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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

Sung Vs Spoken Propers Novus Ordo

Andrea Leal · May 28, 2025

“The Adalbert Propers” • Six (6) Quotations

“Fewer than 1% of Catholics are able to answer these questions correctly.” —Andrea Leal

Corpus Christi Watershed · May 1, 2025

Antiphons Don’t Match?

The short answer is: the “Adalbert Propers” were never intended to be sung.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 5, 2025

PDF Download • “Psalm Comparison Chart”

This PDF chart will be of interest to Catholic musicians!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 20, 2024

“Source and Summit” • What Is That?

Notice how Dom Franquesa (without explanation) stealthily annihilates sacrifice, sin, and the adoration we owe God.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 4, 2024

“A Peculiar Discrepancy” • Immac. Concep. (8 Dec.)

Who can explain this?

Corpus Christi Watershed · November 9, 2024

“Reader Feedback” • 9 November 2024

Let’s call this person “Harry.” (We usually redact names for anonymity’s sake.)

Jeff Ostrowski · November 8, 2024

Huge Discovery! • Rare Document Explains Why There’s a “Spoken” Version of the Propers

His statement is not only foolish, it approaches heresy!

Jeff Ostrowski · September 25, 2024

Liturgical Tomfoolery

Nobody’s been able to provide any reason for this—and it’s been 60 years.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 22, 2024

The Very Least We Can Do!

Today I must ask the infamous question… (ducks)

Jeff Ostrowski · August 6, 2024

PDF Download • “Entrance Chant in English” (19th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

Including twelve (12) different versions!

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 · July 19, 2024

PDF Download • “Plainsong Propers” (1964) — Extremely Rare!

English Gregorian Chant by the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood (O’Fallon, Missouri)

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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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 · 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.

Follow the Discussion on Facebook

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Kids’ Choir Sings Thomas Aquinas
    Last Sunday, a children’s choir I’m teaching sang with us for the very first time at Sunday Mass. Females from our main choir sang along with them. If you’re curious to hear how they sounded, you can listen to a ‘live’ recording. That’s an English version of TANTUM ERGO by Saint Thomas Aquinas. That haunting melody is called GAUFESTRE and was employed for this 2-Voice Arrangement of a special hymn for 9 November (“Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome”) which replaces a Sunday this year.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Reminder” — Month of September (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The sun, at one moment surrounded with scarlet flame, at another aureoled in yellow and deep purple, seemed to be in an exceedingly swift and whirling movement, at times appearing to be loosened from the sky and to be approaching the earth, strongly radiating heat.”

— ‘Dr. Domingos Pinto Coelho, noted lawyer from Lisbon and chairman of the Bar Association (1917)’

Recent Posts

  • “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
  • Involving Women in the Communion?
  • “Toward a More Sacred Style With Pastoral Charity” • Guest Article by Dr. Myrna Keough
  • “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Kids’ Choir Sings Thomas Aquinas

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