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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 · September 6, 2016

Musical Resources • 17th Sunday after Pentecost

“We implore Thy majesty, O Lord, that the holy mysteries we are celebrating may free us of past sins and save us from future sins.”

Jeff Ostrowski · September 3, 2016

No Greater Advent Piece Exists

What Guerrero did with this Advent melody is mind-blowing!

Jeff Ostrowski · September 3, 2016

Musical Resources • 16th Sunday after Pentecost

“Let Thy grace, we beseech Thee, O Lord … make us to be continually zealous in doing good works.”

Jeff Ostrowski · August 30, 2016

Does Our Enlightened Age Still Need “Sacred” Music?

This short clip from “It’s a Wonderful Life” helps us understand…

Jeff Ostrowski · August 28, 2016

Beautiful Manuscript • Priest Offering Mass

I’d like to know more about this manuscript.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 27, 2016

Musical Resources • 15th Sunday after Pentecost

“Let Thy continual pity, O Lord, cleanse and fortify Thy Church…”

Jeff Ostrowski · August 25, 2016

“Simple Kyriale” for Dumb Organists Like Me!

Fr. Valentine used to say: “You can play 100 notes right, and miss just one—and people will criticize you for that wrong one!”

Jeff Ostrowski · August 25, 2016

The Eight Gregorian Psalm Tones (PDF)

I’m sick of looking for this chart online!

Jeff Ostrowski · August 24, 2016

Can You Hear The Difference?

Do you prefer polyphony recorded by just my voice, or mixed with “real” voices?

Jeff Ostrowski · August 23, 2016

“Ad Orientem” • Why I’m Rejoicing over Sloppy Errors in the Catholic Herald

His assertion that “smoking out enemies” is best done by appointing them to high positions in the Vatican is absurd.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 18, 2016

“Polyphony For Dummies”

A new video presentation with excellent audio samples.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 16, 2016

Breathtaking Images from Poland

A liturgical workshop took place in Licheń, Poland from 4-11 August 2016.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 15, 2016

Hymn for St. Thomas More & St. John Fisher

Fascinating verses by Msgr. Ronald Knox

Jeff Ostrowski · August 12, 2016

Major Media Outlet Re: “Ad Orientem”

Corpus Christi Watershed is mentioned and cited!

Jeff Ostrowski · August 12, 2016

Musical Resources • 14th Sunday after Pentecost

“May Thy Sacraments, O Lord, ever purify and fortify us…”

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    PDF Download • Communion (4th Snd. Lent)
    The COMMUNION ANTIPHON for this coming Sunday, which is the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year A), is particularly beautiful. There’s something irresistible about this tone; it’s neither happy nor sad. As always, I encourage readers to visit the flourishing feasts website, where the complete Propria Missae may be downloaded free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

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 introduction of the vernacular will certainly be a great sacrifice for those who know the beauty, the power and the expressive sacrality of Latin. We are parting with the speech of the Christian centuries; we are becoming like profane intruders in the literary preserve of sacred utterance. We will lose a great part of that stupendous and incomparable artistic and spiritual thing, the Gregorian chant. We have reason indeed for regret […] We are giving up something of priceless worth.”

— Pope Paul VI

Recent Posts

  • Consultor to the Vatican Council Enters the Fray • (Vis-à-vis Jeff’s Pipe Organ Assertion)
  • Palm Sunday • “Repertoire for Children’s Choir”
  • PDF Download • Communion (4th Snd. Lent)
  • Most “Congregational” Hymn • (In My Experience)
  • Music is the “Humble Handmaid” of the Mass

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