Views from the Choir Loft

Archives for April 2016

Jeff Ostrowski · April 7, 2016

“Et Cum Spiritu Tuo” in the 1961 Fulton Sheen Missal

What Fr. Philip Caraman does may surprise you…

Andrew Leung · April 7, 2016

Free Downloads • Works by Cardinal Bartolucci (Part 2)

More choral works by Cardinal Bartolucci are available on the Domenico Bartolucci Foundation website.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 6, 2016

“I confess that I was a liturgical nut” says Bishop consecrated by Pope Paul VI

“The liturgy is not only worship of God; it is the way we are formed in our faith.” —Bishop Gracida

Guest Author · April 6, 2016

Musical and Liturgical Life at the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center

Praising our Extraordinary God in the Ordinary Form

Jeff Ostrowski · April 5, 2016

Mass Propers • Fascinating Articles From 1924

Editors of “The Tablet” felt these essays were horrendous!

Jeff Ostrowski · April 5, 2016

We Need Assistance! Please Help Watershed Survive!

My 5-part series requesting donations seems to have failed miserably—with a few notable exceptions.

Dr. Lucas Tappan · April 5, 2016

A Musically Model Parish

I thought I would share some visioning ideas regarding music in the Ordinary Form parish.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 4, 2016

“Hymn To The Blessed Virgin Mary” • Caswall & Parry

Choirs not yet ready for SATB hymn singing will love this version for two voices!

Jeff Ostrowski · April 4, 2016

Ward Method Studies • Space Available!

The chant must be sung lightly, and not too slowly.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 3, 2016

Musical Resources • Low Sunday (1962 Missal)

“In the day of My resurrection, saith the Lord, I will go before you into Galilee…”

Fr. David Friel · April 3, 2016

Which Masses Would You Choose?

If you had the opportunity to add more festive music to selected feasts in the liturgical year, to which would you give preference?

Andrew Leung · April 1, 2016

The Chapel Royal Solemn Vespers is Available on BBC

A recording of the Solemn Vespers at the Chapel Royal is now available on BBC’s website.

Richard J. Clark · April 1, 2016

O Happy Fault • Nine things that are pure privilege

Such a reference to original sin—a positive reference—seems quite strange to us.

Music List • (5th Sund. Ordinary Time)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for this coming Sunday, 8 February 2026, which is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. You will probably notice it isn’t as ‘complete’ or ‘spiffy’ as usual, owing to some difficulties which took place this week.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “Communion” (5th Sunday in Ordin.)

The COMMUNION ANTIPHON for this coming Sunday, 8 February 2026—which is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)—is truly delightful. You can download the musical score completely free of charge. This text will be familiar to altar boys, because it’s PSALM 42. The Feder Missal makes the following claim about that psalm: “A hymn of a temple musician from Jerusalem: he is an exile in a heathen land, and he longs for the holy city and his ministry in the Temple there. The Church makes his words her own.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Funeral Music “Template” • For Families

Many have requested the MUSICAL TEMPLATE for funerals we give to families at our parish. The family of the deceased is usually involved in selecting Number 12 on that sheet. This template was difficult to assemble, because the “Ordo Exsequiarum” has never been translated into English, and the assigned chants and hymns are given in different liturgical books (Lectionary, Gradual, Order of Christian Funerals, and so on). Please notify me if you spot errors or broken links. Readers will be particularly interested in some of the plainsong musical settings, which are truly haunting in their beauty.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Reminder” — Month of Febr. (2026)

On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. It couldn’t be easier to subscribe! Just scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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