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).

“Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)

I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”

Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Baptism” • A Unique Hymn

Father Christopher Phillips is the founding Pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church. One of his hymns is unique and (in my humble opinion) quite beautiful. His hymn is basically a prayer to the Holy Trinity but also speaks of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It would be an ideal Communion hymn on Trinity Sunday or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. You can hear live recording from last Sunday by clicking here.

—Jeff Ostrowski