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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 · September 10, 2013

Graduale Simplex, Archbishop Bugnini, And More

I’m reminded of my years as a high school teacher. There were always 5-6 parents who had too much time on their hands, and they pestered the administration for changes.

Jeff Ostrowski · September 9, 2013

1963 Video • Funeral of John F. Kennedy (Low Mass)

Cardinal Cushing famously left the Second Vatican Council, claiming, “I cannot speak Latin.”

Jeff Ostrowski · September 9, 2013

No Salvation From Decrees (1 of 3)

Billy claims all Americans can swim. Joseph is an American. Billy says Joseph can swim. Where’s the news?

Jeff Ostrowski · September 4, 2013

And The Answer Is … (?)

I’ve asked many priests this question, but nobody seems to know the answer.

Jeff Ostrowski · September 2, 2013

“Young girls with quite non-liturgical notions”

Catholics must distinguish between true, authentic Liturgical dance and the “goofy type.”

Jeff Ostrowski · August 29, 2013

“The Liturgical Hall of Shame”

Fr. Godfrey Diekmann, OSB, was a major proponent of the “hootenanny Mass” following the Second Vatican Council.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 29, 2013

Concerning Animals With Twelve Eyes

“Across the board the Catholic faith can be understood as God’s family in every way. You don’t need a PhD in theology. You don’t even need courses in theology.” — Dr. Scott Hahn

Jeff Ostrowski · August 25, 2013

Give us our words back! (1 of 3)

I have a hard time believing that nuns told young Catholics, “Whatever you do, don’t read the Bible!” Seriously?

Jeff Ostrowski · August 25, 2013

Everybody hates a hypocrite! (2 of 3)

A particular Greek manuscript may or may not be more ancient than, for instance, St. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 25, 2013

A Very Cool Thing! (3 of 3)

A section of the Gospel of John dating sometime around 120 A.D. (!!!)

Jeff Ostrowski · August 23, 2013

Help! What does Fr. Deryck Hanshell mean?

USCCB Secretariat of Divine Worship: “The GIRM never speaks to every possible scenario that could take place.”

Jeff Ostrowski · August 22, 2013

Pope Pius X: The Pope Who Carried His Shoes

Named Bishop of Mantua, Sarto began in 1884 to teach dogma courses in the Seminary, giving each student a personal copy of the “Summa Theologiae.”

Jeff Ostrowski · August 22, 2013

Bishop Christensen Attempts To Ban “Ad Orientem”

“There is nothing in the Council text about turning altars toward the people.” — Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

Jeff Ostrowski · August 19, 2013

Singing Propers and Ordinary . . . at Low Mass?

“And the practice of saying a Low Mass while the choir sings bits of things is too dreadful to be described.” — Fr. Adrian Fortescue, 1912

Jeff Ostrowski · August 17, 2013

Essay on Gregorian Accompaniment

I published this article in 2007. I am reproducing it here in case anyone finds it useful.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Music List • (5th Sund. Ordinary Time)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for this coming Sunday, 8 February 2026, which is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. You will probably notice it isn’t as ‘complete’ or ‘spiffy’ as usual, owing to some difficulties which took place this week.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Communion” (5th Sunday in Ordin.)
    The COMMUNION ANTIPHON for this coming Sunday, 8 February 2026—which is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)—is truly delightful. You can download the musical score completely free of charge. This text will be familiar to altar boys, because it’s PSALM 42. The Feder Missal makes the following claim about that psalm: “A hymn of a temple musician from Jerusalem: he is an exile in a heathen land, and he longs for the holy city and his ministry in the Temple there. The Church makes his words her own.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Funeral Music “Template” • For Families
    Many have requested the MUSICAL TEMPLATE for funerals we give to families at our parish. The family of the deceased is usually involved in selecting Number 12 on that sheet. This template was difficult to assemble, because the “Ordo Exsequiarum” has never been translated into English, and the assigned chants and hymns are given in different liturgical books (Lectionary, Gradual, Order of Christian Funerals, and so on). Please notify me if you spot errors or broken links. Readers will be particularly interested in some of the plainsong musical settings, which are truly haunting in their beauty.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Reminder” — Month of Febr. (2026)
    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. It couldn’t be easier to subscribe! Just scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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
    PDF • “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Simplified)
    I admire the harmonization of “Adeste Fideles” by David Willcocks (d. 2015), who served as director of the Royal College of Music (London, England). In 2025, I was challenged to create a simplified arrangement for organists incapable of playing the authentic version at tempo. The result was this simplified keyboard arrangement (PDF download) based on the David Willcocks version of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Feel free to play through it and let me know what you think.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“For me, religious music ceased with the sixteenth century. The fresh, childlike souls of that time alone expressed their vehement, untainted fervor in music free from worldliness. Since then we have had pious musical improvisations more or less made for show. That wonderful man Johann Sebastian Bach only escaped because of his natural genius. He built harmonic edifices as a devout architect and not as an apostle.”

— Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

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