Views from the Choir Loft

Archives for November 2016

Richard J. Clark · November 18, 2016

A Dad’s Dilemma • I pray and God determines.

Working for the Church is wholly at odds with having a family and being present for them.

Dr. Lucas Tappan · November 15, 2016

Seven Tips for the Organist

I also want to say “thank you” to all of you who play the organ during the sacred liturgy. We owe you a great song of gratitude!

Jeff Ostrowski · November 15, 2016

Did Pope Francis Denigrate “Rigid” Young Catholics?

If 500 people attend Mass and one acts as lector, there are still 499 people “not participating” by that flawed logic…

Jeff Ostrowski · November 14, 2016

Gorgeous Picture • “The Visitation”

Quite interesting, containing additional mysteries for those who look carefully…

Fr. David Friel · November 13, 2016

A Triptych on Mercy • Reflection II

The Need for Mercy

Veronica Brandt · November 12, 2016

Gregorian chant is not all the same

Have you ever been asked to sing some Gregorian chant? How do you choose a representative piece?

Fr. David Friel · November 11, 2016

The Legacy of Martin of Tours

A Tribute to a Soldier-Saint on Veterans Day

Jeff Ostrowski · November 10, 2016

Musical Resources • 13 November (1962 Missal)

He said, “Make room there; for the girl is not dead, but sleepeth.” And they laughed Him to scorn.

Andrew Leung · November 10, 2016

CMAA Winter Sacred Music 2017

Early Registration is still available for Winter Sacred Music 2017 (Birmingham, AL).

Jeff Ostrowski · November 9, 2016

Complete “Ite Missa Est” for Parish Organist

Accompaniments by Achille P. Bragers (1887-1955).

Corpus Christi Watershed · November 9, 2016

Sonnen: “I’ve never seen such a fine work of art.”

Spot an ancient chasuble or rare picture of St. Wojtyła? Odds are it came from John Paul Sonnen.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 8, 2016

Do You Recognize This Hymn Tune? 1

The Brébeuf hymnal will include texts by contemporary Roman Catholic poets.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 8, 2016

Hysteria Over CDW Appointments?

Including two myths: one about the EF, and one about the OF.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 8, 2016

Do You Recognize This Hymn Tune?

The Brébeuf hymnal will include texts by contemporary Roman Catholic poets.

Guest Author · November 7, 2016

Catholic Liturgy in Secular Sweden

How does a tiny Catholic community in a secularized country celebrate Mass with the Pope?

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