Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • “Story of Redemption” for Children (1952) • With Audio Recordings!

Jeff Ostrowski · October 26, 2015

AINT ANTOINE DANIEL, one of the brave Jesuit Martyrs of North America, taught the young Huron children Catholic truths by means of simple rhymes. I hope you’ll download the fabulous book by Fr. John A. O’Brien about these martyrs, but if you’re short on time, read the excerpts about St. Antoine Daniel. In 1952, something similar was created by Sister Joanne and Father Abair:

* Complete PDF • “Story of Redemption” (1952)

PART 01 : Video • Mp3 • Our Lady

PART 02 : Video • Mp3 • Paradise

PART 03 : Video • Mp3 • Sin

PART 04 : Video • Mp3 • Expulsion

PART 05 : Video • Mp3 • Annunciation

PART 06 : Video • Mp3 • To Bethlehem

PART 07 : Video • Mp3 • Savior’s Birth

PART 08 : Video • Mp3 • Shepherds

PART 09 : Video • Mp3 • Wise Men

PART 10 : Video • Mp3 • Lost Sheep

PART 11 : Video • Mp3 • Pharisee & Publican

PART 12 : Video • Mp3 • Passion

PART 13 : Video • Mp3 • Crucifixion

PART 14 : Video • Mp3 • Resurrection

PART 15 : Video • Mp3 • Pentecost

PART 16 : Video • Mp3 • Assumption

PART 17 : Video • Mp3 • Christ The King

I KNOW HOW MUCH the “elites” love telling us everything was horrible before Vatican II, but I keep discovering evidence that contradicts their assurances. The 1950s seems to have been a wonderful time for Catholics. The collection above probably doesn’t contain the greatest poems in the world—although they are certainly more inspired than 95% of our modern “hymns.” On the other hand, they teach children wonderful melodies like the “Vexilla Regis,” which serves as the basis for several astounding KYRIE settings (by Palestrina) sung each Sunday by FSSP.la.

If any readers use these resources, please let me know!

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).

“Music List” • 5th Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 5th Sunday of Easter (18 May 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The Communion Antiphon was ‘restored’ the 1970 Missale Romanum (a.k.a. MISSALE RECENS) from an obscure martyr’s feast. Our choir is on break this Sunday, so the selections are relatively simple in nature.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Communion Chant (5th Sunday of Easter)

This coming Sunday—18 May 2025—is the 5th Sunday of Easter, Year C (MISSALE RECENS). The COMMUNION ANTIPHON “Ego Sum Vitis Vera” assigned by the Church is rather interesting, because it comes from a rare martyr’s feast: viz. Saint Vitalis of Milan. It was never part of the EDITIO VATICANA, which is the still the Church’s official edition. As a result, the musical notation had to be printed in the Ordo Cantus Missae, which appeared in 1970.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Music List” • 4th Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 4th Sunday of Easter (11 May 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. I don’t know a more gorgeous ENTRANCE CHANT than the one given there: Misericórdia Dómini Plena Est Terra.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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

When to Sit, Stand and Kneel like it’s 1962

There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass, but I couldn’t find one which matched our local Latin Mass, so I made this one: sit-stand-kneel-crop

—Veronica Brandt

The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum

Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.

—Daniel Tucker