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Corpus Christi Watershed

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Views from the Choir Loft

Vexilla Regis Prodeunt

Jeff Ostrowski · April 18, 2025

(2025) • “Vexilla Regis” + “Ubi Caritas”

But they said: “Lord, behold here are two swords.” And He said to them: “It is enough.” —Luke 22:38

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Jeff Ostrowski · March 28, 2023

Three (3) Tricks Every Choir Director Should Learn

Conscientious choirmasters know it’s crucial to get “as much bang for your buck” as possible.

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Jeff Ostrowski · March 23, 2023

Four (4) Shimmery Hymns for Lent & Passiontide

“In nothing are English Catholics so poor as in vernacular hymns. The real badness of most of our popular hymns (endeared, unfortunately, to the people by association) surpasses anything that could otherwise be imagined.” —Father Fortescue

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Jeff Ostrowski · February 25, 2023

Eleven (11) Rare Lenten Hymns You’ve Not Sung!

“Our hymnbooks know nothing of such a treasure as this, and give us pages of poor sentiment in doggerel lines by some tenth-rate modern versifier.” —Father Fortescue

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Corrinne May · January 20, 2023

“On Eagles’ Wings?” • I Found Something Better!

The songs and hymns were pleasantly familiar … to the point where after twelve years I could play by heart every song in the ‘Breaking Bread’ hymnal.

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Jeff Ostrowski · August 29, 2022

Heavy Crosses Borne by Choirmasters

In my 25 years as a choirmaster, I’ve witnessed hypocrisy and mistreatment that would make your head spin.

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Jeff Ostrowski · April 5, 2022

Free Organ Accompaniment • “Vexilla Regis”

During Passiontide, the hymn at Vespers is the mighty Vexilla Regis Prodeunt of Bishop Venantius Fortunatus. In 2015, I composed an organ accompaniment for this hymn with each verse written out. This comes in pretty handy on occasions when the organist must “lead the hymn from the organ bench.” Please feel free to download my […]

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Jeff Ostrowski · February 14, 2015

Vexilla Regis Prodeunt (Gregorian Hymn)

Oh, what a difference a thousand years makes…

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Jeff Ostrowski · February 3, 2015

Palestrina “O Crux Ave” • Practice Videos

I’ve been yearning to sing this piece since 2002.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Eucharistic Prayer No. 2 on Sundays?

    Highlighted in yellow (on this single-page PDF file) is documentation concerning whether the 2nd Eucharistic prayer may be used on Sundays.

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    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Knox. Has. No. Equal.
    Dr. Finberg (of the University of Leicester) famously said: “No living writer possesses a greater command over the English language than Monsignor Ronald Knox.” A lifetime spent among his works would not exhaust them; always another thing to see, never once a reason to look away. Consider the marvelous way Knox Englished the famous VERBUM SUPERNUM of Saint Thomas Aquinas. The 4th verse (in Latin) means: “By being born, He became man’s companion; at this supper, He became man’s food; in dying, He became man’s ransom; in reigning, He is man’s reward.” Knox brilliantly makes the English fit the Latin meter: The manger, Christ their equal made, | That upper room, their souls’ repast, | The Cross, their ransom dearly paid, | And heav’n, their high reward at last. I believe the meaning of the French word “manger” was not absent from his thoughts when he penned that stanza.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Proportionalist Plainchant • (Documented)
    On this website, we believe: “If we don’t know where we came from, we can’t know where we’re going.” As a result, we often spend hours scanning old books of GREGORIAN CHANT (and organ accompaniments). We don’t claim those items are useful or desirable for today’s circumstances; the goal is understanding where we came from. Here is a fascinating musical score from the 19th century. At that time, it was believed that MENSURALISM (a.k.a. “proportionalism”) was the historically correct way to sing plainsong.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Predictable Rhymes?” • A Follow Up
    We received considerable correspondence regarding my article, Two Ways to Defile a Hymn. More specifically, what really raised certain people’s hackles was its follow-up article dealing with the keyboard accompaniment for the CHRIST THE KING HYMNAL. But to quote Eliza Doolittle: “Have I said anything I oughtn’t?” Please examine this PDF file and see whether you agree. Were the editors of the BRÉBEUF HYMNAL incorrect to insist upon sophisticated and clever rhymes, rather than mind-numbingly predictable rhymes?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    ‘Ould’ But Not Good
    Dom Samuel Gregory Ould (note the spelling) was a Benedictine monk at FORT AUGUSTUS ABBEY in Scotland. As musician, organist, and composer, Dom Ould was highly regarded. Moreover, he was considered an authority on Gregorian Chant. But not everything found in an old book—or, in this case, an “Ould” book—is necessarily praiseworthy. Consider this page from Dom Ould’s hymnal. Do you see the rhymes? They offend severely by ABR (“Abuse By Reuse”) and are utterly predictable. In my recent article—Two Ways to Defile a Hymn—I addressed this topic.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reader Feedback” • 22 June 2026
    A reader wrote to us from Virginia: “I really appreciate the 23 harmonizations that you posted on CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED for the Daily, Daily, Sing to Mary hymn. I hope to find willing voices in our small Schola Cantorum to try the three-voice version. Carry on, sir! You’re doing the Lord’s work.” While we don’t know this gentleman personally, we note that he earned a Ph.D. (which demonstrates that our blog has something for everybody). 😊
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

Bishops have a duty towards both wise and foolish. They have to rouse the devotion of the carnal people with material ornament, since they are incapable of spiritual things.

— St. Bernard of Clairvaux (†1153)

Recent Posts

  • “Worst Teacher the World Has Ever Seen”
  • Eucharistic Prayer No. 2 on Sundays?
  • “Panis Angelicus” • Organ Accompaniment (7 Pages)
  • 1,187 Pages • “Dripping With Color, Craft, and Splendor” (Missale Romanum, 1933)
  • Knox. Has. No. Equal.

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