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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

Graduale Romanum Roman Gradual Propers

Jeff Ostrowski · July 29, 2024

PDF Download • “O’Fallon Mass Propers” (483 Pages)

Including an English version of the “Dies Irae,” an English version of the “Lauda Sion,” and hundreds of pages of English Mass Propers.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 11, 2023

PDF Download • Max Springer’s Gradual in Modern Notation (870 pages) — Extravagantly Rare!

In addition to this rare book by Max Springer (870 pages), I release the draft copy of a new Gregorian project (157 pages).

Jeff Ostrowski · November 13, 2022

PDF Download • “Gregorian Accompaniments” … Just in time for Advent! (366 pages)

The second half of today’s article answers questions submitted by Mr. Matthew Frederes.

Fr. David Friel · January 16, 2021

Thou Hast Saved the Good Wine until Now

Reflections on the communion chant for the Second Sunday after Epiphany

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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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Andrea Leal · October 29, 2020

PDF Download • Rare 1970 Document Explains “Spoken vs. Sung Propers”

This is perhaps the single most significant liturgical document CCWatershed has ever unearthed—and translated to English! • Explains the origin of “Gradual Antiphons” vs. “Missal Antiphons” (a.k.a. “Sacramentary Antiphons”)+

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Richard J. Clark · October 16, 2020

Indispensable & Accessible: Fr. Samuel F. Weber Propers in English

Indispensable and accessible: these antiphons possess sublime elegance that grace the Novus Ordo Mass with simple, yet proper reverence and solemnity.

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Jeff Ostrowski · October 8, 2020

PDF Download • Communion Antiphon (Mt 16:24) with Organ Accompaniment

To give you an idea how this sounds, I recorded the piece on my toy organ.

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Jeff Ostrowski · October 2, 2020

“Spoken vs. Sung Propers” • The Complete History

Lies containing a little truth are the most difficult to quash • Here is the definitive, final exposé on why the “Spoken Propers” don’t match the “Sung Propers.” • In October of 1972, the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy falsely equated the “Spoken Propers” with the “Sung Propers” and proclaimed: “These antiphons are too abrupt for communal recitation” • Several official English translations of the Roman Gradual have received the imprimatur multiple times+

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Jeff Ostrowski · September 1, 2020

PDF Download • “Communion Antiphon” (with organ accompaniment)

An exciting new project gives me great hope for the “musical future” of the Catholic Church!

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Jeff Ostrowski · August 23, 2020

Huge Discovery! (Not a Joke) • Re: “Gradual Antiphons vs. Missal Antiphons”

Last night I discovered something I never knew—so I immediately telephoned a priest to verify this.

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Jeff Ostrowski · August 21, 2020

“Secret Book of Happiness” • Official English Translations of the Roman Gradual

Overkill: “ too much of something; the amount by which destruction exceeds what is necessary.”

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Jeff Ostrowski · August 19, 2020

Clarity! • Missal vs. Gradual Text (Ordinary Form)

If this problem is to be solved, we must first understand it.

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Fr. David Friel · April 9, 2017

Square Note App

Bring your “Graduale Digitalum” wherever you go.

Fr. David Friel · March 19, 2017

What to Do with the “Fourth Option”

A new Adoremus article explores how best to overthrow the tyranny of “alius cantus congruus.”

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    PDF Download • Communion (4th Snd. Lent)
    The COMMUNION ANTIPHON for this coming Sunday, which is the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year A), is particularly beautiful. There’s something irresistible about this tone; it’s neither happy nor sad. As always, I encourage readers to visit the flourishing feasts website, where the complete Propria Missae may be downloaded free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

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

10 February 1588: “All incompetent singers in the cathedral are warned that they must immediately begin to improve themselves or be fined. Regularly scheduled practice hours shall be announced, and all incompetents must attend. No one shall henceforth sing anything by way of a solo except those whose names the dean communicates to Guerrero.”

— From the “Life of Father Francisco Guerrero”

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