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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Look What God Did For You!

Jeff Ostrowski · October 28, 2014

748 Cute AVE YOU spent any time admiring nature? Have you looked into a forest and admired the changing colors—red, orange, and brown—of the tree leaves? Have you gazed upon the sky during a beautiful sunset or sunrise? Have you looked at a corn field or apple orchard? Have you seen a peach orchard?

When we view the great outdoors, we realize how beautiful and wondrous our universe is. Moreover, we can take it to another level by considering how each molecule, atom, plant, insect, and animal lead to something higher. Think about it. Even though the outdoors is lovely, suffering and sacrifice are required for its beauty. Plants are eaten; insects devour one another; large animals eat small animals; and so forth and so on.

Have you ever wondered why God allowed this “suffering” on the part of, for example, insects? It probably isn’t fun to be eaten by another insect or animal. Why did God allow such a thing? I would suggest that God is showing us how valuable we are. Each sacrifice leads to something higher. All of this turns out to be made for our benefit … so that we can survive, and also look upon the beauty of nature, observing how God values us. But you will reply:

“Am I really that valuable? What’s so great about me? What’s so great about human beings?”

Well, when I look into the eyes of someone—for instance, my little son—the value of each human being becomes clear. That’s why it is so distressing to wake up (as I did a few days ago) and notice a homeless man collecting tin cans from a dumpster. Society thinks of that man as “garbage” yet values the tin. Can you imagine? We value TIN more than we value a human being!

Dr. Mahrt has explained that counterpoint in polyphony “shows forth the splendor, beauty, and order of the universe” and for this reason I chose to begin a 60-minute film about Sacred music with a lovely Chicago sunrise accompanying Kevin Allen’s “Tantum Ergo.” If you haven’t watched this, please click here and watch it now.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

19 May 2022 • “Trochee Trouble”

I’m still trying to decide how to visually present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores, using what is (technically) the official rhythm of the Church. You can download my latest attempt, for this coming Sunday. Notice the “trochee trouble” as well as the old issue of neumes before the quilisma.

—Jeff Ostrowski
16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

When we say: “The people like this” we regard them as unable to develop, as animals rather than human beings, and we simply neglect our duties in helping them towards a true human existence — indeed, in this case, to truly Christian existence.

— Professor László Dobszay (2003)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “A Canon Choirs Love!”
  • On Mistakes (Part I of II)
  • 19 May 2022 • “Trochee Trouble”
  • “Gregorian Chant Not In Danger Pope Tells French”
  • PDF Download • “O Salutaris” (Modern Setting)

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