Views from the Choir Loft

Photos • Society for Catholic Liturgy Conference

Jeff Ostrowski · January 31, 2017

HE TRADITIONAL Latin Mass Society of San Francisco has posted beautiful photographs of the concluding Mass for the Society for Catholic Liturgy Conference held a few months ago in Los Angeles. The FSSP.la choir which I direct was honored to provide the music:

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The celebrant was Fr. Federico Masutti, FSSP, assisted by Fr. James Fryar, FSSP (Deacon, homilist), and Fr. Zachary Akers, FSSP (Subdeacon).

Presentations were delivered at this conference by the Executive Director of the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship, the Executive Director of ICEL, and many others.

Here we are warming up for the Mass:

Some snippets from the actual Mass, recorded live:

* * Mp3 “Live” • KYRIE (Guerrero)

* * Mp3 “Live” • GLORIA (Viadana)

* * Mp3 “Live” • ALLELUIA (Guerrero)

* * Mp3 “Live” • HYMN TO THE SACRED TRINITY (Guerrero)

* * Mp3 “Live” • SANCTUS (Guerrero)

* * Mp3 “Live” • AGNUS DEI (Guerrero)

Somebody had a pocket recorder in the Soprano section, which means the Soprano line sometimes comes through too loud. I apologize for the poor quality of the recording, but that’s how the cookie crumbles. These brought back beautiful memories!

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

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).

“Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). 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 the feasts website.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”

All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser

To assist our fundraiser, Mrs. Kathleen Ostrowski has drawn several beautiful sketches which she offers to all our readers free of charge. If you have a moment, I invite you download them at this link.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Pope Pius XII Hymnal?

Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Hybrid” Chant Notation?

Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

Antiphons Don’t Match?

A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).

—Corpus Christi Watershed