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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

Hilgartner 20 November 2012

Jeff Ostrowski · February 17, 2025

PDF Download • Common Texts for the Gospel Acclamation (“Alleluia”)

For many years, this situation embarrassed me.

Jeff Ostrowski · October 15, 2022

USCCB • “Principal Music Books for the Eucharist”

The principal books of music for the Eucharist were recently (re-)confirmed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Jeff Ostrowski · September 20, 2016

Catastrophic Results of USCCB “Interpretation”

“Peace, peace, peace on earth; peace to God’s people, all people on earth.”

Jeff Ostrowski · February 16, 2016

Something That Would Fix So Much … But Nobody Mentions It

Is this “tacit” approval really “imaginary” approval?

Jeff Ostrowski · March 10, 2015

Six Things To Know About USCCB Hymn Approval

It’s no secret. Anyone who’s been in Church music realizes what happens in 99% of Catholic parishes.

Aurelio Porfiri · March 3, 2015

Permission Needed to Replace the Propers?—(7 of 7)

We should be more and more convinced that the Propers are “healthier” than alternative songs…

Cynthia Ostrowski · March 1, 2015

Permission Needed to Replace the Propers?—(6 of 7)

The wife of a Church musician weighs in…

Dr. Lucas Tappan · February 24, 2015

Permission Needed to Replace the Propers?—(4 of 7)

This year one, a seminarian from our parish is being ordained. He requested that we sing the Propers for his first Mass.

Andrew R. Motyka · February 24, 2015

Permission Needed to Replace the Propers?—(5 of 7)

The practical end of formal approval.

Veronica Brandt · February 21, 2015

Permission Needed to Replace the Propers?—(2 of 7)

How modernism effects music and babies. And how UNICEF is like the Catholic Church.

Andrew Leung · February 21, 2015

Permission Needed to Replace the Propers?—(3 of 7)

When the GIRM says “four options”, they really mean four preferences…

Richard J. Clark · February 20, 2015

Permission Needed to Replace the Propers?—(1 of 7)

“Tacit approval” alone isn’t getting the job done. It is abdicating authority to composers and publishers, pastors and liturgists.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 16, 2015

Bishops Care When Their Names Are “Tacitly” Used

The current GIRM never mentions “tacit” approval.

Guest Author · February 9, 2015

“No Approval Needed for Substitute Songs” says USCCB • Exclusive Documentation

“After six months and 70+ letters, I received a letter from the chairman of Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy.” —Dan Craig

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Music List • (2nd Sunday of Lent)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 2nd Sunday of Lent (1 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has magnificent propers. Its somber INTROIT is particularly striking—using a haunting tonality—but the COMMUNION with its fauxbourdon verses is also quite remarkable. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Like! Like! Like!
    You won’t believe who recently gave us a “like” on the Corpus Christi Watershed FACEBOOK PAGE. Click here (PDF) to see who it was. We were not only sincerely honored, we were utterly flabbergasted. This was truly a resounding endorsement and unmistakable stamp of approval.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Which Mass?
    In 1905, when the Vatican Commission on Gregorian Chant began publishing the EDITIO VATICANA—still the Church’s official edition— they assigned different Masses to different types of feasts. However, they were careful to add a note (which began with the words “Qualislibet cantus hujus Ordinarii…”) making clear “chants from one Mass may be used together with those from others.” Sadly, I sometimes worked for TLM priests who weren’t fluent in Latin. As a result, they stubbornly insisted Mass settings were ‘assigned’ to different feasts and seasons (which is false). To understand the great variety, one should examine the 1904 KYRIALE of Dr. Peter Wagner. One should also look through Dom Mocquereau’s Liber Usualis (1904), in which the Masses are all mixed up. For instance, Gloria II in his book ended up being moved to the ‘ad libitum’ appendix in the EDITIO VATICANA.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Extreme Unction
    Those who search Google for “CCCC MS 079” will discover high resolution images of a medieval Pontificale (“Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 079”). One of the pages contains this absolutely gorgeous depiction of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    PDF Chart • “Plainsong Rhythm”
    I will go to my grave without understanding the lack of curiosity so many people have about the rhythmic modifications made by Dom André Mocquereau. For example, how can someone examine this single sheet comparison chart and at a minimum not be curious about the differences? Dom Mocquereau basically creates a LONG-SHORT LONG-SHORT rhythmic pattern—in spite of enormous and overwhelming manuscript evidence to the contrary. That’s why some scholars referred to his method as “Neo-Mensuralist” or “Neo-Mensuralism.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Simplified)
    I admire the harmonization of “Adeste Fideles” by David Willcocks (d. 2015), who served as director of the Royal College of Music (London, England). In 2025, I was challenged to create a simplified arrangement for organists incapable of playing the authentic version at tempo. The result was this simplified keyboard arrangement (PDF download) based on the David Willcocks version of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Feel free to play through it and let me know what you think.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The Night Office—Nocturns or Matins—except for Holy Week, Easter Octave, and Christmas, has never appeared in the Vatican edition. The larger part of the mediaeval repertory for the Office thus remains still unpublished in the Vatican edition, and is likely to remain so, for the obvious reason that almost no cathedral chapters or monastic choirs sing the Night Office regularly today.”

— John Merle Boe (1968)

Recent Posts

  • Music List • (2nd Sunday of Lent)
  • PDF Download • “Funerals in the Ordinary Form”
  • Extreme Unction
  • Like! Like! Like!
  • Which Mass?

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