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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

Palestrina “O Crux Ave” • Practice Videos

Jeff Ostrowski · February 3, 2015

371 Manuscript Vexilla ICHARD NIXON was not the only president of the United States. Reagan, Lincoln, Kennedy, and many others cannot be forgotten. Nixon was but a small part of the presidential legacy. Similarly, many choirs wrongly treat Palestrina’s “O Crux Ave” as if it were its own entity. In fact, it’s only one section of Palestrina’s setting of the Vexilla Regis hymn. Failure to grasp this is a grave error.

It is not possible to appreciate Palestrina’s setting without being familiar with the Gregorian version. Please take a minute to become familiar with the melody, by means of this video, this Mp3, or even this organ piece which uses themes from Vexilla. Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to listen to what Palestrina did with the sixth verse (placing the Vexilla melody in the Soprano):

      * *  PDF Download • O Crux Ave (Palestrina)

      * *  Mp3 Recording • O Crux Ave (Palestrina)


Here are some practice recordings to help your choir learn:

SOPRANO VIDEO   •   Mp3

ALTO VIDEO   •   Mp3

TENOR VIDEO   •   Mp3

BASS VIDEO   •   Mp3

WE WILL SOON POST more sections from this hymn as set by Palestrina. Some of you know I transcribed all four volumes of Carl Proske’s “Musica Divina” collection in 2002. When I discovered this beautiful setting by Palestrina—all the parts, not just the O CRUX AVE—I was so impressed. I never had a chance to teach this piece to a choir until this year! If you view the original version as found in Proske, you will see why I felt the need to transcribe it!

Fun Fact :

If you look carefully at the version in the Liber Usualis, you’ll see that they broke a neume. I’ve only ever seen one other instance where a neume is broken. Normally, hypermetric syllables are elided (although some choirs will add a note). This is not a “Solesmes thing” because the 1953 Schwann version does same thing. The 1940s NOH seems unaware of this. I cannot really tell what the 1892 Pustet version does. The 1891 Antiphonale by Pothier does not appear to indicate that the neume should be broken. The 14th-century German manuscript in the upper right indicates that their singers had difficulties here, so somebody “wrote out” the notes in the margin—truly fascinating!

370 Vexilla


Notice the 1896 Graduel romain à l’usage de la province écclésiastique de Québec does the same thing:

89373 vexilla arbor decora 1896 Graduel romain


Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Vexilla Regis Prodeunt Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
    Choirs love to sing the resplendent tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1929, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. Their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1929 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. As always, the Germans added an organ INTRODUCTION. For the record, I posted a different harmonization a few months ago which was downloaded more than 2,000 times.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
    Various shell corporations (in an effort to make money selling Sacred Scripture) have tinkered with the LECTIONARY texts in a way that’s shameful. It’s no wonder Catholics in the pews know so few Bible passages by heart. Without authorization, these shell corporations pervert the official texts. Consider the Responsorial Psalm for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If you download this PDF comparison chart you’ll notice each country randomly omits certain sections. Such tinkering has gone on for 60+ years—and it’s reprehensible.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Monsignor Klaus Gamber Speaks!
    An interesting quotation from the eminent liturgist, Monsignor Klaus Gamber (d. 1989): “According to canon law, a person’s affiliation with a particular liturgical rite is determined by that person’s rite of baptism. Given that the liturgical reforms of Pope Paul VI created a de facto new rite, one could assert that those among the faithful who were baptized according to the traditional Roman rite have the right to continue following that rite; just as priests who were ordained according to the traditional Ordo have the right to exercise the very rite that they were ordained to celebrate.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “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
    “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 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

Random Quote

At papal Masses, the regulations against tardiness were more stringent than at Masses celebrated by cardinals or bishops. Giovanni Maria Nanino records that any singer who is not in his place—and in his vestments—by the end of the repetition of the “Introit” will be fined eight vinti. At papal Vespers, the singer who is not present at the “Gloria Patri” of the first psalm pays a fine of fifty balocchi.

— Giovanni M. Nanino (d. 1607), Papal “Maestro di Cappella”

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