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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 · January 20, 2015

PDF Download: Hymn Book By Sisters Of Notre Dame (1907)

“Yet zephyrs vainly fan me, and flow’rs to groves invite…”

Jeff Ostrowski · January 19, 2015

Dick Morris & Gregorian Accompaniment

Some people accept a job as choir director and say, “I have five singers who don’t read music, so I guess that’s how it will always be.”

Jeff Ostrowski · January 18, 2015

From The 1400s • Communion Kneeling

A beautiful image from 15th-century Austria.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 15, 2015

PDF Download: Standard Catholic Hymnal (1921)

This extremely rare Catholic hymn book is here made available for the first time ever as a PDF download.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 15, 2015

Musical Resources • Second Sunday after Epiphany

It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful text than Sedulius’ Hymn: Hostis Herodes Impie.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 14, 2015

Hypocrisy About Francis From An Unlikely Source

Resist the temptation to believe that Francis is 80,000 times as important as Benedict since he receives 80,000 times as much media coverage.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 13, 2015

PDF Download: Notre Dame Hymn Tune Book (1905)

“They call me a Papist and they laugh at my creed…”

Jeff Ostrowski · January 12, 2015

Cristóbal de Morales Missa “Ut Re Mi Fa Sol La.”

You’ll want to immediately download these scores, videos, and Mp3 files!

Jeff Ostrowski · January 12, 2015

PDF Download: Rare Hymnal By Boston’s Archbishop

Can you imagine singing all those vernacular hymns while Mass is happening?

Jeff Ostrowski · January 9, 2015

Short And Simple Organ Postludes & Preludes

Many of you asked me to share the results, which I have done below.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 8, 2015

Musical Resources • Holy Family

Many don’t realize that all the EF chants for the Holy Family can be used at OF—cf. section 397 of the Ordo Cantus Missæ.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 8, 2015

“The best I have ever seen. Anywhere. In the world. Period.” —Mr. John Sonnen

“The vitality of the Classical Rite is as fresh as ever.”

Jeff Ostrowski · January 7, 2015

Rare Photograph: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen With Father Joseph Ratzinger in 1965

Archbishop Sheen said nary a word about any liturgical reforms following the Council.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 7, 2015

Was Fulton J. Sheen Ever Wrong?

There’s a discrepancy in this Sunday’s EF Introit.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 7, 2015

Why Didn’t Anyone Stop This?

Here is an except from a Church bulletin published in December of 2014.

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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

    Stumped by “Episcopalian Hymnal” (1910)
    Some consider Songs of Syon (1910) the greatest Episcopalian hymnal ever printed. As a Roman Catholic, I have no right to weigh in one way or the other. However, this particular page has me stumped. I just know I’ve heard that tune somewhere! If you can help, please email me. I’m talking about the text which begins: “This is the day the Lord hath made; In unbeclouded light array’d.” The book is by George Ratcliffe Woodward, and its complete title is: Songs of Syon: A Collection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. Back in 2016, Corpus Christi Watershed scanned and uploaded this insanely rare book. For years our website was the sole place one could download it as a PDF file.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “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

Random Quote

Agnes De Mille: “When I see my work, I take for granted what other people value in it. I see only its ineptitude, inorganic flaws, and crudities. I am not pleased or satisfied.” — Martha Graham: “No artist is pleased.” ADM: “But then there is no satisfaction?” — MG: “No satisfaction whatever at any time,” she cried out passionately. “There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.”

— “Martha Graham on the Life-Force of Creativity”

Recent Posts

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  • Eucharistic Hymns for Your Choir
  • Fulton J. Sheen • “24-Hour Catechism”

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