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 · December 31, 2017

USCCB Assesses Impact of “Magnum Principium”

Seven Observations on Liturgical Translation and the Recent Motu Proprio

Fr. David Friel · December 24, 2017

Lux Fulgebit: Mass at Dawn of Christmas Day

New recording by the Schola Cantorum of St. Mary’s Church in Norwalk, CT

Fr. David Friel · December 17, 2017

Gray Book for Baptism of Children Approved

How will the “confirmatio” and “regonitio” processes unfold in light of “Magnum principium”?

Fr. David Friel · December 10, 2017

Knowledge of the Infant Lord

Sheer Grace

Fr. David Friel · November 5, 2017

Prayers of Preparation and Farewell

Two prayers for improving one’s liturgical disposition

Fr. David Friel · October 29, 2017

All Saints and the Extraordinary Form of the Mass

The Roman Rite gives strong attention to the presence of the saints.

Fr. David Friel · October 22, 2017

The Spirit of All Souls’ Day

A thought from Dietrich von Hildebrand

Fr. David Friel · October 15, 2017

6th-Century Icon: God of Mercy and Justice

A thoughtful reading of an icon at the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine in Sinai, Egypt

Fr. David Friel · October 8, 2017

In the Beauty of Holiness: Music and the Transcendent

New Lecture Series at the International Institute for Culture

Fr. David Friel · October 1, 2017

Printable Card • “Prayers at the Foot of the Altar”

A handy resource for priests and servers

Fr. David Friel · September 24, 2017

Album: Sacred Treasures of England

Reflections on a recently released album of English choral music

Fr. David Friel · September 17, 2017

Two Transatlantic Choir Tours

The USA will soon receive the Sistine Chapel Choir and the Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School on tour.

Fr. David Friel · September 14, 2017

Origins of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

A summary of the complex history of a unique sanctoral feast

Fr. David Friel · September 10, 2017

Art of the Beautiful Lecture Series 2017-2018

Six upcoming presentations in New York City

Fr. David Friel · September 6, 2017

Sacred Music Workshop • Allentown, NJ

The workshop presenter will be Peter Carter, a graduate of Westminster Choir College in organ performance.

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

Music List • (2nd Sunday of Lent)

Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 2nd Sunday of Lent (1 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has magnificent propers. Its somber INTROIT is particularly striking—using a haunting tonality—but the COMMUNION with its fauxbourdon verses is also quite remarkable. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.

—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

PDF • “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Simplified)

I admire the harmonization of “Adeste Fideles” by David Willcocks (d. 2015), who served as director of the Royal College of Music (London, England). In 2025, I was challenged to create a simplified arrangement for organists incapable of playing the authentic version at tempo. The result was this simplified keyboard arrangement (PDF download) based on the David Willcocks version of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Feel free to play through it and let me know what you think.

—Jeff Ostrowski