Views from the Choir Loft

Archives for February 2016

Jeff Ostrowski · February 16, 2016

Something That Would Fix So Much … But Nobody Mentions It

Is this “tacit” approval really “imaginary” approval?

Jeff Ostrowski · February 15, 2016

“Credo for Two Voices” • Gustaaf Nees (d. 1965)

This simple setting of Gregorian Credo IV uses organ, men’s voices, and women’s voices.

Fr. David Friel · February 14, 2016

Repetition in the Roman Missal

A Literary Approach in an Adoremus Bulletin Article

Jeff Ostrowski · February 14, 2016

Canon Van Nuffel’s Setting Of Smoke Rising

“Smoke rises from the Mountain of Doom. The hour grows late, and Gandalf the Grey rides to Isengard seeking my counsel.”

Jeff Ostrowski · February 14, 2016

Musical Resources • 1st Sunday of Lent (EF)

“We solemnly offer the sacrifice at the beginning of Lent, O Lord…”

Veronica Brandt · February 13, 2016

Save the Merit, Save the World

Lenten discipline : St Philip Neri says “to love to be unknown”; Gandalf says “Keep it secret, keep it safe.”

Jeff Ostrowski · February 12, 2016

Motet • “Verbum Supernum” by Fr. Carlo Rossini

This SATB setting can be used during any liturgical season and has “O Salutaris Hostia” as one of its verses.

Richard J. Clark · February 12, 2016

Minimal Standards at Weddings and Funerals

It is easier to capitulate than to educate.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 11, 2016

“Audi Benigne Conditor” • Gregorian Hymn For Lent

The text is by St. Gregory the Great, who was Pope from 590-604.

Andrew Leung · February 11, 2016

Three Common Misconceptions about Chant

If we can solve these 3 misunderstandings, people can fall in love with chant easier!

Jeff Ostrowski · February 10, 2016

Decapitation of an Innocent Meadowlark

Do we remember that people in the pews often lack our musical background?

Jeff Ostrowski · February 9, 2016

Francisco Guerrero • “Hymn To The Sacred Trinity” (SATB with Plainsong)

Are you up for a special hymn challenge?

Dr. Lucas Tappan · February 9, 2016

Chorister Vocal Pedagogy

I hope this might serve as a foundation for your future work with young singers in your parish.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 8, 2016

What Are You Doing For Lent?

“The phone is our century’s plague. It destroys character, interaction, friendships, families, and our time. We are glued to these devices.”

Fr. David Friel · February 7, 2016

The Phrasing of the Sanctus

The Difference a Comma Makes

Music List • (2nd Sunday of Lent)

Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 2nd Sunday of Lent (1 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has magnificent propers. Its somber INTROIT is particularly striking—using a haunting tonality—but the COMMUNION with its fauxbourdon verses is also quite remarkable. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Like! Like! Like!

You won’t believe who recently gave us a “like” on the Corpus Christi Watershed FACEBOOK PAGE. Click here (PDF) to see who it was. We were not only sincerely honored, we were utterly flabbergasted. This was truly a resounding endorsement and unmistakable stamp of approval.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Which Mass?

In 1905, when the Vatican Commission on Gregorian Chant began publishing the EDITIO VATICANA—still the Church’s official edition— they assigned different Masses to different types of feasts. However, they were careful to add a note (which began with the words “Qualislibet cantus hujus Ordinarii…”) making clear “chants from one Mass may be used together with those from others.” Sadly, I sometimes worked for TLM priests who weren’t fluent in Latin. As a result, they stubbornly insisted Mass settings were ‘assigned’ to different feasts and seasons (which is false). To understand the great variety, one should examine the 1904 KYRIALE of Dr. Peter Wagner. One should also look through Dom Mocquereau’s Liber Usualis (1904), in which the Masses are all mixed up. For instance, Gloria II in his book ended up being moved to the ‘ad libitum’ appendix in the EDITIO VATICANA.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Extreme Unction

Those who search Google for “CCCC MS 079” will discover high resolution images of a medieval Pontificale (“Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 079”). One of the pages contains this absolutely gorgeous depiction of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

PDF Chart • “Plainsong Rhythm”

I will go to my grave without understanding the lack of curiosity so many people have about the rhythmic modifications made by Dom André Mocquereau. For example, how can someone examine this single sheet comparison chart and at a minimum not be curious about the differences? Dom Mocquereau basically creates a LONG-SHORT LONG-SHORT rhythmic pattern—in spite of enormous and overwhelming manuscript evidence to the contrary. That’s why some scholars referred to his method as “Neo-Mensuralist” or “Neo-Mensuralism.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

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