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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Jeff Ostrowski • Article Archive

A theorist, organist, and conductor, Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He completed studies in Education and Musicology at the graduate level. Having worked as a church musician in Los Angeles for ten years, in 2024 he accepted a position as choirmaster for Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Michigan, where he resides with his wife and children. —Read full biography (with photographs).

Jeff Ostrowski · November 10, 2017

Fulton J. Sheen • “Hints On Public Speaking”

We choirmasters are frequently called upon to speak in public.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 9, 2017

Image • Francisco Guerrero (d. 1599)

It’s based on Pacheco’s version, created the year Guerrero died.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 9, 2017

23rd Sunday after Pentecost (2nd in November)

“Amen I say to you, whatsoever, you ask when you pray, believe that you shall receive, and it shall be done to you.”

Jeff Ostrowski · November 7, 2017

New English Hymnal • Voice-Leading

Constant critics are corrosive.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 6, 2017

6 Suggestions • “Promoting The Latin Mass”

Msgr. Charles Pope has several sagacious suggestions!

Jeff Ostrowski · November 6, 2017

Archbishop Sheen Played The Organ!

Sheen told Ferris that he wanted a classical repertoire at the cathedral in Rochester, including Gregorian chant.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 3, 2017

Never Print With Adobe Acrobat

It’s remarkable that owning fully-updated software and pristine hardware makes no difference…

Jeff Ostrowski · November 2, 2017

PDF Download • All Souls Day

Here’s the booklet we used for All Souls (2 November).

Jeff Ostrowski · October 31, 2017

Brave Director Posts “Live” Recording

A word of encouragement for choirmasters…

Jeff Ostrowski · October 30, 2017

Powerful & Thought-Provoking

“We are giving the world a chance to think about the ethics of choosing which humans get a chance at life.”

Jeff Ostrowski · October 30, 2017

Hymn by Professor at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary

This PDF score has the Latin (on one side) and two English versions on the other.

Jeff Ostrowski · October 29, 2017

PDF Download • Congregational “Dies Irae”

…including two reasons I believe a liturgical reform was desired in the 1960s.

Jeff Ostrowski · October 26, 2017

Josquin Des Prez Vandalized Stuff (!)

It’s hard for us to remember that the famous composers were not hired as such—they were hired as singers.

Jeff Ostrowski · October 26, 2017

Christ The King Sunday (5th in October)

“Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a King. For this was I born, and for I this came I into the world…”

Jeff Ostrowski · October 25, 2017

“Why Sacred Music Hasn’t Been Killed” [Six Reasons]

Lyrics from GIA Worship IV Hymnal: “Who is this who eats with sinners, calling luckless losers winners?”

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Good Friday Flowers
    Good Friday has a series of prayers for various parties: the pope, catechumens, pagans, heretics, schismatics, and so forth. In the old liturgical books, there was no official ‘name’ for these prayers. (This wasn’t unusual as ‘headers’ and ‘titles’ for each section is a rather modern idea.) The Missal simply instructed the priest to go to the Epistle side and begin. In the SHERBORNE MISSAL, each prayer begins with a different—utterly spectacular—flower. This PDF file shows the first few prayers. Has anyone counted the ‘initial’ drop-cap flowers in the SHERBORNE MISSAL? Surely there are more than 1,000.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music List • (3rd Sunday of Lent)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 3rd Sunday of Lent (8 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has magnificent propers. Its stern INTROIT (“Óculi mei semper ad Dóminum”) is breathtaking, and the COMMUNION (“Qui bíberit aquam”) with its fauxbourdon verses is wonderful. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.
    —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

Quick Thoughts

    “Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation
    It isn’t easy to determine what Alice King MacGilton hoped to accomplish with her very popular book—A Study of Latin Hymns (1918)—which continued to be reprinted in new editions for at least 34 years. This PDF file shows her attempt to translate the DIES IRAE “in the fewest words possible.” There’s a place for dynamic equivalency, but this is repugnant. In particular, look what she does to “Quærens me sedísti lassus.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”
    For vigil Masses on Saturday (a.k.a. “anticipated” Masses) we use this simpler setting of the “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989), a Belgian priest, organist, composer, and music educator who ultimately succeeded another ‘Jules’ (CANON JULES VAN NUFFEL) as director of the Lemmensinstituut in Belgium. Although I could be wrong, my understanding is that the LEMMENSINSTITUUT eventually merged with “Catholic University of Leuven” (originally founded in 1425). That’s the university Fulton J. Sheen attended.
    —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

Random Quote

The People’s Hymnal suffers from a too literal and awkward translation. And even in the lovely Slovak “Memorare” in The Saint Gregory Hymnal we are still asked to sing “that anyone who sought thee, or made to thee his moan.” Why not “groan” or “bone” or even “phone?” The only thing necessary, it seems, is that it rhyme with “known.”

— Mons. Francis P. Schmitt (1958)

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  • “Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation

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