Views from the Choir Loft

Archives for February 2019

Jeff Ostrowski · February 28, 2019

PDF • “Additional Versions of the Credo” (1934)

This morning, fascinating versions of the Credo arrived in my inbox—versions I had never seen!

Dr. Lucas Tappan · February 27, 2019

Strive for Greatness!

Stop trying to make everything easy, and therefore unimportant.

Fr. David Friel · February 23, 2019

New Resource! • Chant Videos for Treble Voices

A new website seeks to record the full Gregorian propers each week using a treble voice.

Richard J. Clark · February 22, 2019

“Woman of No Distinction” World Premiere

What makes this work unique is its perspective: written entirely from the point of view of the Samaritan woman.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 20, 2019

When You Go To Mass … Be This Guy!

Bringing a falcon to Mass never crossed my mind…

Jeff Ostrowski · February 19, 2019

An Outrageous “Paradox” I Cannot Accept

I’m not someone who believes everything was perfect before Vatican II—but calling the EF “worldly” compared to the OF is just silly.

Fr. David Friel · February 17, 2019

Sacred Architecture and Brexit

A connecting link in the form of Gothic cathedrals

Jeff Ostrowski · February 14, 2019

Update! • Accompaniments for the Brébeuf Hymnal

Oh, if only…if only you knew what’s going on behind the scenes!

Dr. Lucas Tappan · February 12, 2019

The Cantor and Congregational Singing

I wonder if we haven’t lost sight of the cantor’s original purpose of fostering congregational singing…

Jeff Ostrowski · February 11, 2019

Breaking! • Father Edwin C. Dwyer Development?

Did Bishop A. Hurley have a change of heart?

Jeff Ostrowski · February 7, 2019

“Your Choirmaster” • What Nobody Realizes

Do you see the part where it specifically asks for humiliation?

Fr. David Friel · February 2, 2019

Fourth-Century Advice for Choir Directors

A passage from Nicetas of Remesiana remains eminently applicable today.

Luis Martínez Must Go!

Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

—Jeff Ostrowski

Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!

A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)

I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Pope Pius XII Hymnal?

Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Hybrid” Chant Notation?

Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

Antiphons Don’t Match?

A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).

—Corpus Christi Watershed