Views from the Choir Loft

Archives for November 2016

Jeff Ostrowski · November 30, 2016

“Benedictus” • Palestrina Uses The “Dragnet” Theme!

Our Church is notoriously horrible at keeping up with cultural fads—because they’re so ephemeral.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 28, 2016

Unbelievable Track Recorded By One Voice!

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Pete Avendaño at the Sacred Music Symposium, held each year in Los Angeles.

Corpus Christi Watershed · November 28, 2016

Today Only! 40% off musical scores

Why not pick up a copy of Kevin Allen’s “Matri Divinae” collection?

Jeff Ostrowski · November 27, 2016

Musical Resources • 1st Sunday of Advent 1

“May we receive Thy mercy, O Lord, in the midst of Thy temple…”

Fr. David Friel · November 27, 2016

Update on Sacra Liturgia Milano 2017

Preliminary Speaker List and Background Information

Jeff Ostrowski · November 26, 2016

Meatless Fridays • Were We Taught Correctly?

“Ever wonder why McDonald’s decided in 1962 to put a piece of fish into a hamburger bun?” —Bishop Earl Boyea

Corpus Christi Watershed · November 24, 2016

Thanksgiving

Pope Francis has said: “Friar Junípero was one of the founding fathers of the United States.”

Andrew Leung · November 24, 2016

Free Download • Simple Choral Midnight Mass Introit

A simple setting of “Dominus Dixit ad Me” by Fr. Áureo Castro.

Corpus Christi Watershed · November 23, 2016

Cardinal Sarah Visits The Monastery of Solesmes

If you read French, you’ll understand these homilies.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 23, 2016

PDF Download • “Ordo Missæ” As We Use It

Do you provide something similar for your choirs?

Dr. Lucas Tappan · November 22, 2016

Pastors & Church Musicians: Are We Really Working Together?

Msgr. Marini recently spoke to a group of Italian musicians as part of a choral festival.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 22, 2016

Resplendent Christmas Piece for Two Voices!

This gem by Fr. Nicolas du Peron (d. 1963) incorporates Christmas carols in a most ingenious way.

Fr. David Friel · November 20, 2016

A Triptych on Mercy • Reflection III

The Beauty of Mercy

Jeff Ostrowski · November 19, 2016

Fr. James Fryar, FSSP, on EWTN (16 November 2016)

How Much Do You Know About The Latin Mass?

Veronica Brandt · November 19, 2016

Liturgy and Sensory Issues

Simplicity and predictability are important for being inclusive.

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