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Corpus Christi Watershed

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 · January 3, 2026

Simplified Accompaniment (Epiphany Hymn)

Simplified keyboard accompaniment for “Bethlehem! Of noblest cities” (Epiphany hymn).

Jeff Ostrowski · January 2, 2026

“Adeste Fideles” • Too Many Translations!

Broadly speaking, only one has attained general use throughout the English-speaking world…

Jeff Ostrowski · December 30, 2025

Psalm Tone Challenge!

If you know a shorter one, please email me!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 27, 2025

“Kaitrin Drost Strikes Again!” • Plus a Few Random Thoughts and Tirades by Jeff Ostrowski

Imagine walking up into a choir loft and sounding like these young ladies without rehearsal.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 26, 2025

PDF • “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Simplified)

Please play through it and let me know what you think.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 23, 2025

💰 Are Church Musicians Paid Too Little?

I came very close to paying an unspeakably severe price.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 21, 2025

PDF Download • “In Paradisum” in English

If anyone wants to download this organ accompaniment, feel free to do so!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 19, 2025

“O Antiphons” Elevated?

From what I can tell, the 1970 rubrics moved each “O Antiphon” to the Gospel Acclamation at Mass (in late December).

Jeff Ostrowski · December 18, 2025

PDF • “Music List” (Sunday, 28 December)

Readers have expressed interest in examining the “music list” I prepared for the feast of the Holy Family.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 16, 2025

Should Catholics Sing Protestant Christmas Carols?

Including the “music list” I have prepared for Christmas Midnight Mass.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 16, 2025

PDF • “Music List” (Xmas Midnight Mass)

Readers have expressed interest in examining the “music list” I prepared for Christmas Midnight Mass.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 16, 2025

What does this mean? “Pre-Urbanite”

This topic I had believed to be fairly well understood—but I was wrong.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 14, 2025

PDF • “Standard Gregorian Chants for Schools, Churches, Seminaries, & Convents” (1946) —123 pages

Until a few days ago, I knew nothing of this (extremely rare) book. Now it’s been scanned and uploaded—free to all.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 11, 2025

PDF • “Music List” (4th Sunday of Advent)

Readers have expressed interest in examining the “music list” I prepared for the 4th Sunday of Advent.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 11, 2025

PDF Download • “Santo Santo Santo”

A brief, bright, stately setting.

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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

    Stumped by “Episcopalian Hymnal” (1910)
    Some consider Songs of Syon (1910) the greatest Episcopalian hymnal ever printed. As a Roman Catholic, I have no right to weigh in one way or the other. However, this particular page has me stumped. I just know I’ve heard that tune somewhere! If you can help, please email me. I’m talking about the text which begins: “This is the day the Lord hath made; In unbeclouded light array’d.” The book is by George Ratcliffe Woodward, and its complete title is: Songs of Syon: A Collection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. Back in 2016, Corpus Christi Watershed scanned and uploaded this insanely rare book. For years our website was the sole place one could download it as a PDF file.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “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

Random Quote

“The Church, which so long had preserved Latin consciously as a bond of unity, had quite suddenly decided to discard it as a useless encumbrance. With this rejection, and as an almost inevitable consequence, went out the window also the whole magnificent musical heritage of the Church. For when you change your language you also change your song. The Jewish exiles hanging their harps beside the waters of Babylon, so long ago, made that discovery.”

— Most Rev’d Robert J. Dwyer, Archbishop of Portland (26 October 1973)

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