Views from the Choir Loft

Dr. Gregory Hamilton

Dr. 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.

Repeating Repertoire? • Dr. Hamilton

Dr. Gregory Hamilton · April 1, 2020

Psalm 51 occurs a dozen times in the lectionary during the year, for such diverse days such as St. Thomas Aquinas, weekdays during ordinary Time, many days in Lent, and the Easter Vigil.

Psalms, Psalmody, Psalmists, Psalm Singing

Dr. Gregory Hamilton · March 10, 2020

Some of you may not know, but in seminaries and houses of religious, the 150 psalms are still recited or sung every month.

Secret Sympathy

Dr. Gregory Hamilton · February 20, 2020

“Our souls are moved to the ardor of piety by the sacred words more piously and powerfully when these words are sung…” —St. Augustine

“Performance” and the Liturgy.

Dr. Gregory Hamilton · January 28, 2020

I have sometimes been told that I was “performing” in the Liturgy, and this has made me think about the meaning of this term and why people say it…

Of Weddings, Funerals and other Comedies

Dr. Gregory Hamilton · January 18, 2020

A lot of what we do in serving our communities is rather unglamorous…

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Sonata during the Gradual?

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote seventeen Church Sonatas between 1772 and 1780. These are short pieces intended to be played between the Epistle and the Gospel (during Mass). Shortly after Mozart left Salzburg, the Archbishop mandated that an appropriate choral motet or congregational hymn be sung at that point in the liturgy, with the result that the “Epistle Sonata” fell into disuse.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Note from a reader (25 June 2020)

“Just visited your website for the first time 5 minutes ago. Was that struck by the beauty of the chant and the immense gift of such a beautiful collection that can be downloaded with ease…at no charge! In awe of the gift of this extensive content and the amount of labor that has gone into all of it. Please receive our support and encouragement! God bless and keep you all. Praise be to Jesus Christ, now and forever! Thank you truly.” —Signed, The P____ Family

—Jeff Ostrowski

Positive Message from a Catholic Priest

Today, we received this wonderful message from a Catholic Priest: I want to say thank you for everything you have done to bring back the sense of the sacred in The liturgy. We are going through a liturgical renewal here in the parish where I was assigned as a parochial vicar. I’ve only been a priest for 1 year and 8 days! We are beginning to use your psalms for our English Masses.

—Jeff Ostrowski