Views from the Choir Loft

Cynthia Ostrowski • Article Archive

Cynthia 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.—Read full biography (with photographs).

Cynthia Ostrowski · February 11, 2026

Gorgeous Image of Monks Singing!

Image from a ‘Book of Hours’ (15th century).

Cynthia Ostrowski · June 11, 2025

Available! • Free Rehearsal Videos for Agnus Dei “Mille Regretz” after Gombert (d. 1560)

Artificial intelligence will never replace authentic polyphony.

Cynthia Ostrowski · December 20, 2023

“My Favorite Christmas Song” • Played by Dr. Carbonell and Fr. Justin Ward (Live Recording)

If one must have piano in church, this is the way to do it!

Cynthia Ostrowski · September 20, 2023

What Robert Did to My Graphics

“Dear Cynthia: I landed on your website while searching for…”

Cynthia Ostrowski · September 11, 2023

Can a Lens Make a Difference?

My husband tells me this edition (by Dom Pothier’s student) is of monumental importance. I take him at his word.

Cynthia Ostrowski · June 15, 2022

“You Are Invited” • Solemn Mass sung by 95 singers!

Don’t miss the first Mass of an FSSP priest on the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Cynthia Ostrowski · February 16, 2021

(photographs) • The Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal

Cynthia Ostrowski · September 15, 2020

(Installment #8) “Catholic Hymnals” • Cynthia Ostrowski

According to Bishop Sheen: “Christianity, unlike any other religion in the world, begins with catastrophe and defeat.”

Follow the Discussion on Facebook

Cynthia Ostrowski · September 14, 2016

“Matri Divinæ Gratiæ” • 3-voice Motets (SAB)

Kevin Allen has released a collection every Roman Catholic choir will treasure!

Cynthia Ostrowski · August 15, 2016

Catholic Bulletin Art • Installment #71

If you’re confused about what’s happening, search google for “Dormition of Mary.”

Cynthia Ostrowski · May 23, 2016

Los Angeles: Less Than A Week Away!

A phenomenal event which involves our District Superior & Archbishop Gomez.

Cynthia Ostrowski · February 3, 2016

“Ad Orientem” Image You’ll Want To Download

This high resolution image portrays a priest offering Mass with the Holy Trinity above.

Cynthia Ostrowski · December 29, 2015

Popular Posts From 2015

In case you missed any of these!

Cynthia Ostrowski · October 19, 2015

Catholic Bulletin Art • Installment #70

The feast of Christ the King approaches!

Cynthia Ostrowski · September 16, 2015

Catholic Bulletin Art • Installment #69

Today’s installment is a picture of Saint Alphonsus Ligouri.

“Samaritánæ” (3rd Sunday of Lent)

With regard to the COMMUNION for the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year A), the Ordo Cantus Missae—which was published in 1969 by the Vatican, bearing Hannibal Bugnini’s signature and approbation in its PREFACE—inexplicably introduced a variant melody and slightly different words, as you can see by this comparison chart. When it comes to such items, they’re always done in secrecy by unnamed people. (Although it is known that Dom Eugène Cardine collaborated in the creation of the GRADUALE SIMPLEX, a book considered by some to be a travesty.)

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Ubi Caritas” (SATB)

I remember singing “Ubi Cáritas” by Maurice Duruflé at the conservatory. I was deeply moved by it. However, some feel Duruflé’s version isn’t suitable for small choirs since it’s written for 6 voices and the bass tessitura is quite low. That’s why I was absolutely thrilled to discover this “Ubi cáritas” (SATB) for smaller choirs by Énemond Moreau, who studied with OSCAR DEPUYDT (d. 1925), an orphan who became a towering figure of Catholic music. Depuydt’s students include: Flor Peeters (d. 1986); Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel (d. 1953); Arthur Meulemans (d. 1966); Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989); and Gustaaf Nees (d. 1965). Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #19705. When I came across the astonishing English translation for “Ubi Cáritas” by Monsignor Ronald Knox—matching the Latin’s meter—I decided to add those lyrics as an option (for churches which have banned Latin). My wife and I made this recording to give you some idea how it sounds.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “Cantus Mariales” (192 pages)

Andrea Leal has posted an absolutely pristine scan of CANTUS MARIALES (192 pages) which can be downloaded as a PDF file. To access this treasure, navigate to the frabjous article Andrea posted Monday. The file is being offered completely free of charge. The beginning pages of the book have something not to be missed: viz. a letter from Pope Saint Pius X to Dom Pothier, in which the pope calls Abbat Pothier “a man versed above all others in the science of liturgy, and to whom the cause of Gregorian chant is greatly indebted.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Grotesque Pairing • “Passion Chorale”

One of our rarest releases was undoubtably this PDF scan of the complete Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) by Father Joseph Roff, a student of Healey Willan. One of the scarcest titles in existence, this book was provided to us by Mr. Peter Meggison. Back in 2018, we scanned each page and uploaded it to our website, making it freely available to everyone. Readers are probably sick of hearing me say this, but just because we upload something that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wonderful or worthy of imitation. We upload many publications precisely because they are ‘grotesque’, interesting, or revealing. Whereas the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal had an editorial board that was careful and sensitive vis-à-vis pairing texts with tunes, the Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) seems to have been rather reckless in this regard. Please take a look at what they did with the PASSION CHORALE and see whether you agree.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Extreme Unction

Those who search Google for “CCCC MS 079” will discover high resolution images of a medieval Pontificale (“Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 079”). One of the pages contains this absolutely gorgeous depiction of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

PDF Chart • “Plainsong Rhythm”

I will go to my grave without understanding the lack of curiosity so many people have about the rhythmic modifications made by Dom André Mocquereau. For example, how can someone examine this single sheet comparison chart and at a minimum not be curious about the differences? Dom Mocquereau basically creates a LONG-SHORT LONG-SHORT rhythmic pattern—in spite of enormous and overwhelming manuscript evidence to the contrary. That’s why some scholars referred to his method as “Neo-Mensuralist” or “Neo-Mensuralism.”

—Jeff Ostrowski