homes unable to provide financial support for your efforts.” For years, we received acrimonious messages from a gentleman angry our articles refer to the CLOSING HYMN as a RECESSIONAL. According to this person, there’s no such word. He told us countless times: “One can only process to and from the Altar; one cannot recess from the Altar.” And here’s a message someone sent us in response to an article on plainsong interpretation (!) we published:

If you ever gaslight me in any way ever again, it won’t be good. Back off. Hold yourself accountable for all the atrocities that you have committed against humanity. Other than apologize and making the wrong right you can zip it. **** off.

Anyone on the internet knows hate mail “goes with the territory”—and this is nothing compared to what our Savior suffered for our sins. Nevertheless, by reading these examples, perhaps you can understand better why cherish we the messages of encouragement sent to us.

Submitting a Guest Article:

We welcome guest submissions! (Remember that not every submission will be published.)

Formatting Your Submission • We have good reasons for our requirements. We want your article to look sensational. You’ve probably noticed our blog entries are usually tiny “works of art”—rather than “cut and paste.” If you employ special formatting, your article might have a greater chance of being rejected. Please avoid any special formatting. By “special formatting,” we mean text that has been aligned to the right or center, funky line spacing, footnotes, endnotes, and/or anything else that won’t display correctly on the various web browsers (and iPhones) that read our blog articles. However, if it is absolutely necessary, you may include a paragraph or so in blockquote:   <blockquote></blockquote> Your submission ought to look like this. On our blog, it will actually turn out like this.

Final Reminders • Please send a picture along with your submission. If you don’t have a picture, please indicate what sort of picture you’d like, and we’ll take care of the rest. Using bold letters, underlined text, or colored text is not allowed. If you wish to emphasize a particular idea, careful and skilled writing will suffice. It is allowed to use italics, but you must add them yourself, using the following code:   <em></em> Your blog submission ought to be sent to us in one of the following formats:

(a) .TXT document  (b) .DOC file  (c) .PDF document

Please email your submissions to us: chabanel@ccwatershed.org.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Music List • (5th Sunday of Lent)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 5th Sunday of Lent (22 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. Traditionally, this Sunday was called ‘Passion’ Sunday. Starting in 1956, certain church leaders attempted rename both ‘Passion’ Sunday and ‘Palm’ Sunday—but it didn’t work. For example, Monsignor Frederick McManus tried to get people to call PALM SUNDAY “Second Passion Sunday”—but the faithful rejected that. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music List • (Holy Thursday, 2026)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for Holy Thursday, which is 2 April 2026. If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a more piercingly beautiful INTROIT, and I have come to absolutely love the SATB version of ‘Ubi cáritas’ we are singing (joined by our burgeoning children’s choir). I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “O Escam Viatorum” • (Holy Thursday)
    When I was very young, I erroneously believed the four psalms provided by the 1957 Liber Usualis—for Communion on Holy Thursday—were the “correct” music to sing on that first day of the TRIDUUM SACRUM. Those four psalms are: Psalm 22 (Dóminus regit me et nihil mihi déerit); Psalm 71 (Deus judícium tuum regi da); Psalm 103 (Bénedic ánima méa); and Psalm 150 (Laudáte Dóminum in sanctis ejus). It turns out I was way out in left field! While nothing forbids singing those psalms, many other options are equally valid. Our volunteer parish choir will sing this COMMUNION PIECE (joined by our burgeoning children’s choir) on Holy Thursday during Holy Communion. Needless to say, this will happen after the proper antiphon from the GRADUALE ROMANUM has been sung.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    Stumped by “Episcopalian Hymnal” (1910)
    Some consider Songs of Syon (1910) the greatest Episcopalian hymnal ever printed. As a Roman Catholic, I have no right to weigh in one way or the other. However, this particular page has me stumped. I just know I’ve heard that tune somewhere! If you can help, please email me. I’m talking about the text which begins: “This is the day the Lord hath made; In unbeclouded light array’d.” The book is by George Ratcliffe Woodward, and its complete title is: Songs of Syon: A Collection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. Back in 2016, Corpus Christi Watershed scanned and uploaded this insanely rare book. For years our website was the sole place one could download it as a PDF file.
    —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

“Indeed, we may not hope for real Latin poetry any more, because Latin is now a dead language to all of us. However well a man may read, write, or even speak Latin now, it is always a foreign language to him, acquired artificially. It is no one’s mother tongue. Does a man ever write real poetry in an acquired language?”

— Rev’d Adrian Fortescue (d. 1923)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “Ubi Caritas” (SATB)
  • Summer 2026 • “Gregorian Chant Course” at Aquinas College (Nashville, TN)
  • Music List • (5th Sunday of Lent)
  • Music List • (Holy Thursday, 2026)
  • “O Escam Viatorum” • (Holy Thursday)

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.