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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 · August 25, 2014

NBC “Meet The Press” & Catholic Church Music

At the program’s conclusion, I felt dumber than when I’d started watching.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 25, 2014

Pope John Paul II Wearing The Cappa Magna (As Cardinal Wojtyla)

The most marvelous uniform I’ve seen was the one worn by Prince Charles when he married Diana.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 24, 2014

Photo: Church Music Association of America (1964)

This historic photograph was taken at the organizational meeting for the CMAA the same year “Inter Oecumenici” was issued by the Vatican.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 21, 2014

How To Debunk Four Common Liturgical Myths

The priest returned to the Altar, removed the big red Missal, carried it to the pulpit, and proceeded to translate the entire Gospel into English.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 19, 2014

Kirsten Powers & The Hound of Heaven

“I’ll never forget standing outside that apartment and saying to myself, ‘It’s true. It’s completely true.’ … I had not one iota of doubt. I was filled with indescribable joy.”

Jeff Ostrowski · August 18, 2014

Breaking News! Pope Francis Refuses To Adopt “Narrative” Of Progressive Liturgists

That Tablet article could best be described as ill-informed gossip from an unqualified author with too much time on his hands…

Jeff Ostrowski · August 14, 2014

CALLING ALL PRIESTS! —Your Parishioners Are Waiting… They’re Waiting For…

“Before the Council, liturgical law was regarded as something sacred; but everyone now feels authorized to do what he likes…” — Cardinal Antonelli (24 July 1968)

Jeff Ostrowski · August 12, 2014

Some Thoughts On “Englishing” Gregorian Chant

But why bring up this subject at all, when probably 95% of Catholic priests have no familiarity with Gregorian chant? • concerning the challenges of composing Gregorian chant in English+

Jeff Ostrowski · August 11, 2014

Mass Propers In English

Roosevelt was President while paralyzed. Churchill gave speeches but couldn’t pronounce “S” correctly. Surely, then, we can implement the Mass Propers with these 11 collections! • the Graduale Romanum has been set in English by many composers; here are some collections with audio samples+

Jeff Ostrowski · August 11, 2014

Important Resources for Liturgical Reform (4 of 7)

Should Church music be fun? Yes!!!

Jeff Ostrowski · August 10, 2014

The Most Insane Thing Heard By Anyone

I used to think Horowitz’s additions to the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody were the most amazing virtuoso display I ever heard. I was wrong.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 6, 2014

Did The Ancient Mass Really Have Three Readings?

“We are repeatedly assured that there was an Old Testament reading each Sunday morning, but that quite mysteriously these all vanished by the seventh century, and vanished leaving no memory that they had ever existed…” — Fr. John Parsons

Jeff Ostrowski · August 5, 2014

Intercession by saints? Why not go directly to God?

If I didn’t answer when he called, he’d keep calling my number over and over. If I still didn’t answer, he’d start calling my family members, including siblings who lived 900+ miles away!

Jeff Ostrowski · August 5, 2014

Five Questions No Liturgist Can Answer

“The present welter of discardable booklets, mimeographed sheets, divergent paperback hymnals, and so on … has unfortunate psychological effects.” — Dr. James Hitchcock

Jeff Ostrowski · August 3, 2014

Please Help Watershed Survive

I hate asking people for money; and some Catholic organizations drive me crazy by constantly begging with an alarmist manner.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Samaritánæ” (3rd Sunday of Lent)
    With regard to the COMMUNION for the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year A), the Ordo Cantus Missae—which was published in 1969 by the Vatican, bearing Hannibal Bugnini’s signature and approbation in its PREFACE—inexplicably introduced a variant melody and slightly different words, as you can see by this comparison chart. When it comes to such items, they’re always done in secrecy by unnamed people. (Although it is known that Dom Eugène Cardine collaborated in the creation of the GRADUALE SIMPLEX, a book considered by some to be a travesty.)
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Ubi Caritas” (SATB)
    I remember singing “Ubi Cáritas” by Maurice Duruflé at the conservatory. I was deeply moved by it. However, some feel Duruflé’s version isn’t suitable for small choirs since it’s written for 6 voices and the bass tessitura is quite low. That’s why I was absolutely thrilled to discover this “Ubi cáritas” (SATB) for smaller choirs by Énemond Moreau, who studied with OSCAR DEPUYDT (d. 1925), an orphan who became a towering figure of Catholic music. Depuydt’s students include: Flor Peeters (d. 1986); Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel (d. 1953); Arthur Meulemans (d. 1966); Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989); and Gustaaf Nees (d. 1965). Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #19705. When I came across the astonishing English translation for “Ubi Cáritas” by Monsignor Ronald Knox—matching the Latin’s meter—I decided to add those lyrics as an option (for churches which have banned Latin). My wife and I made this recording to give you some idea how it sounds.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Cantus Mariales” (192 pages)
    Andrea Leal has posted an absolutely pristine scan of CANTUS MARIALES (192 pages) which can be downloaded as a PDF file. To access this treasure, navigate to the frabjous article Andrea posted Monday. The file is being offered completely free of charge. The beginning pages of the book have something not to be missed: viz. a letter from Pope Saint Pius X to Dom Pothier, in which the pope calls Abbat Pothier “a man versed above all others in the science of liturgy, and to whom the cause of Gregorian chant is greatly indebted.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    Extreme Unction
    Those who search Google for “CCCC MS 079” will discover high resolution images of a medieval Pontificale (“Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 079”). One of the pages contains this absolutely gorgeous depiction of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    PDF Chart • “Plainsong Rhythm”
    I will go to my grave without understanding the lack of curiosity so many people have about the rhythmic modifications made by Dom André Mocquereau. For example, how can someone examine this single sheet comparison chart and at a minimum not be curious about the differences? Dom Mocquereau basically creates a LONG-SHORT LONG-SHORT rhythmic pattern—in spite of enormous and overwhelming manuscript evidence to the contrary. That’s why some scholars referred to his method as “Neo-Mensuralist” or “Neo-Mensuralism.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.

— Pope Benedict XVI, Letter accompanying “Summorum Pontificum” (7/7/07)

Recent Posts

  • “National Survey” (Order of Christian Funerals) • By the USCCB Secretariat of Divine Worship
  • “Samaritánæ” (3rd Sunday of Lent)
  • Grotesque Pairing • “Passion Chorale”
  • PDF Download • “Ubi Caritas” (SATB)
  • PDF • “Cantus Mariales” (192 pages)

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