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 29, 2015

Rare Video • Richard Nixon Meets With Pope Paul VI

Footage taken by John Ehrlichman a 1970s “home video reel.”

Jeff Ostrowski · April 28, 2015

PDF Download • “The Parish Hymnal” (1957)

“The origins of some are not known due to the long and nearly untraceable popular usage they have enjoyed.” —Gregorian Institute

Jeff Ostrowski · April 27, 2015

PDF Download • “Hymns Of The Roman Liturgy” (Rev. Joseph Connelly, 1955)

“These samples from Connelly make less sense in English than the Latin originals would to a North Korean.” —Msgr. Francis P. Schmitt

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.”

“Simplified” Keyboard Accompaniment (PDF)

I’d much rather hear an organist play a simplified version correctly than listen to wrong notes. I invite you to download this simplified organ accompaniment for hymn #729 in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal. The hymn is “O Jesus Christ, Remember.” I’m toying with the idea of creating a whole bunch of these, to help amateur organists. The last one I uploaded was downloaded more than 1,900 times in a matter of hours—so there seems to be interest in such a project. For the record, this famous text by Oratorian priest, Father Edward Caswall (d. 1878) is often married to AURELIA, as it is in the Brébeuf Hymnal.

—Jeff Ostrowski

‘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

“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