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Views from the Choir Loft

Los Angeles • Audio Excerpts from Solemn Mass

Jeff Ostrowski · May 9, 2018

AST SUNDAY, 6 May 2018, Solemn Mass was offered by Rev. Gerard Saguto at the FSSP Apostolate in Los Angeles. Fr. Saguto is FSSP District Superior in the United States:

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Insanity has been described as “doing the same over and over while expecting different results.” Time and again I have tried to make clear that pocket recordings do not faithfully reproduce choral sound. In real life, the sounds I hear are absolutely luscious and absolutely glorious. Yet, when I hear a playback from a pocket recording device—such as my iPhone—I hear terrible distortion. The playback too often sounds harsh, trashy, and “flattened.”

But I never learn my lesson…and I continue to post excerpts because I want to give an idea of what we do here in Los Angeles. You can hear some iPhone recordings of the singing courtesy of the “TLM LA” YouTube channel. (The Communion Hymn at the 4:00 marker came out nicely.)

Remember:

Pocket recording devices do not reproduce choral sound with anything approaching accuracy.

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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Jeff Ostrowski

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).

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Quick Thoughts

4 March 2021 • Can you spare 15 seconds?

Due to Covid-19, California has basically been under “lock down” for 11 months, and these restrictions have had quite a detrimental effect on our choral programs. We are frequently limited to just 2-3 singers, on account of regulations by the government and our Archdiocese. However, although the number of singers is quite small, I was struck by the beauty of the singing last Sunday. Listen to this 15-second live excerpt and see if you agree?

—Jeff Ostrowski
3 March 2021 • “A policeman” — really?

According to Monsignor Frederick R. McManus, there were “policemen” serving the Sanhedrin in the time of Our Blessed Lord. Look at this awful translation in the 1966 “Saint Andrew Bible Missal” from 1966. Yuck!

—Jeff Ostrowski
Surprising Popularity!

One of our most popular downloads has proven to be the organ accompaniment to “The Monastery Hymnal” (131 pages). This book was compiled, arranged, and edited by Achille P. Bragers, who studied at the Lemmensinstituut (Belgium) about thirty years before that school produced the NOH. Bragers might be considered an example of Belgium “Stile Antico” whereas Flor Peeters and Jules Van Nuffel represented Belgium “Prima Pratica.” You can download the hymnal by Bragers at this link.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Pope Gelasius in his 9th Letter to the Bishops of Lucania condemned the evil practice which had been introduced of women serving the priest at the celebration of Mass. Since this abuse had spread to the Greeks, Innocent IV strictly forbade it in his letter to the Bishop of Tusculum: “Women should not dare to serve at the altar; they should be altogether refused this ministry.” We too have forbidden this practice in the same words in Our oft-repeated constitution “Etsi Pastoralis” (§6, #21)

— Pope Benedict XIV • Encyclical “Allatae Sunt” (26 July 1755)

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.