Views from the Choir Loft

Archives for November 2012

Fr. David Friel · November 30, 2012

Andrew’s Orations

Why I Love Being a Roman Catholic

Fr. David Friel · November 26, 2012

Vision of the Apocalypse

Perfect Harmony

Fr. David Friel · November 25, 2012

The Underground Church

Long Live Christ the King!

Guest Author · November 19, 2012

Young Catholic Musicians

A guest article by Mr. Gary Penkala.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 19, 2012

Graduale Romanum Chants And The New Roman Missal

The best kept secret of the Second Vatican Council …

Fr. David Friel · November 18, 2012

Will All Men Be Saved?

Hope vs. Certainty

Cynthia Ostrowski · November 17, 2012

Christus Rex Pilgrimage

The Christus Rex Pilgrimage is a three day walking pilgrimage held annually on the traditional feast of Christ the King.

Fr. David Friel · November 16, 2012

First Century Progressives

Really?

Corpus Christi Watershed · November 13, 2012

Chant, Polyphony, and the New Evangelization.

VIDEO: Pope Benedict tells a choir group on pilgrimage in Rome that sacred music can be an effective means of the new evangelization.

Cynthia Ostrowski · November 12, 2012

Latin Mass at the University of Steubenville

Mass in the Extraordinary Form was recently offered at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 11, 2012

Folding One’s Hands At Mass

“It is a queer type of mind that actually is interested in knowing whether the deacon should stand at the right or the left of someone else at some moment.” Why would Dr. Fortescue say this?

Jeff Ostrowski · November 8, 2012

The Greatest Blog Entry Ever Of All Time

Edwin Fischer was considered the greatest Swiss pianist. I believe Alfred Cortot was also Swiss, but most people considered him French.

Fr. David Friel · November 4, 2012

Right Priorities

Public & Private

Jeff Ostrowski · November 3, 2012

[Book] Benedict XVI And Beauty In Sacred Music

This book looks like it would make a wonderful Christmas gift!

Jeff Ostrowski · November 2, 2012

Liturgy And Our Television Age

Have you noticed that absolutely everything is shown on television these days?

Music Director Job • $80,000 per year

Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!

—Jeff Ostrowski

Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published

Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.

—Jeff Ostrowski

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.

—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