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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

“I’m hanging on every word.”—Catholic Organist Group

Jeff Ostrowski · February 7, 2020

Y friend, Mæstro Clark, sent me a screenshot from a discussion on the “Catholic Organist Group.” Look what one participant wrote about the Brébeuf hymnal:

I’ve never encountered
such a prolific and astoundingly
interesting hymnal, that
includes researched and
annotated writings as
the Brébeuf hymnal.

I just read it for an hour and
I’ve barely scratched the surface.
I’m hanging on every word.

It is just as much a lesson
in theology, Christian tradition,
the history of sacred hymnody,
and inspiring Christian bio-epic
of the North American martyrs
as it is a hymnal. It could easily
stand as a primary text
to a course, and is almost
overkill as a pew aid.

Further comments are here:

*  PDF Download • Read the Entire Thread
—“Catholic Organist Group” screenshot on 7 February 2020.

Last night during rehearsal, I opened up the Brébeuf pew book and was almost moved to tears. The typesetting, the drop caps, the intricate details…wonderful stuff:


I’m beyond thrilled that we are able to sing the beautiful hymn for Septuagesima (“Rebus Creatis Nil Egens”) during Septuagesima. How cool is that? The Brébeuf hymnal is the only hymn book which provides settings for it in English, to say nothing of the gorgeous literal translation by an FSSP priest.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Jean de Brebeuf Hymnal Last Updated: May 14, 2020

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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

    William Byrd • Simple “Agnus Dei” Canon
    Time flies! Back in July, I posted a PDF setting of a perfect canon by William Byrd (d. 1623) arranged as an AGNUS DEI for three voices. Last Sunday, we sang that arrangement with our volunteer choir. To hear a ‘live’ recording of it, click here (Mp3). In my humble opinion, this would be a perfect piece for a choir just beginning to experiment with polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “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. — One of our volunteer choirs also sang that SANCTUS on 24 September 2023, and you can listen to how that came out.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“By no means would I offer the counsel that Mass be celebrated in languages other than Latin.”

— Archbishop Dwyer (one of the Vatican II fathers)

Recent Posts

  • Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Nuances of Nuances” (28 Sep 2023)
  • William Byrd • Simple “Agnus Dei” Canon
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  • A Brief Addendum

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