Views from the Choir Loft

Goal Met • Why We’re Grateful To Our Readers

Jeff Ostrowski · July 28, 2020

HANKS to our readers—that’s you, by the way!—something has been accomplished which very few people thought possible. We met our fundraising goal—and perhaps you noticed we removed the annoying “pop-up” window asking for donations. On behalf of our entire team, I thank you sincerely for your support! In spite of the response to Covid-19—which has devastated so many Catholic families and dioceses—your generosity saved the day. I think this proves beyond a shadow of a doubt: AUTHENTIC CATHOLIC SACRED MUSIC IS NOT GOING AWAY. (Thanks to your kindness!)

A Small Gift For You

Thomas à Kempis said we must frequently contemplate the sufferings of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Padre Pio said the same thing. Saint John Mary Vianney said the same thing. The Jesuit martyrs of North America—Father John Brébeuf, Father Isaac Jogues, Father Antoine Daniel, etc.—said the same thing.

Therefore, here are some 15th-century images that might assist your meditations:

OUR LORD BEFORE ANNAS:

OUR LORD BEFORE CAIAPHAS:

OUR LORD BEFORE PILATE:

OUR LORD IS UNJUSTLY SCOURGED:

ECCE HOMO:

VERONICA WITH SUDARIUM:

OUR LORD DIES ON THE CROSS FOR US:

These pictures are quite amazing. Consider the level of detail:

Pontius Pilate’s yellow garment is particularly remarkable, in my humble opinion.

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).

6 January 2021 • Anglicans on Plainsong

A book published by Anglicans in 1965 has this to say about Abbat Pothier’s Editio Vaticana, the musical edition reproduced by books such as the LIBER USUALIS (Solesmes Abbey): “No performing edition of the music of the Eucharistic Psalmody can afford to ignore the evidence of the current official edition of the Latin Graduale, which is no mere reproduction of a local or partial tradition, but a CENTO resulting from an extended study and comparison of a host of manuscripts gathered from many places. Thus the musical text of the Graduale possesses a measure of authority which cannot lightly be disregarded.” They are absolutely correct.

—Jeff Ostrowski

2 January 2021 • Temptation

When I see idiotic statements made on the internet, I go nuts. When I see heretics promoted by people who should know better, I get angry. Learning to ignore such items is difficult—very difficult. I try to remember the words of Fr. Valentine Young: “Do what God places in front of you each day.” When I am honest, I don’t believe God wants me to dwell on errors and idiocy; there’s nothing I can do about that. During 2021, I will strive to do a better job following the advice of Fr. Valentine.

—Jeff Ostrowski

31 December 2020 • “COMITES CHRISTI”

The feasts for Saint Stephen Proto-Martyr (26 December), Saint John the Evangelist The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved (27 December), and the Feast of the Holy Innocents (28 December) seem untouched by any liturgical reforms. These are very powerful feasts—I believe they once possessed octaves—and I believe they could sometimes “overpower” a Sunday feast. The rules for octaves in the olden days are extremely complex. These feasts are sometimes referred to as a single entity as: Comites Christi (“Companions of Christ”). This is just a guess, but there seems to be a triple significance: STEPHEN martyred after Christ lived, JOHN was a martyr who knew Christ personally, and the HOLY INNOCENTS were martyred before Christ’s birth.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Giovanni Doni is known for having changed the name of note “Ut,” renaming it “Do.” He convinced his contemporaries to make the change by arguing that 1) “Do” is easier to pronounce than “Ut,” and 2) “Do” is an abbreviation for “Dominus,” the Latin word for the Lord, Who is the tonic and root of the world. There is much academic speculation that Giovanni Doni also wanted to imprint himself into musical canon in perpetuity because “Do” is also ulteriorly an abbreviation for his family name.

— Giovanni Battista Doni died in 1647AD