Views from the Choir Loft

New Release! • “Missa de Beata Virgine” (Kevin Allen)

Jeff Ostrowski · June 9, 2022

EVIN ALLEN has been highly regarded as a composer of opera, chamber and orchestral music. He has also developed a unique reputation as a composer of church music for the Roman Rite. Mr. Allen’s works, sacred and secular, have been performed in churches and concert halls throughout the United States and Europe.

Mass of the Blessed Virgin: Today, one of his most gorgeous Mass settings—Missa de Beata Virgine for SATB Chorus a cappella—has been released on Amazon:

Order your copy today!

* Amazon.com • “Missa de Beata Virgine” (SATB)
—Missa de Beata Virgine; SATB Chorus A Cappella; Kevin Allen.

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Rehearsal Videos • “Kyrie Eleison”

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube
FIRST SOPRANO : YouTube
SECOND SOPRANO : YouTube
ALTO : YouTube
TENOR : YouTube
FIRST BASS : YouTube
SECOND BASS : YouTube

Rehearsal Mp3 Files • “Agnus Dei”

Equal Voices • 1st Sop. • 2nd Sopr. • Alto • Tenor • 1st Bass • 2nd Bass

Weeping While Singing: Here’s a live recording of Dr. Horst Buchholz conducting the “Agnus Dei.” The melodies toward the end are so beautiful, many of the singers began weeping. Crying renders a person unable to sing properly—just like when you’re out of breath—but they couldn’t help themselves:

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 Michigan. —(Read full biography).

“Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.

—Jeff Ostrowski

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Music Director Job • $80,000 per year

Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!

—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