Views from the Choir Loft

Catholic Line Art, Black and White • Installment #07

Cynthia Ostrowski · February 26, 2013

EFORE THE CAMPION MISSAL could be published, it was necessary to collect, scan, sort, clean, and carefully digitize more than 300 religious line art drawings. Credit for this goes to Kristen Ostrowski, who combed through hundreds of 19th century Missals, Antiphonals, Breviaries, and Graduals from a Benedictine Abbey, meticulously extracting pictures that were still intact.

The St. Edmund Campion Missal & Hymnal for the Traditional Latin Mass (ccwatershed.org/Campion) contains approximately ninety (90) of these exquisite “woodcuts.” In my blog entries over the next year or so, I will be releasing hundreds of these pictures for general use by Catholics everywhere.

The following piece of line art was used for All Saints Day (November 1st) in the Campion Missal:

* * 7875 • B/W All Saints “Vidi Turbam” • Religious Line Art [download this pdf]

From left to right, the Catholic Saints in the picture are St. Boniface, St. Gregory the Great, St. Benedict, and St. Scholastica. You will notice that the quotes are given in both Latin & English — a special feature of the Campion Missal we hope will be appreciated.

* To learn more, you may want to visit the Campion Missal website [url].

About Cynthia Ostrowski

Cynthia Ostrowski holds a bachelor's degree in Geographic Information Science and a minor in Computer Science from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi (2005). She is currently a stay-at-home mother of two children. A former GIS analyst, Cynthia's interests include photography, french horn, and singing polyphony.

“Daily I sat in the temple, close to you…”

Fulton J. Sheen always said the “very best translation” of Sacred Scripture was the version by Monsignor Ronald Knox, and here’s what Knox had for the Passion read today (Pre-1955 Palm Sunday): “And Jesus said to the multitude at that hour, You have come out to my arrest with swords and clubs, as if I were a robber; and yet I used to sit teaching in the temple close to you, day after day, and you never laid hands on me.” (Mt 26:55)

Did you catch that? Our Lord sat close to them! He was near them! The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity touched them, and was friendly toward them! Truly, the people who can hurt us the most—and betray us the most—are those whom we have loved.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Sacred Music Symposium • “What We Avoid”

I wish we had to time to discuss artwork at the Sacred Music Symposium, but there’s just not enough time. At this year’s conference in June, we will sing an absolutely incredible Magnificat setting by Father Francisco Guerrero (d. 1599). If you examine the part books, you will notice a marvelous aesthetic desire to avoid the same capital letter—for the sake of beauty. Do you see how the Part Books find a way to avoid repeating the Capital G twice, by using the word “Superius” (which is roughly analogous to “Soprano”)? Breathtaking!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Abraham” • Guerrero Imitates His Teacher

Father Francisco Guerrero (d. 1599) studied music with Father Cristóbal de Morales circa 1545. He taught himself the organ. On 3 April 1542 he was engaged as a contralto by Seville Cathedral at an annual salary of 12,000 maravedís. He remained there until 1546, when, at the age of only 17, he was invited—on the recommendation of Father Morales—to become mæstro de capilla of Jaén Cathedral. He was entrusted with the boarding, lodging, and instruction of the six choirboys; but he neglected this duty and was sentenced to be dismissed on 30 August 1548. However, he was absolved and reinstated on 3 November. I think you can see (perhaps) a little homage to his teacher on the word “Abraham.”

—Jeff Ostrowski