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Views from the Choir Loft

“Entrance Chant” for this Coming Sunday • Jeff Attempts to Accompany Himself on the Organ

Jeff Ostrowski · November 6, 2024

EADERS MIGHT BE surprised to learn about the “hidden crosses” associated with running a blog. For one thing, we’re in the public eye. As a result, we become a target for mentally-ill church musicians with too much time on their hands. Although we’re frequently the recipients of defamation, we cannot defend ourselves.1 On a personal level, I’ve accumulated several ‘shadows’ who follow me wherever I go. Have you heard the shadow rhyme?

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
and what can be the use of him is more than I can see.

These ‘shadows’ become obsessed with me and besmirch my reputation wherever they can, relentlessly lying about me on internet forums, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and so forth. Unpleasantness like this is, unfortunately, the cost of doing business.

Curiosity Killed The Cat • Here’s another example: we sometimes publish emails we receive, but (for the sake of anonymity) we withhold actual names. Whenever we do this, certain people accuse us of creating ‘fake’ letters. Others can’t resist wild speculation about the true identity of our correspondents, and end up arriving at false conclusions. Quite literally, we are “damned if we do damned if we don’t.”

Other Side Of The Coin • But being involved with this blog also brings rich rewards. I truly believe that singing CARMEN GREGORIANUM lifts one’s spirits in a way nothing short of miraculous. Do you agree or disagree? For example, the ENTRANCE CHANT for this coming Sunday is an absolute delight. Playing it on the organ makes me feel happy:

*  PDF Download • Singer’s Score (Treble Clef)
*  PDF Download • ORGAN ACCOMPANIMENT (2 Pages)

Here’s the direct URL link.

Females Need Not Apply? • Anyone familiar with True Crime television knows the FBI creates “profiles” of criminals whom police are trying to apprehend. When the criminal finally gets caught, 9 out of 10 times the FBI had described him perfectly. I mentioned earlier that I’ve picked up several shadows—i.e. stalkers who are obsessed with me and take every opportunity to besmirch my reputation online. (One in particular has been ‘after me’ since I lived in Texas and shows no signs of relenting.) The other day, I realized something: 100% of these malicious ‘shadows’ are men and 100% are unmarried. (Not one of them is female.) I suppose that’s why they have so much time on their hands!

Today’s Lesson • If you plan on running a blog, expect this kind of thing. Plan for it. Factor it into the equation. As Archbishop Sheen used to say: “Count the costs!” Know that for every 1 email you receive praising your work you’ll receive 100 attacking your efforts. Each morning, before you turn on your phone, make a daily offering. Monsignor Skeris used to secretly offer Mass for his enemies. Indeed, great saints like Father Isaac Jogues rejoiced when they were given the opportunity to do kind acts for the very people who had tortured them without mercy. May God grant us the grace to imitate them!

Apel Addendum • This Sunday’s Introit in Latin (“Intret Oratio”) was cited by Willi Apel as an example of “tonal instability.” Here’s what he had to say:

1 Numerous factors make it inadvisable, unwise, and impossible for us to defend ourselves. For one thing, it would require immense amounts of time and energy—two things we lack. Also, a serious person knows to adhere always to the famous maxim: “Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty … and the pig likes it.” But it can be difficult to remain silent—especially when the slander is utterly preposterous and easily refuted.

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Carmen Gregorianum, Chaumonot Composers Group, Chaumonot Entrance Chant Collection, Intret Oratio Willi Apel, Tonal Instability Willi Apel Last Updated: November 7, 2024

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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 Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Yahweh” in church songs?
    My pastor asked me to write a weekly column for our parish bulletin. The one scheduled to run on 22 June 2025 is called “Three Words in a Psalm” and speaks of translating the TETRAGRAMMATON. You can read the article at this column repository. All of them are quite brief because I was asked to keep within a certain word limit.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • Pentecost Sunday
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for Pentecost Sunday (8 June 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. Because our choir is on break this week, the music is relatively simple.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    When to Sit, Stand and Kneel like it’s 1962
    There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass, but I couldn’t find one which matched our local Latin Mass, so I made this one: sit-stand-kneel-crop
    —Veronica Brandt
    The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum
    Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.
    —Daniel Tucker

Random Quote

“From the responses received, it is thus clear that by far the greater number of bishops feel that the present discipline [Communion on the tongue and not in the hand] should not be changed at all—indeed, that if it were changed, this would be offensive to the sensibility and spiritual appreciation of these bishops and of most of the faithful.”

— Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship (29 May 1969)

Recent Posts

  • “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
  • PDF Download • “Text by Saint Francis of Assisi” (choral setting w/ organ: Soprano & Alto)
  • “Yahweh” in church songs?
  • “Music List” • Pentecost Sunday
  • “Participation” • Recovering its Receptive Dimension

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

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