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Corpus Christi Watershed

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 · March 12, 2016

Suzanne Toolan • Missing Verse From “I Am The Bread Of Life” Hymn

Is this for real?

Jeff Ostrowski · March 8, 2016

Undoing A “Wreckovation” Is Possible

A positive church transformation!

Jeff Ostrowski · March 7, 2016

PDF Download • “New Westminster Hymnal” (1939)

Can Watershed survive? (Part 4)

Jeff Ostrowski · March 5, 2016

“Ave Maris Stella” • Take II

Have you ever changed your mind with regard to tempo?

Jeff Ostrowski · March 3, 2016

Rehearsal Videos • My Favorite Lenten Hymn

Can Watershed survive? (Part 3)

Jeff Ostrowski · March 2, 2016

PDF Download • “Woodward Hymnal” (1913) … Outrageously Rare!

Can Watershed survive? (Part 2)

Jeff Ostrowski · March 1, 2016

| Part 1 of 3 | • “Kyrie Eleison” (SATB) within the reach of any choir!

Can Watershed survive? (Part 1)

Jeff Ostrowski · February 28, 2016

Musical Resources • 3rd Sunday of Lent (EF)

“…free us from all sins and dangers, as Thou dost grant us to be sharers in this great mystery…”

Jeff Ostrowski · February 28, 2016

Catholic Hymns Before Vatican II Will Shock You!

In spite of what you may have read online, hymns in English were often sung during Low Mass.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 23, 2016

Rehearsal Videos • A Resplendent “Agnus Dei” You’ve Never Heard

Can you hear the Canon between Soprano & Tenor?

Jeff Ostrowski · February 22, 2016

PDF Download • “Latin in the New Liturgy” (1976)

“The use of Latin in celebrating the new Mass Rite will be encouraged as it has been in the old; Latin expresses the nature of the Church as international and timeless.”

Jeff Ostrowski · February 20, 2016

Funeral Mass • Justice Antonin Scalia

You can download the program or view the full Mass online.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 20, 2016

A Roman Catholic Cleric’s Noble Robes

The Archbishop of Kraków was (for a short time) Senator of the Second Polish Republic.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 18, 2016

PDF • Two Nice Versions of “Attende Domine”

A good piece for Lent.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 16, 2016

Something That Would Fix So Much … But Nobody Mentions It

Is this “tacit” approval really “imaginary” approval?

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Music List • (4th Sunday of Lent)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 4th Sunday of Lent (15 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has sublime propers. It is most often referred to as “Lætare Sunday” owing to its INTROIT. 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 • 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

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

“For any member of laity, who is at least somewhat literate, the ignorance of the Latin tongue, which we can call a truly Catholic language, indicates a certain lack of affection towards the Church.”

— Pope Pius IX

Recent Posts

  • Music List • (4th Sunday of Lent)
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  • Palm Sunday • “Repertoire for Children’s Choir”
  • PDF Download • Communion (4th Snd. Lent)
  • Most “Congregational” Hymn • (In My Experience)

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