Views from the Choir Loft

Father Friel • Article Archive

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.—(Read full biography).

Fr. David Friel · May 17, 2020

Returning to the Sacraments • “Breathe Easter Now” (Hopkins)

Words of Hope from Gerard Manley Hopkins

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Fr. David Friel · May 3, 2020

Throwing Away Our Birthright of Beauty

Thoughts from St. Athanasius the Great

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Fr. David Friel · April 19, 2020

The Offertory Antiphons of the Easter Octave

United by the theme of sacred “commercium”

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Fr. David Friel · April 5, 2020

Craving the Body of Christ

Insights from Joseph of Arimathea

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Fr. David Friel · April 2, 2020

Repeating Repertoire? • Father Friel

The merits of repetition and variation.

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Fr. David Friel · March 22, 2020

“Separated from the Sacraments” • Stories from Walter Ciszek, SJ

A missionary in Soviet Russia, Fr. Ciszek learned the spirituality of surrender through tremendous suffering.

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Fr. David Friel · March 20, 2020

CDW Guidelines for Holy Week 2020

The Congregation has released a short document with pertinent guidance.

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Fr. David Friel · March 18, 2020

A Word of Encouragement

For those who are separated from the liturgical life of the Church on account of COVID-19.

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Fr. David Friel · March 10, 2020

Liturgical Custody of the Eyes

Guarding the Sense of Sight so as to Promote Participation

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Fr. David Friel · February 23, 2020

Exploring the 5th/6th-Century Mosaics of Ravenna

These magnificent images are not only attractive to behold, but also deeply theological.

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Fr. David Friel · February 17, 2020

Imposing the Classical Style on Public Building Projects?

A rumored executive order would unify the architectural style of future projects and upgrades.

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Fr. David Friel · February 16, 2020

New Work from Paul Jernberg

The composer has begun a new and worthwhile blogging project.

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Fr. David Friel · January 26, 2020

The Book of Kells Online

The Book of Kells, as well as 150,000 artworks housed in Parisian museums, can be freely viewed online.

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Fr. David Friel · January 20, 2020

Roger Scruton, Magister Pulchritudinis

Sir Roger Scruton died January 12, 2020, leaving a mammoth legacy in the field of aesthetics.

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Fr. David Friel · January 15, 2020

Digitizing the Vatican Library

One decade into the project, the results are fascinating.

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“Reminder” — Month of July (2026)

On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). Since we were founded in 2006, not one of our board members has ever accepted any remuneration whatsoever—not a penny. We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. It couldn’t be easier to subscribe! Just scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Music List • (15th Sund. Ordinary Time)

Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A), which is 12 July 2026. Please feel free to download it as a PDF file if that appeals to you. The hymns chosen are some of the most ‘traditional’ I have chosen (and were chosen by our pastor). The ENTRANCE CHANT radiates pure bliss, overflowing with joy.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Shortest Psalm In The Bible

The shortest chapter in the whole Bible—as well as the shortest psalm—is PSALM 116 (“Laudáte Dóminum ómnes géntes”), which consists of just two verses. German-speaking Catholics did something really splendid (PDF) with PSALM 116. I was alerted to this many years ago by none other than Monsignor Robert Alexander Skeris. Click here to download—from different Catholic hymn books—ten (10) different harmonizations for this fabulous hymn.

—Jeff Ostrowski

‘Ould’ But Not Good

Dom Samuel Gregory Ould (note the spelling) was a Benedictine monk at FORT AUGUSTUS ABBEY in Scotland. As musician, organist, and composer, Dom Ould was highly regarded. Moreover, he was considered an authority on Gregorian Chant. But not everything found in an old book—or, in this case, an “Ould” book—is necessarily praiseworthy. Consider this page from Dom Ould’s hymnal. Do you see the rhymes? They offend severely by ABR (“Abuse By Reuse”) and are utterly predictable. In my recent article—Two Ways to Defile a Hymn—I addressed this topic.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Reader Feedback” • 22 June 2026

A reader wrote to us from Virginia: “I really appreciate the 23 harmonizations that you posted on CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED for the Daily, Daily, Sing to Mary hymn. I hope to find willing voices in our small Schola Cantorum to try the three-voice version. Carry on, sir! You’re doing the Lord’s work.” While we don’t know this gentleman personally, we note that he earned a Ph.D. (which demonstrates that our blog has something for everybody). 😊

—Corpus Christi Watershed

Time and Again We Are Asked…

John Baptist Singenberger (d. 1924) was a central figure of Catholic Church music. In this utterly fascinating excerpt (Single-Page PDF), Singenberger writes: Time and again we are asked: “Is the Gregorian chant to be accompanied by the organ?” As a young student in Saint Gall, Singenberger befriended SEBASTIAN GEBHARD MESSMER, the future Archbishop of Milwaukee (Wisconsin). The two graduated together in 1861. The school they attended (Saint George’s Seminary) was a “seminary”—but in the older European sense. In other words, it provided a classical education without necessarily leading to ordination. Singenberger remained a layman his whole life, but Messmer was eventually made archbishop—by Pope Saint Pius X—of the very archdiocese in Wisconsin where Singenberger would spend his American career, giving him a powerful ecclesiastical ally.

—Jeff Ostrowski