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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 24, 2024

PDF Download • “Saint Dunstan Hymnal” (158 pages)

How close are Anglicans to Catholics, in terms of their religious practices?

Jeff Ostrowski · May 22, 2024

Take the “Hymn Quiz!”

How well do you know hymnody? A few days ago, we recorded this really beautiful hymn as part of a Roman Catholic Spanish hymnal project we’re helping with. Can you name that tune? (We’re looking for the correct name of the melody.) If you give up—or if you want to verify your answer—click here for […]

Jeff Ostrowski · May 22, 2024

PDF • “Propers in figured notation”

Jennifer Urquhart wrote to us: “I’m currently involved in providing music for a non-specialist choir which will sing a TLM for the Sacred Heart. Since those propers changed in 1929, the one in the figured Liber Usualis (1924) now has the wrong texts.” Jennifer placed those propers into modern notation, which you can download as […]

Jeff Ostrowski · May 21, 2024

“Hail Redeemer, King Divine”

Click here to listen to our 100% volunteer choir singing this famous hymn without organ. By way of comparison, you can hear the same choir sing that hymn accompanied by the pipe organ if you click here. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Please feel free to email me and tell me which you like better.

Jeff Ostrowski · May 21, 2024

Choir Members Can’t Get Enough of This Piece

An English translation of “Veni Creator Spiritus.”

Jeff Ostrowski · May 20, 2024

ABC’s “The View” Attacks the Traditional Latin Mass

If you were arrested and charged with being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Jeff Ostrowski · May 20, 2024

PDF Download • SATB “Kyrie” for Small Choirs

This SATB setting by Father Francisco Guerrero is brief but magnificent.

Jeff Ostrowski · May 19, 2024

When Dr. Calabrese Addressed Me Personally

Including a ‘live’ recording of the Church’s oldest Latin Eucharistic Hymn, which comes from a 7th-century Irish manuscript.

Jeff Ostrowski · May 15, 2024

Documentation • “In the Olden Days, Was Vernacular Sung During Liturgical Services?”

Including a splendid harmonization of “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name.”

Follow the Discussion on Facebook

Jeff Ostrowski · May 13, 2024

Organ Accomp. • “Ascension Hymn at Vespers”

The soul-stirring hymn used on ASCENSION THURSDAY at Vespers—and also used on the Sunday which follows the Ascension—was called in the 7th century: “Jesu Nostra Redemptio.” After 1631AD, the title of that hymn was changed to “Salutis Humanae Sator.” The melody assigned by the Vatican Commission on Gregorian Chant is rather mournful (and very difficult […]

Jeff Ostrowski · May 10, 2024

“For The First Time” • Our Choir Sings In Spanish!

That changed last week!

Jeff Ostrowski · May 10, 2024

Hymn for the Ascension

Here is a ‘live’ recording from the Mass on Ascension Thursday (2024): Hymn for the Ascension. I could not be prouder of this parish choir, which consists 100% of volunteers. To learn more about this hymn, please visit #704 in the hymn portal. I have argued that—in addition to CARMEN GREGORIANUM, organ music, and polyphony—hymns […]

Jeff Ostrowski · May 10, 2024

“Praise To The Lord” • Simple Accomp.

In case you missed the full article I posted the other day on Views from the Choir Loft, feel free to download a PDF version of my simplified organ accompaniment for the famous hymn “Praise To The Lord,” which is often paired with LOBE DEN HERREN. I’m toying with the idea of creating a whole […]

Jeff Ostrowski · May 10, 2024

“Yes or No?” • Should We Give People the Sacred Music They Ardently Crave?

Some of them became “obsessed” with this SATB arrangement—𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑜𝑘𝑎𝑦!

Jeff Ostrowski · May 6, 2024

A Wonderful Woman Eviscerates The Argument Of An Infamous Liturgical Radical

Diekmann believed all the saints over the last 1,200 years—as well as the fathers of Vatican II—were dead wrong about the liturgy.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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
    Music List • (3rd Sunday of Lent)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 3rd Sunday of Lent (8 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has magnificent propers. Its stern INTROIT (“Óculi mei semper ad Dóminum”) is breathtaking, and the COMMUNION (“Qui bíberit aquam”) with its fauxbourdon verses is wonderful. 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 • “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

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

The literal translation: “Lord, have mercy—Christ, have mercy,” does not offer much material for an acceptable song text. The words, not having any feminine syllables, are abrupt; the sounds are almost all muted and colorless; the rhythmic flow is too brief. So many people may prefer responses that further extend the song of the assembly, e.g., “Have pity on us, Lord” or “Pardon us and change our hearts.

— J. Gelineau attacking the KYRIE ELEYSON (page 64 in “Learning to Celebrate,” 1985)

Recent Posts

  • Music is the “Humble Handmaid” of the Mass
  • Good Friday Flowers
  • PDF Download • “Entrance Chant” for Holy Thursday (Plainsong in English)
  • “Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation
  • PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”

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