Views from the Choir Loft

Rehearsal Videos • Guerrero “Agnus Dei” (SSATB)

Jeff Ostrowski · May 17, 2017

NE OF THE MANY things participants will learn at the upcoming Sacred Music Symposium is how to produce rehearsal videos. Below you’ll find Guerrero’s AGNUS DEI (“Missa Iste Sanctus”) for which I recorded all the voices, including both Soprano lines. I usually apologize for my Soprano notes (I’m a Baritone), and there are two Soprano lines. But I’m not going to apologize twice—do you understand why?

* * PDF Download • AGNUS DEI (“Iste Sanctus”)

REHEARSAL VIDEOS for each individual voice await you at #5512.

The internet has damaged the attention span of many people, and this can be a source of frustration to those of us who blog. I have frequently indicated a special website where you can sing along with each individual voice—yet many still do not realize what’s available there. So I will keep repeating it, and hopefully everyone will eventually bookmark that website.

By the way, that website also contains Mp3 files. YouTube compresses the audio files, making them sound horrible. The Mp3 versions sound much nicer.

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

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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

List • Responses by each bishop!

This incredible website gives each bishop’s response to the recent MOTU PROPRIO Traditionis Custodes, a decree by Pope Francis which seeks to reduce the number of celebrations of the “Extraordinary Form” (Traditional Latin Mass): traditioniscustodes.info

—Jeff Ostrowski

Tomorrow is Sunday…

When you were in school, you would have gotten in trouble if you wrote the Roman Numeral “9” as viiii. You were supposed to write: IX. But look how an ancient manuscript writes “9” as a Roman Numeral. That’s the Introit Ecce Deus for tomorrow’s feast in the Extraordinary Form: The 9th Sunday after Pentecost.

—Jeff Ostrowski

24 July 2021 • “Two Teams”

Anyone familiar with the so-called “Traditionalist Catholic” movement knows that (like every other group) it contains some bad apples. Anyone can self-identify as a “Traditionalist Catholic”—even those who are mentally ill, those who beat their wives, and even folks who are emotionally disturbed. All of us know TLM Catholics who are so arrogant they make Narcissus look like the most humble guy who ever lived. However, I believe Traditionis Custodes will exacerbate the situation. Under B16, we were “all on the same team.” But this new decree by Pope Francis makes it seem like there are two opposing “teams” in the Church.

—Jeff Ostrowski