![Views from the Choir Loft](https://www.ccwatershed.org/wp-content/themes/antoinedaniel/images/blueheader.png")
Our authors embrace the official
teachings of the Catholic Church.
Jeff OstrowskiA theorist, organist, and conductor, Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004), and did graduate work in Musicology. He serves as choirmaster for the new FSSP parish in Los Angeles, where he resides with his wife and children.
Fr. David FrielOrdained in 2011, Father Friel served for five years as Parochial Vicar at St. Anselm Parish in Northeast Philly. He is currently a doctoral candidate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Richard J. ClarkRichard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. He is also Chapel Organist (Saint Mary’s Chapel) at Boston College. His compositions have been performed worldwide.
Veronica BrandtVeronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. As editor, she has produced fine publications (as well as valuable reprints) dealing with Gregorian chant, hymnody, Latin, and other subjects. These publications are distinguished on account of their tastefulness. She lives in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia, with her husband Peter and six children.
Andrew LeungAndrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers and music director at Our Lady of China Church. He is also an artist and vocal coach at the Paul Phoenix Academy.
Lucas TappanDr. Lucas Tappan is a conductor and organist whose specialty is working with children. He lives in Kansas with his wife and four children.
Cynthia OstrowskiCynthia Ostrowski holds a bachelor's degree in Geographic Information Science and a minor in Computer Science from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi (2005). She is currently a stay-at-home mother of two children. A former GIS analyst, Cynthia's interests include photography, french horn, and singing polyphony.
Andrew R. MotykaAndrew Motyka is the Archdiocesan Director of Liturgical Music and Cathedral Music for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
Dr. Alfred CalabreseDr. Alfred Calabrese is Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Rita Catholic Church in Dallas, TX where he leads a comprehensive program including the St. Rita Choral Academy. He is a guest conductor, composer, educator, and writer and has been called "one of the finest conductors of his generation" by the dean of American choral conductors, Robert Shaw.
Veronica MorenoVeronica Moreno is married to a teacher and homeschools five children. While at UCLA, she earned an undergraduate degree in Ethnomusicology and then went on to study special education at Cal State LA. She has been cantor at her local Catholic parish for over a decade.
Christopher MuellerChristopher Mueller is a church musician, conductor, and composer. He aims to write beautiful music out of gratitude to God, the Author of all beauty.
Patrick TorsellPatrick Torsell is the Director of Music and Organist at Mater Dei Latin Mass Community in Harrisburg, PA, an apostolate of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. He began playing the organ at age 8, and has held organist and choirmaster positions across the nation.
Wilfrid JonesWilfrid Jones in a PhD student in the theology faculty of the Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, studying the theology and practice of sacred music. He studied music at New College, Oxford; theology at the University of Birmingham; and education at Hughes Hall and Sidney Sussex Colleges, Cambridge. He teaches at St Bede's Inter-Church School, Cambridge. Read more
Andrea LealAndrea Leal is a wife and homeschooling mother of 6 children. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from UC Berkeley in Peace and Conflict Studies, and serves as choir director for the Traditional Latin Mass in Las Vegas.
Dr. Gregory HamiltonDr. Gregory Hamilton is a widely published composer and accomplished performer. His compositions include works for organ, piano, choir, flute, cello, and orchestra. An active conductor, Dr. Hamilton also performs extensively as a soloist and accompanist on the organ, piano, harpsichord. He has also performed regularly on the keyboard, theorbo and lute with the Orchestra of New Spain.
William J. FritzWilliam J. Fritz is a composer, organist, choir director and music teacher. He studied music, philosophy and theology with the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael's Abbey in Orange County, and received his masters in theology from the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Toronto, Canada. He currently serves as music director in both forms of the Roman Rite at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Costa Mesa, CA where he resides with his wife and three boys.
Opinions expressed by blog authors do not necessarily reflect the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.
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SIX years ago, we uploaded a stunning Blog Header image. Some have asked why Cardinal Ratzinger is featured instead of Pope Emeritus. The fact of the matter is, young Ratzinger has always been present on our header—even though our blog began after the election of Benedict XVI. The following paragraphs explain why.
It’s no secret that many who hopped on the “B16 Bandwagon” abandoned the liturgical movement when Pope Benedict XVI abdicated on 28 February 2013. It demonstrates that these authors—instead of being committed to perennial ideals—simply got caught up with a “trend.” However, if you examine the biographies of our contributors, most of us were involved in promoting authentic sacred music long before Benedict XVI was elected, and at least a decade before Summorum Pontificum was issued. We recall that the liturgy does not depend on the priorities or “taste” of a pope. Indeed, there were decades in our Church’s history when nobody knew who the true pope was! Yet, the liturgy continued. Assisting at Mass, where Christ is truly present, must be the summit of our existence: not “trends.”
* * PDF Download • Original Sketch of Young Cardinal Ratzinger
Cardinal Ratzinger, therefore, is featured because of the crucial role he played before he was elected pope. This does not minimize what he did as pope; and without question, the most important thing Ratzinger accomplished as pope was to make it forever impossible for anyone to assert that those desiring authentic liturgy are “living in the past,” because documents such as Summorum Pontificum and Universae Ecclesiae were issued in the last decade, whereas documents such as Sacrosanctum Concilium and Inter Oecumenici were issued 50+ years ago. The artist (Igor Kazarin) drew Cardinal Ratzinger circa 1988, based on various photographs we provided. The artist used a “modern” technique where only one element—Ratzinger’s hat—is colored, and the rest is black & white. This is symbolic of CCWatershed, where we promote tradition, but use modern techniques to spread it. Furthermore, take a look at this photograph of Cardinal Ottaviani dressed in his cardinal’s vestments. One reason cardinals wear red is to demonstrate their willingness to shed blood for the Gospel. Ratzinger was certainly a “martyr” in terms of the abuse he suffered from the anti-Catholic press. We believe that today’s church musicians must be “martyrs” to overcome the difficulties they face. But red is also used for the Holy Ghost; how fitting and significant! We require the Holy Ghost’s guidance to be good church musicians!
