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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 · May 2, 2013

CMAA President Has His Own “STAR” In Hollywood

Did you know a former president of the Church Music Association of America has his own STAR on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? That’s correct! Just like Michael Jackson, Rex Harrison, Alfred Hitchcock, Harrison Ford, and all the rest.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 29, 2013

Solesmes Salicus & Scandicus Vs. Pure Vatican Edition

Does noticing this officially make me a “Chant Geek” ? Or is it the mere fact that I actually care about such things . . .

Jeff Ostrowski · April 25, 2013

Catholics in the United States Can Kneel Now!

A change has been made in the United States with regard to kneeling for Holy Communion: “the exhortation to catechesis is removed and the exception to the norm of standing is left to the discretion of the faithful.”

Jeff Ostrowski · April 24, 2013

Rev. Fr. Christopher Smith on the Campion Missal

“And so, I launched out into the deep and asked for donations. Within 72 hours we had not only covered the cost, but also had more donations than we could possibly use for that project.” — Fr. Smith

Jeff Ostrowski · April 23, 2013

Introducing the Lalemant Propers (391 Pages) — Free Download !

The Lalemant Propers are extremely simple settings (in English) of the Mass Propers which make it possible for any person to sing these sacred prayers . . . even people who have no musical training whatsoever.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 22, 2013

A Tale Of Two Monsignori: Schmitt & Vyverman

Did Msgr. Schmitt malign Msgr. Vyverman of Malines? And did Fr. Schmitt truly forget Gogniat’s name?

Jeff Ostrowski · April 22, 2013

“Episcopalian” Music vs. “Catholic” Music? Wrong question!

Can you hear “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” in this video from an Episcopalian Church taken on Easter Sunday, 2013?

Jeff Ostrowski · April 15, 2013

Fr. George Rutler Weighs In On The Campion Missal

“Attractively, even elegantly, produced, the appearance of this Missal and Hymnal is appropriate to the high quality of the contents . . .” — Rev. George William Rutler

Jeff Ostrowski · April 13, 2013

Alfredo Cardinal Ottaviani (1890-1979)

“The rite of Holy Mass should not be treated as if it were a piece of cloth to be refashioned according to the whim of each generation.”

Jeff Ostrowski · April 11, 2013

PDF Download • Instruction on Sacred Music (“De Musica Sacra”) • Issued by Pope Pius XII in 1958

Don’t you hate it when you think you know the answer to something . . . and then you find out you were dead wrong? This happened to me regarding the congregation reciting Mass Propers in the Extraordinary Form.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 8, 2013

The Latin Mass Has Come Such A Long Way!

“The greatest problem of the new missal, at least in English-speaking countries, lay in the miserable translation that was imposed upon priests and people. Many prayers were so mistranslated that a student of first-year Latin would have done better.” — Msgr. Richard Schuler, 1984

Jeff Ostrowski · April 5, 2013

“Chronicles of Narnia” by Msgr. Richard Schuler

“The hootenanny Mass can give explicit eucharistic and christological specification to youth’s intense involvement in the movements for racial justice, for control of nuclear weapons, for the recognition of personal dignity.” — “Worship Magazine” (January 1966)

Jeff Ostrowski · April 4, 2013

Reflections From The Editor Of The Campion Missal & Hymnal

For the sake of argument, let us pretend the sentence were true. How many times should one read such commentary? Each time one attends Mass? Surely not. Twice, perhaps? Thrice? Would it not be better to leave such commentary to a separate devotional book?

Jeff Ostrowski · March 30, 2013

Which Instruments Are Allowed At Mass?

Fr. Hogan’s argument reminds me of a comment by Fr. George Rutler, quoting Victor Borge: “My father and uncle were identical twins, but I never knew which was the identical one.”

Jeff Ostrowski · March 29, 2013

The Pius X Hymnal by Dr. Theodore Marier

In conclusion, although I have tremendous respect for Dr. Theodore Marier, I expected a lot more from this book based on its “reputation.” I hope my honest observations do not offend anyone.

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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

    “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
    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

Random Quote

“Come now,” they said, “Thou who wouldst destroy the temple and build it up in three days, rescue Thyself; come down from that cross, if Thou art the Son of God.”

— Gospel of St. Matthew 27:42

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