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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Who I Am

Jeff Ostrowski · February 11, 2017

HEN READERS visit Views from the Choir Loft, it is of course within the realm of possibility that what they encounter could be false—just like any other blog on the internet. We assure our readers we’re truthful, but human beings are fallible, and some are dishonest. But one thing is never dishonest: music. What you hear is what you get.

Here’s a recording I’ve thoroughly enjoyed for two decades:


Vladimir Horowitz made this recording just a few days before he died (at the age of 86). I grew up reading biographies of Rachmaninoff, Hofmann, Friedman, Gieseking, and all the rest, so I’ve always been aware that great pianists can play anything at sight, no matter how difficult. Horowitz was especially known for this ability. He never played this piece in public, but undoubtedly mastered it in minutes—and nobody has ever made a more powerful recording. 1

My youth was filled with playing the piano, exploring nature with my brothers, and spending time at church. My brother and I immersed ourselves completely in Fauré, Franck, Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, MacDowell, Schubert, Mozart, Medtner, Rachmaninov, Haydn, Palestrina, Bach, and so many others. Later on, my brother entered the seminary while I got married, and I miss our friendship so much. (We both lead busy lives, and great distances separate us.) Life becomes more complicated when one becomes an adult. I often wonder if God will allow me—someday—to once more experience that exhilarating and intoxicating delight of music. I used to rush home from my job (as a soccer referee) to listen to rare recordings which I obtained through trading with people in Italy, Belgium, China, Canada, and other places. In those days, it was all cassette tapes. I remember spending Autumn days working in Dr. Richard Angeletti’s studio at the University of Kansas. Those happy days seem so far away. 2

If you ever wondered (or cared) “who I am,” just listen to that recording. By so doing, you’ll understand a great deal about me.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   This is just the middle section. For the full recording, search YouTube for “Chopin Etude op. 25 no. 5 Horowitz” and it will come right up.

2   After hearing me play virtuoso pieces in a competition, Dr. Angeletti had accepted me—even though he seldom accepted high school students. He was a supremely musical man, and we spent hours on pedaling and phrasing. Dr. Angeletti, by the way, was instrumental (pardon the pun) in beginning the “artist in residence” program at KU, bringing in artists like Leon Fleisher and Gary Graffman.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 26 October 2025, which is the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the top-notch feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Little Encouragement?
    In the Gospel, our Savior tells about 10 lepers who were healed. Only one went back to give thanks. Precious few express gratitude, yet many have endless energy to complain. For that reason, I deeply appreciate receiving messages like the following, which arrived a few days ago (about the parish where I direct in Michigan): “Last Sunday, a couple I knew from Grand Rapids was at Mass at 10:00 a.m. I got a chance to talk to them after Mass. I wanted to let you know what they said about the choir. They were absolutely floored by our sound!!!!! They both said they could continuously listen to our choir and the beauty of it. They asked me: “Do you always sound like that?” And they were also very surprised at how packed the church was. They said it was nice for them to be in such a full church. I just thought you would be interested to know their thoughts about our choir.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
    Choirs love to sing the resplendent tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1929, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. Their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1929 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. As always, the Germans added an organ INTRODUCTION. For the record, I posted a different harmonization a few months ago which was downloaded more than 2,000 times.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

He stood firm against nepotism, rebuking his predecessor Pope Pius IV to his face when he wanted to make a 13-year-old member of his family a cardinal and subsidize a nephew from the papal treasury.

— Re: Pope Saint Pius V (d. 1572)

Recent Posts

  • “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
  • Little Encouragement?
  • Children’s Repertoire • Mueller’s Recommendations
  • PDF Download • “Marian Antiphon Booklet” (4 pages) + Five Rhythmic Considerations

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