Views from the Choir Loft

The Little Rock Nine

Jeff Ostrowski · August 5, 2013

EVERAL WEEKS AGO, I wrote about Rach 3, but today’s article is not Rach 9 — it’s “Little Rock Nine.” Have you heard this fascinating story? I’ll give you the short version. If I make any major mistakes, please use the combox to correct me.

Basically, what happened was, in 1957, Governor Orval Faubus tried to use the Arkansas National Guard to keep African American students from attending Little Rock Central High School. However, President Eisenhower sent in troops from the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army to escort the students into the school.

For the entire year, those nine African American students were protected each day by federal troops. Faubus got so angry, he shut down the entire school district in 1958 for a whole year! Everyone ought to learn the details about this story. If anyone knows a historically accurate online video, please recommend it in the combox. I’d like to know what ever happened to those children.

Can you imagine having to go through such an ordeal as a kid? I would have been terrified. Besides, were the federal agents willing to protect each student’s home?

AS CHURCH MUSICIANS, we suffer a great deal. The deck seems to be “stacked” against us. Maybe you work hard to start something good, but your priest is transferred. Maybe you struggle to find talented singers in your parish. Perhaps your priest has treated you unjustly. The list goes on.

Sometimes, it helps to remember the tremendous suffering of others, such as the horrific plight of Christians in Eritrea. Our crosses are nothing compared to theirs. If we trust in God, He will give us the strength to continue.

I find the “Little Rock Nine” to be inspiring, and I’m glad it had a happy ending. On the other hand, we still have a lot of work to do in this country. Since 1973, we have “legally” murdered more than 50 million innocent children, and those are just the ones we know about.

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).

“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

Dr. Mahrt explains the ‘Spoken’ Propers

In 1970, the Church promulgated a new version of the Roman Missal. It goes by various names: Ordinary Form, Novus Ordo, MISSALE RECENS, and so on. If you examine the very first page, you’ll notice that Pope Saint Paul VI explains the meaning of the ‘Spoken Propers’ (which are for Masses without singing). A quote by Dr. William P. Mahrt is also included in that file. The SPOKEN PROPERS—used at Masses without music—are sometimes called The Adalbert Propers, because they were created in 1969 by Father Adalbert Franquesa Garrós, one of Hannibal Bugnini’s closest friends (according to Yves Chiron).

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “Music List” (1st Sunday of Advent)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 30 November 2025, which is the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The ENTRANCE CHANT is quite memorable, and the fauxbourdon setting of the COMMUNION is exquisite. 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

“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

“Our Father” • Musical Setting?

Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?

—Jeff Ostrowski