Views from the Choir Loft

Archives for December 2015

Andrew Leung · December 31, 2015

Te Deum Laudámus

Listen to Herbert Howells’s Te Deum to start the new year!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 31, 2015

Musical Resources • Most Holy Name (Extraordinary Form)

“…mercifully grant that we may in heaven enjoy the blessed vision of him, to whose most holy name we do reverence upon earth.”

Andrew Leung · December 31, 2015

Chant Workshop for Clergy

St. Ambrose School of Chant located in Georgia is organizing a Chant Workshop for Clergy.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 30, 2015

Another “Oops” Moment For Liturgical Press

Msgr. Kevin Irwin says this book “reflects the best of liturgical scholarship and wisdom gleaned from the liturgy.”

Andrew Leung · December 30, 2015

Bishop Perry at Prince of Peace Catholic Church

Bishop Joseph Perry administered the Sacrament of Confirmation and celebrated a Pontifical Solemn High Mass on Gaudete Sunday.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 30, 2015

Which Mass Goes With Which Season?

Unfortunately, many ignore the words of Abbot Pothier, included at the front of the Vatican Edition.

Cynthia Ostrowski · December 29, 2015

Popular Posts From 2015

In case you missed any of these!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 29, 2015

PDF • “The Truth Of Papal Claims” (Merry del Val)

Cardinal Raphael Merry del Val published this reply to a Protestant scholar in 1902.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 28, 2015

Hollywood: Midnight Mass By Candlelight

The FSSP had a special Christmas Mass at their new Apostolate in Los Angeles.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 28, 2015

A Myth That Needs To Die

“I never witnessed a Mass in the so-called Extraordinary Form that was done in 15 minutes.”

Andrew Leung · December 26, 2015

New Choir Stalls for the Sistine Chapel Choir

The Sistine Chapel Choir sang beautifully at the Midnight Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Richard J. Clark · December 25, 2015

Christmas and the Universal Role of Music

The birth of Christ recalls a specific time and place as does the music of Christmas. It is sacred music that has poured out into an increasingly secular world.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 24, 2015

Musical Resources • Christmas Midnight Mass (Extraordinary Form)

We won’t be singing “Frosty The Snowman” for Offertory!

Andrew Leung · December 22, 2015

Video • Holy Mass in Hollywood, 1944

A video of the Christmas Solemn High Mass in Hollywood film, “Christmas Holiday”

Andrew Leung · December 21, 2015

Sing Like the Angels

We can learn from the best choir, the Holy Angels!

PDF • “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Simplified)

I admire the harmonization of “Adeste Fideles” by David Willcocks (d. 2015), who served as director of the Royal College of Music (London, England). In 2025, I was challenged to create a simplified arrangement for organists incapable of playing the authentic version at tempo. The result was this simplified keyboard arrangement (PDF download) based on the David Willcocks version of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Feel free to play through it and let me know what you think.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “Music List” (Sunday, 28 December)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, & Joseph (28 Dec. 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The FAUXBOURDON verses for the Communion Antiphon are particularly gorgeous. 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

PDF • “Music List” (Xmas Midnight Mass)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for Christmas Midnight Mass (“Ad Missam In Nocte”). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The ENTRANCE CHANT is simple, but quite beautiful. 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

PDF Download • “In Paradisum” in English

We always sing the IN PARADISUM in Latin, as printed on this PDF score. I have an appallingly bad memory (meaning I’d be a horrible witness in court). In any event, it’s been brought to my attention that 15 years ago I created this organ accompaniment for the famous and beautiful ‘IN PARADISUM’ Gregorian chant sung in English according to ‘MR3’ (Roman Missal, Third Edition). If anyone desires such a thing, feel free to download and print. Looking back, I wish I’d brought the TENOR and BASS voices into a unison (on B-Natural) for the word “welcome” on the second line.

—Jeff Ostrowski

What does this mean? “Pre-Urbanite”

Something informed critics have frequently praised vis-à-vis the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal is its careful treatment of the ancient hymns vs. the “Urbanite” hymns. This topic I had believed to be fairly well understood—but I was wrong. The reason I thought people knew about it is simple; in the EDITIO VATICANA 1908 Graduale Romanum (as well as the 1913 Liber Antiphonarius) both versions are provided, right next to each other. You can see what I mean by examining this PDF file from the Roman Gradual of 1908. Most people still don’t understand that the Urbanite versions were never adopted by any priests or monks who sang the Divine Office each day. Switching would have required a massive amount of effort and money, because all the books would need to be changed.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Santo Santo Santo”

Those searching for a dignified, brief, simple, bright setting of SANCTUS in Spanish (“Santo Santo Santo”) are invited to download this Setting in honor of Saint John Brébeuf (organist & vocalist). I wonder if there would be any interest in me recording a rehearsal video for this piece.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Dom Pothier does not belong to the dim past, as the silence which surrounds his name would lead one to believe. Only a few years separate us from the time when—growing old and heavily burdened by trials—Dom Pothier was concentrating his ever keen attention on the study of manuscripts in the Belgian place of retreat where his community had found refuge. For he was the abbot; and there can be no doubt that the cross he wore during those days was a cross of sorrow, though he bore it with a smile.”

— Dom Ermin Vitry, OSB (31-OCT-1936)