Views from the Choir Loft

Archives for December 2014

Jeff Ostrowski · December 5, 2014

Latin Mass In Los Angeles • THIS SUNDAY!

“I’m not one of those Novus Ordo = bad, Tridentine = good people…” —Carlos de Quesado

Richard J. Clark · December 5, 2014

Marian Meditations on RJC Cecilia Music

When I was young, I never viewed the Blessed Virgin Mary as a great source of inspiration for composition. How wrong that turned out to be!

Dr. Peter Kwasniewski · December 4, 2014

Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis

A new book for those who are struggling to understand what has happened to the noble liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church and how we might find our way out of this crisis.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 3, 2014

The Actual Authentic Writing Of Palestrina

Colin Mawby, former Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral, travels to Rome in this video, letting you see an original manuscript of Palestrina.

Andrew R. Motyka · December 3, 2014

Holy Days of Obligation: Immaculate Conception

A few questions about obligation to attend Mass on the Immaculate Conception.

Cynthia Ostrowski · December 2, 2014

Catholic Line Art, Black and White • Installment #61

Today’s installment is a rare image of the “Immaculate Conception.”

Aurelio Porfiri · December 1, 2014

Exclusive Interview • Msgr. Valentino Miserachs (Basilica of Saint Mary Major, Rome)

“What is the role of Liturgical Music?”

Jeff Ostrowski · December 1, 2014

The Current Missal Specifies When To Face the Altar & When To Face The People

The phrase “ad populum conversus” does appear in the postconciliar books, and no amount of polemical articles can change this fact.

Luis Martínez Must Go!

Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

—Jeff Ostrowski

Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!

A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)

I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.

—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