Views from the Choir Loft

Los Angeles: Less Than A Week Away!

Cynthia Ostrowski · May 23, 2016

AVE YOU EVER BEEN to the Latin Mass? How about a Solemn High Mass offered by the FSSP District Superior? How about a Mass where sixty people sing polyphony and Gregorian chant under the baton of famous conductors? How about Pontifical Benediction?

I have huge news!

We cordially invite you to a momentous event to be held TUESDAY (May 31st) in West Hollywood:

4:30pm •• SOLEMN HIGH MASS —with FSSP District Superior

7:00pm •• CONFIRMATION & BENEDICTION —with Archbishop José H. Gomez

8:15pm •• CATERED DINNER —free to all who attend

(Please notice that Mass no longer begins at 3:30pm.)

Location : Saint Victor Church, 8634 Holloway Drive, West Hollywood, CA 90069

OES YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE need a boost? Do you feel a desire to draw closer to our Lord? Want to expose your children to the Extraordinary Form? Please come! Taking part in these ceremonies with devotion would be a magnificent way to show gratitude to our Lord. Moreover, the feast on 31 May is “Queenship of Mary”—and our Lord has promised special graces to those who honor his mother.

Your presence will show Archbishop Gomez that he was correct to ask the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter to begin an APOSTOLATE in Los Angeles. In fact, there’s no better way to demonstrate how we Angelenos value the traditional liturgy.

By the way, the music will be sensational, because it’s being provided by the Sacred Music Symposium. Famous conductors are traveling here specifically to direct these ceremonies.

Please help us spread the word!

A discussion about this post is underway.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

About Cynthia Ostrowski

Cynthia Ostrowski holds a bachelor's degree (2005) in Geographic Information Science and a minor in Computer Science from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi.—(Read full biography).

Dom Pothier • Photo from 1904

Dom Paul Cagin, in a 1904 publication (L’oeuvre de Solesmes dans la restauration du chant grégorien) made sure to include a beautiful image of Dom Pothier, the legendary abbot of St-Wandrille. Also shown is a very young Dom André Mocquereau. Auguste Pécoul—considered the spiritual “son” of Abbat Prosper Guéranger of Solesmes—wrote as follows on 24 June 1901: “To forestall any confusion, let us remember that there is just one Gregorian notation—that restored, according to the ancient manuscripts, by the eminent Abbot of Saint-Wandrille, Dom Pothier.” ✠

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “3-Voice Motet” (Father De Laet)

I believe 99% of our readers will recognize this hymn tune. Perhaps Father Edgard De Laet should have called it a ‘hymn’ instead of a ‘motet for three voices’—but he’s technically correct, since MOTET is defined as: “a short piece of sacred choral music, typically polyphonic and unaccompanied.” The even verses are for three voices, as you will see if you download the PDF score at #20245. The odd verses may be song a cappella SATB or unison with organ.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Hymn for 2 Voices”

Readers who click on this video will see that it starts with verses of the “Pange Lingua” hymn by Saint Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274) arranged for two voices. However, there’s a polyphonic refrain (“Tantum Ergo”) for three voices, taken from Kevin Allen’s Motecta Trium Vocum. If your choir is very small, this piece is for you! You can download the PDF score free of charge—and you can also utilize the rehearsal videos for each individual voice—by navigating yourself to #20323.

—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

“Reminder” — Month of January (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. Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—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