Views from the Choir Loft

Archives for April 2019

Lucas Tappan · April 30, 2019

A Reason To Hope

We need to remember how small the amount of yeast is that is needed to leaven the dough.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 22, 2019

Josef Hofmann: “King of Pianists”

This excerpt from a 1980 radio interview with Abe Chasins proves I’m not crazy…

Jeff Ostrowski · April 20, 2019

PDF Download • “Cheat Sheet” for Easter Vigil

Releasing this is probably a bad idea…too late!

Jeff Ostrowski · April 19, 2019

PDF Download • Organ Interludes for Manuals!

I will most definitely be playing these pieces—based on hymn tunes—by Georg Philipp Telemann!

Veronica Brandt · April 13, 2019

Oreste Ravanello’s Easy Pieces for Organ

A dozen easy little pieces for organ.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 12, 2019

Musical Program for Covid-19

Saint Vitus • MATT GONZALEZ WEDDING • Saturday, 1 August 2020…bride walks at Noon! ——Call time for singers is 10:00am ENTRANCE Organist will play INTROIT • “Deus Israël conjungat” Sung by Men from Goupil-Chant Search the René Goupil website for “pro sponsis” KYRIE #81668 — Palestrina “Fons Bonitatis” part 1 #81249 — Palestrina “Fons Bonitatis” […]

Jeff Ostrowski · April 12, 2019

The Amazing Uy Family Singers!

Not a piece you expected to hear today!

Corpus Christi Watershed · April 10, 2019

In 1991, Buchanan Predicted Ratzinger’s Election

“If the Latin Mass were available, 8% of Catholics would go every Sunday, 17% would attend frequently, and 51% occasionally.” —1991 Poll

Jeff Ostrowski · April 10, 2019

(captured by iPhone) • Rehearsing for the Symposium

Do me a huge favor…

Jeff Ostrowski · April 9, 2019

Brébeuf Harmony Edition • “Splendid Beyond Words”

Folks, there’s just one word for this: WOW.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 8, 2019

PDF Download • Spectacular “Tenebrae” Booklet

Mr. Albert Bloomfield has done us a breathtaking favor.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 6, 2019

St. Michael the Archangel Prayer…in Gregorian Chant!

From a rare book of Franciscan chants (1902)

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Jeff Ostrowski · April 4, 2019

PDF Download • Mystery Kyriale (100 Pages)

Nobody knows the author or date of publication.

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

15 February 2021 • To Capitalize…?

In the Introit for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, there is a question regarding whether to capitalize the word “christi.” The Vulgata does not, because Psalm 27 is not specifically referring to Our Lord, but rather to God’s “anointed one.” However, Missals tend to capitalize it, such as the official 1962 Missal and also a book from 1777 called Missel de Paris. Something tells me Monsignor Knox would not capitalize it.

—Jeff Ostrowski

15 February 2021 • “Sung vs. Spoken”

We have spoken quite a bit about “sung vs. spoken” antiphons. We have also noted that the texts of the Graduale Romanum sometimes don’t match the Missal texts (in the Extraordinary Form) because the Mass Propers are older than Saint Jerome’s Vulgate, and sometimes came from the ITALA versions of Sacred Scripture. On occasion, the Missal itself doesn’t match the Vulgate—cf. the Introit “Esto Mihi.” The Vulgate has: “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in domum refúgii…” but the Missal and Graduale Romanum use “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in locum refúgii…” The 1970s “spoken propers” use the traditional version, as you can see.

—Jeff Ostrowski