Views from the Choir Loft

Guest Author

Guest Author · October 21, 2020

Heresy du Jour? • (Orig. Published in 2019)

In the early XIXth century the Duke of Wellington, speaking of infantry battles, is said to have exclaimed, “All soldiers run away. The good ones come back.”

Guest Author · July 5, 2020

Saint Eulalia Gradual • Guest Article by Josh Carey

“This has been extremely successful in my parish, and I plan to continue until I’ve set the entire church year.” —Joshua D. Carey

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Guest Author · July 1, 2020

“Choral Singing post-COVID” • Perspectives from a Hong Kong Doctor & Chorister

A package of measures to keep choral singing safe.

Guest Author · June 29, 2020

Chanting and Spiritual Health

In a time of contagion and social unrest, we need plainchant more than ever, even when we stay home.

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Guest Author · June 7, 2020

“Comparison” • 15 Traditional Catholic Hymnals

Covid-19 has forced many parishes to remove all hymnals from their pews: A perfect opportunity for change!

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Guest Author · September 18, 2019

Catholics Get The “Chants” of a Lifetime…

“I was expecting a lot, and it was more than I expected,” Sutherland said.

Guest Author · July 25, 2019

Jennifer D. Behnke • “Brébeuf Hymnal Review”

“How I love the multiple settings of each text, which can be interchanged as required by seasonal and festal usage.” —Maestro Behnke

Guest Author · June 3, 2019

Heresy du Jour?

Under such circumstances, what should the believer do?

Guest Author · January 26, 2019

New! • Organ Scholarships at Christendom College

Christendom College will offer up to $5,000 for students starting in the Fall of 2019.

Guest Author · October 5, 2018

Success! • Sacred Music Retreat in Ohio

Immersion in what defines our very purpose as members of the choir.

Guest Author · September 17, 2018

Guest Article • “Composing a Responsorial Psalm”

What makes for a good responsorial psalm setting? Is it mere singability, a catchy tune, or something more?

Guest Author · July 30, 2018

Expectations Exceeded at the Symposium!

“If you occasionally share a habit of mine for getting stuck in one style, take new inspiration here!” —Miss Phoebe Wing

Guest Author · May 27, 2018

Marian Concert: Carmelite Sisters and Credo Choir

The Carmelite Sisters at Santa Teresita rarely sing for the public.

Guest Author · April 16, 2018

What does Cicero have to do with the Breviary?

A proposal for “mutual enrichment”

Guest Author · March 24, 2018

Towards An Online (Modern) Palestrina Edition

“I don’t think I need to say why a complete Palestrina online would be a good idea.” —Gervais Frykman

‘Bogey’ of the Half-Educated: Paraphrase

Father Adrian Porter, using the cracher dans la soupe example, did a praiseworthy job explaining the difference between ‘dynamic’ and ‘formal’ translation. This is something Monsignor Ronald Knox explained time and again—yet even now certain parties feign ignorance. I suppose there will always be people who pretend the only ‘valid’ translation of Mitigásti omnem iram tuam; avertísti ab ira indignatiónis tuæ… would be “You mitigated all ire of you; you have averted from your indignation’s ire.” Those who would defend such a translation suffer from an unfortunate malady. One of my professors called it “cognate on the brain.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Father Cuthbert Lattey • “The Hebrew MSS”

Father Cuthbert Lattey (d. 1954) wrote: “In a large number of cases the ancient Christian versions and some other ancient sources seem to have been based upon a better Hebrew text than that adopted by the rabbis for official use and alone suffered to survive. Sometimes, too, the cognate languages suggest a suitable meaning for which there is little or no support in the comparatively small amount of ancient Hebrew that has survived. The evidence of the metre is also at times so clear as of itself to furnish a strong argument; often it is confirmed by some other considerations. […] The Jewish copyists and their directors, however, seem to have lost the tradition of the metre at an early date, and the meticulous care of the rabbis in preserving their own official and traditional text (the ‘massoretic’ text) came too late, when the mischief had already been done.” • Msgr. Knox adds: “It seems the safest principle to follow the Latin—after all, St. Jerome will sometimes have had a better text than the Massoretes—except on the rare occasions when there is no sense to be extracted from the Vulgate at all.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Music List” • 9 Nov. (Dedic. Lateran)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 9 November 2025, which is the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the sensational feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Reminder” — Month of November (2025)

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). 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. Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Our Father” • Musical Setting?

Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?

—Jeff Ostrowski