Corpus Christi Watershed

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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).

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Requesting Our Advent Eucharistic Hymn

A young lady named Agnes wrote to us: “Dear Mr. Ostrowski, do you have the PDF score for Ave Corpus Domini set to the ADVENT melody? Last year, we sang the hymn tune “Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland” quite a bit using your contrafactum technique. My choir appreciates the Latin hymns and practice videos, especially […]

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Seven (7) Hymn Verses for November!

In the month of November, we remember in a special way the souls in purgatory. The BRÉBEUF HYMNAL often includes text alone versions for its hymns; why is that? The short answer is: flexibility. The “text only” version allows each choirmaster to employ a myriad of melodies. For example, I recently set the English translation […]

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Jeff’s Attempt at Pipe Organ “Stops”

I’ve been attempting to record some Brébeuf hymns on the pipe organ, but I know very little about registration (“stops”). You can listen to this morning’s attempt, a recording of a tune called TRINITY COLLEGE. Do you know this tune? It’s quite nice. Feel free to email me vis-à-vis the registration I chose. To quickly […]

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PDF • Morley’s Choral “Warm-Up”

For decades, I was against choral warm-ups. I felt they should be derived from repertoire—killing two birds with one stone—but was often too lazy to prepare such items. Over the years, I have taken a 180° turn. Now I’m a huge believer in vocal “warm-ups.” Our volunteer choir has been enjoying this wonderful warm-up exercise […]

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Hymn • “Feast of Christ’s Kingship”

A wonderful text for the feast of Christ the King is: “Conquering Kings Their Titles Take.” We’re currently working on creating a professional recording. Until that’s complete, we’ve posted these preliminary versions. You might want to consider this hymn for the upcoming solemnity of Christ’s Kingship.

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“Organ Interlude” (Dom Gregory Murray)

In my humble opinion, Dom Gregory Murray (d. 1992) was a splendid composer. Here’s my attempt to perform one of his INTERLUDES on the pipe organ. I’m not a “concert organist” so I deeply appreciate any feedback—especially about registration. By the way, you can download a fantastic collection of ORGAN INTERLUDES—all 104 pages completely free […]

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization recognized by the state of Texas on 19 October 2006. Our statement of purpose notes that we “employ the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.”