Views from the Choir Loft

A Fond Farewell

Dr. Peter Kwasniewski · December 18, 2014

BLESSED CHRISTMAS to each and every one of you! It is hard to believe how time flies (cliché alert). My first blog entry at Views from the Choir Loft was posted a little over two years ago, on December 22, 2012. Since that time, I have contributed 100 Thursday columns. It has been tremendous fun and a lot of work, as we have explored all kinds of liturgical topics, reform and renewal, Vatican II, tradition, liberalism, music and fine art, culture and inculturation, silence, spiritual classics, social teaching, and more.

Due to some developments in my career—principally my role on a team of scholars undertaking a massive Aquinas translation funded by the NEH, and my upcoming sabbatical work on academic projects—I have had to make the difficult decision to step down from the band of regular contributors to Views from the Choir Loft. I have enjoyed contributing to the amazing “sacred music empire” that is Corpus Christi Watershed. I am particularly grateful to my fellow bloggers for their excellent posts, which gave me lots of good advice, ideas, and resources, and I am no less grateful to you, dear readers from across the world, for your steady support, encouragement, and enthusiasm for all things Catholic.

I have always been and continue to be an ardent supporter of Corpus Christi Watershed, which will remain the permanent host site for my Sacred Choral Works. I will continue as a staff writer at New Liturgical Movement as well as an anonymous blog, although my contributions may thin out as the grant and sabbatical projects loom larger.

Friends, musicians, countrymen, Catholics—thank you and please say a prayer for me. May our Lord Jesus Christ, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, pour out His mercies upon you.

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

About Dr. Peter Kwasniewski

A graduate of Thomas Aquinas College (B.A. in Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy), Dr. Peter Kwasniewski is currently Professor at Wyoming Catholic College. He is also a published and performed composer, especially of sacred music.

Simplified Accompaniment (Advent Hymn)

Many organists are forced to simultaneously serve as both CANTOR and ACCOMPANIST. In spite of what some claim, this can be difficult. I invite you to download this simplified organ accompaniment (PDF) which in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal is hymn #661: “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” (for ADVENT). I’m toying with the idea of creating a whole bunch of these, to help amateur organists. The last one I uploaded was downloaded more than 2,900 times in a matter of hours—so there appears to be interest.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “Music List” (Immaculate Concep.)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 8 December 2025, the feast of OUR LADY’S IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The fauxbourdon setting of the COMMUNION is exquisite. In Latin, the title of this feast is: In Conceptione Immaculata Beatae Mariae Virginis. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are available at the feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Reminder” — Month of December (2025)

On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Pope Leo XIV on Sacred Music

On 5 December 2025, Pope Leo XIV made this declaration with regard to liturgical music.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Translations Approved for Liturgical Use”

According to the newsletter for USSCB’s Committee on Divine Worship dated September 1996, there are three (3) translations of the Bible which can be used in the sacred liturgy in the United States. You can read this information with your own eyes. It seems the USCCB and also Rome fully approved the so-called NRSV (“New Revised Standard Version”) on 13 November 1991 and 6 April 1992 but this permission was then withdrawn in 1994.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed