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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Low Mass Vernacular Hymns

Jeff Ostrowski · December 20, 2021

“Communion Service” for the Extraordinary Form?

This statement by the “Una Voce” president strikes me as inaccurate.

Jeff Ostrowski · September 14, 2021

PDF Download • Three Myths About Hymns

Did you know Catholics began translating hymns from Latin into the vernacular about 400 years before the Protestant Revolution?

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Jeff Ostrowski · May 10, 2021

Re: “Christ the King Hymnal” (Imprimatur, 1954)

Venerable Pope Pius XII explicitly allowed vernacular hymns during High Mass in 1958.

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Jeff Ostrowski · April 6, 2021

Live Recording • “Jesus My Lord, My God, My All”

Vernacular hymns at Communion during EF High Mass—your thoughts?

Jeff Ostrowski · January 31, 2020

A Traditional—But Bizarre!—Way To Assist At Mass

Just because I’m aware of something that happened in the past doesn’t mean I endorse it.

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Jeff Ostrowski · November 15, 2018

PDF Download • Mass Hymns by Fr. Seed, SJ (1906)

How utterly strange to see such items!

Jeff Ostrowski · November 6, 2018

PDF Download • “Pope Pius XII Hymnal” (1959)

Very few people have a copy of this incredibly rare Catholic hymnal.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 28, 2016

Catholic Hymns Before Vatican II Will Shock You!

In spite of what you may have read online, hymns in English were often sung during Low Mass.

Jeff Ostrowski · May 18, 2015

PDF Downloads • Vernacular Mass Settings Published During The 1960s

If they were set upon avoiding the word “men,” I wish ICEL would have done something like “peace on earth to *those* of good will.”

Jeff Ostrowski · April 8, 2015

Fascinating Videos From 1958 • Mass Sung In English!

A “Dialogue” Low Mass with singing (c. 1958) by choristers of St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 12, 2015

PDF Download: Rare Hymnal By Boston’s Archbishop

Can you imagine singing all those vernacular hymns while Mass is happening?

Jeff Ostrowski · November 18, 2014

“As you might imagine, it was a disaster.”

“While most worshipers were stumbling through the Introit or Collect, a few fluent in Latin would be loudly racing through the prayers.”

Jeff Ostrowski · August 19, 2013

Singing Propers and Ordinary . . . at Low Mass?

“And the practice of saying a Low Mass while the choir sings bits of things is too dreadful to be described.” — Fr. Adrian Fortescue, 1912

Jeff Ostrowski · April 11, 2013

PDF Download • Instruction on Sacred Music (“De Musica Sacra”) • Issued by Pope Pius XII in 1958

Don’t you hate it when you think you know the answer to something . . . and then you find out you were dead wrong? This happened to me regarding the congregation reciting Mass Propers in the Extraordinary Form.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    William Byrd • Simple “Agnus Dei” Canon
    Time flies! Back in July, I posted a PDF setting of a perfect canon by William Byrd (d. 1623) arranged as an AGNUS DEI for three voices. Last Sunday, we sang that arrangement with our volunteer choir. To hear a ‘live’ recording of it, click here (Mp3). In my humble opinion, this would be a perfect piece for a choir just beginning to experiment with polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony. — One of our volunteer choirs also sang that SANCTUS on 24 September 2023, and you can listen to how that came out.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

It should be borne in mind that there is no preference expressed in the liturgical legislation for either “versus populum” or “ad orientem.” Since both positions enjoy the favor of law, the legislation may not be invoked to say that one position or the other accords more closely with the mind of the Church.

— ‘Congregation for Divine Worship (Vatican City), 10 April 2000’

Recent Posts

  • Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Nuances of Nuances” (28 Sep 2023)
  • William Byrd • Simple “Agnus Dei” Canon
  • Active Participation or Not?
  • (Not Kidding) • Does Singing for Mass Fulfill One’s Obligation to Attend Mass?
  • A Brief Addendum

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