Views from the Choir Loft

Archives for October 2024

Jeff Ostrowski · October 3, 2024

Rhyme Scheme?

Is this a common ‘thing’ when it comes to hymns in Spanish?

Jeff Ostrowski · October 2, 2024

This Coming Sunday’s Resp. Psalm

ICEL wasn’t the only group that produced reprehensible translations in the 1970s…

Dr. Charles Weaver · October 2, 2024

Glancing at Eurydice: Why Read Medieval Theory?

Sometimes the ancients just perfectly capture the essence of some experience that we all share.

Jeff Ostrowski · October 2, 2024

English Plainchant Revival • “Is It Real?”

Let Busoni’s statement serve as a reminder to Catholic music directors everywhere.

Jeff Ostrowski · October 1, 2024

“Entrance Chant” • For Sunday (6-Oct-2024)

This one’s in Mode 4, imitating in an admirable way the authentic Gregorian chant.

Jeff Ostrowski · October 1, 2024

PDF Download • “Entrance Chant in English” for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

This coming Sunday—6 October 2024—is the 27th in Ordinary Time.

Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser

To assist our fundraiser, Mrs. Kathleen Ostrowski has drawn several beautiful sketches which she offers to all our readers free of charge. If you have a moment, I invite you download them at this link.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Errors in Latin: “17th Sund. Ordinary”

The COMMUNION for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) contains several typos in the Jogues Illuminated Missal with regard to the Latin text. That particular COMMUNION ANTIPHON is extremely ancient, and the English Adaptation is utterly gorgeous. For the record, it’s normal for books to contain typos; even books by Father Fortescue and Monsignor Knox have errors. Books by Solesmes Abbey—surely among the finest ever produced—contain many printing errors. Click here to see a few examples of typos.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“What Martin Luther Said…”

My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.

—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