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 · April 27, 2015

Brave Schola Director Posts “Live” Recording • Part 2

We’re having a lot of fun…is that bad?

Jeff Ostrowski · April 24, 2015

Polyphonic “Alleluia” for 3 voices • Morales (†1553)

I’ve always believed it’s a mistake to have all-women alto sections and all-men tenor sections.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 24, 2015

Resources • 3rd Sunday after Easter (1962 Missal)

The recording of the Introit “Jubilate Deo” was created by Jeff Ostrowski—hope it helps!

Jeff Ostrowski · April 23, 2015

Amazing Opportunity for Los Angeles Catholics

Here’s your chance to meet Fr. John Berg, FSSP Superior General, who’s coming all the way from Switzerland.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 22, 2015

“Proper Of The Mass” (Ignatius Press) • Part 7 of 7

Let’s take a stroll down Memory Lane, shall we?

Jeff Ostrowski · April 20, 2015

Pope Visits Prison: “You could not come to me, so I have come to you.”

1300 criminals were present for Benediction.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 19, 2015

The One Thing That Unites Church Musicians

“She told the male students that careers in music are only good for mothers who desire to make some extra cash.”

Jeff Ostrowski · April 19, 2015

PDF Download • Organ Accompaniment for “Vita Sanctorum”

I’d like to produce my own version, setting all six verses to different harmonizations.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 19, 2015

PDF • Organ Accompaniment to the “Vidi Aquam”

A version for the organist composed by Canon Jules Van Nuffel (1883-1953)

Jeff Ostrowski · April 17, 2015

Reflections Upon The Death Of Francis Cardinal George This Morning At 10:45am

Someone told me in advance the cardinal was a trained musician; he certainly was!

Jeff Ostrowski · April 17, 2015

Simple Yet Beautiful Easter Piece You Might Want To Sing This Sunday

The verses come from an Easter poem found in numerous ancient manuscripts.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 17, 2015

Resources • 2nd Sunday after Easter (1962 Missal)

Including a lovely Easter piece from the middle ages called “Vita sanctorum.”

Jeff Ostrowski · April 16, 2015

Is This The World’s Greatest Cry Room?

An usher approached me, tapping on my shoulder. This was the last straw.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 14, 2015

Should Church Singers Be Paid?

Practice Videos for KYRIE “Impleta Sunt”—based on a piece by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 13, 2015

Cardinal Dolan Vested In Ferriola?

Can someone who knows about vestments confirm this?

How Well Does ICEL Know Latin?

This year, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June 2025) will fall on a Sunday. It’s not necessary to be an eminent Latin scholar to be horrified by examples like this, which have been in place since 1970. For the last 55 years, anyone who’s attempted to correct such errors has been threatened with legal action. It is simply unbelievable that the (mandatory) texts of the Holy Mass began being sold for a profit in the 1970s. How much longer will this gruesome situation last?

—Jeff Ostrowski

Is the USCCB trolling us?

I realize I’m going to come across as a “Negative Nancy” … but I can’t help myself. This kind of stuff is beyond ridiculous. There are already way too many options in the MISSALE RECENS. Adding more will simply confuse the faithful even more. We seriously need to band together and start creating a “REFORM OF THE REFORM” Missale Romanum so it will be ready when the time comes.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Common” Responsorial Psalm?

I try to avoid arguing about liturgical legislation (even with Catholic priests) because it seems like many folks hold certain views—and nothing will persuade them to believe differently. You can show them 100 church documents, but it matters not. They won’t budge. Sometimes I’m confronted by people who insist that “there’s no such thing” as a COMMON RESPONSORIAL PSALM. When that happens, I show them a copy of the official legislation in Latin. I have occasionally prevailed by means of this method.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Antiphons Don’t Match?

A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).

—Corpus Christi Watershed

When to Sit, Stand and Kneel like it’s 1962

There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass, but I couldn’t find one which matched our local Latin Mass, so I made this one: sit-stand-kneel-crop

—Veronica Brandt

The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum

Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.

—Daniel Tucker