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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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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), and did graduate work in Musicology. He serves as choirmaster for the new FSSP parish in Los Angeles, where he resides with his wife and children.—Read full biography (with photographs).

Jeff Ostrowski · December 30, 2012

Introduction To “Views From The Choir Loft”

We are excited to announce a new Blog dedicated to Sacred Music & Liturgy!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 24, 2012

Biography • Jeffrey M. Ostrowski

Jeff holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas . . .

Jeff Ostrowski · December 6, 2012

He’s At It Again . . . And Again.

Perhaps the reader is wondering why I keep saying the same thing over and over again . . .

Jeff Ostrowski · November 19, 2012

Graduale Romanum Chants And The New Roman Missal

The best kept secret of the Second Vatican Council …

Jeff Ostrowski · November 11, 2012

Folding One’s Hands At Mass

“It is a queer type of mind that actually is interested in knowing whether the deacon should stand at the right or the left of someone else at some moment.” Why would Dr. Fortescue say this?

Jeff Ostrowski · November 8, 2012

The Greatest Blog Entry Ever Of All Time

Edwin Fischer was considered the greatest Swiss pianist. I believe Alfred Cortot was also Swiss, but most people considered him French.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 3, 2012

[Book] Benedict XVI And Beauty In Sacred Music

This book looks like it would make a wonderful Christmas gift!

Jeff Ostrowski · November 2, 2012

Liturgy And Our Television Age

Have you noticed that absolutely everything is shown on television these days?

Jeff Ostrowski · November 2, 2012

The Importance Of Gestures

Physical gestures of reverence and adoration play a huge part in Catholic worship . . .

Jeff Ostrowski · May 7, 2012

Learn A New Word, See It Within 24 Hours (5)

“Good things come to them what wait.” This bizarre phenomenon continues to haunt my life.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 23, 2012

Learn A New Word, See It Within 24 Hours (4)

“What I’m tempted to believe rises to the level of an axiom: We always have time for whatever it is that we want to have time for.”

Jeff Ostrowski · April 5, 2012

The UBI CARITAS chant for Holy Thursday

Download five (5) different free versions of the “Ubi Caritas”

Jeff Ostrowski · March 15, 2012

Hymns: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know (2 of 2)

PART 2: How do hymns fit into the Catholic Mass ?

Jeff Ostrowski · March 15, 2012

Hymns: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know (1 of 2)

PART 1: What is a Catholic “hymn” ?

Jeff Ostrowski · March 13, 2012

Mass Propers: Confusion Resolved

A brief summary: What are the Mass Propers?

Jeff Ostrowski · February 23, 2012

Exsultet Video Recording • Paschal Proclamation • Plus MP3 Recordings!

The Easter Proclamation (“Exsultet”) sung on Holy Saturday Night New Translation (Roman Missal, 3rd Edition)

Jeff Ostrowski · February 3, 2012

A Polyphonic Kyrie During Lent

The Gloria is not said during Lent, so musicians can “get away” with using a slightly longer Kyrie . . .

Jeff Ostrowski · January 13, 2012

Learn A New Word, See It Within 24 Hours (3)

The phenomenon continues.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 12, 2011

Learn A New Word, See It Within 24 Hours

Happens every time . . .

Jeff Ostrowski · May 25, 2011

Modern Sacred Music

QUESTION: Are there any composers alive today writing truly great Sacred music?

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Quick Thoughts

20 January 2021 • REMINDER

We have no savings, no endowment, and no major donors. You can help us (please) by subscribing to our mailing list. It’s incredibly easy; just scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address. Thank you!

—Jeff Ostrowski
19 January 2021 • Confusion over feasts

For several months, we have discussed the complicated history of the various Christmas feasts: the Baptism of the Lord, the feast of the Holy Family, the Epiphany, and so forth. During a discussion, someone questioned my assertion that in some places Christmas had been part of the Epiphany. As time went on, of course, the Epiphany came to represent only three “manifestations” (Magi, Cana, Baptism), but this is not something rigid. For example, if you look at this “Capital E” from the feast of the Epiphany circa 1350AD, you can see it portrays not three mysteries but four—including PHAGIPHANIA when Our Lord fed the 5,000. In any event, anyone who wants proof the Epiphany used to include Christmas can read this passage from Dom Prosper Guéranger.

—Jeff Ostrowski
6 January 2021 • Anglicans on Plainsong

A book published by Anglicans in 1965 has this to say about Abbat Pothier’s Editio Vaticana, the musical edition reproduced by books such as the LIBER USUALIS (Solesmes Abbey): “No performing edition of the music of the Eucharistic Psalmody can afford to ignore the evidence of the current official edition of the Latin Graduale, which is no mere reproduction of a local or partial tradition, but a CENTO resulting from an extended study and comparison of a host of manuscripts gathered from many places. Thus the musical text of the Graduale possesses a measure of authority which cannot lightly be disregarded.” They are absolutely correct.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Pope Gelasius in his 9th Letter to the Bishops of Lucania condemned the evil practice which had been introduced of women serving the priest at the celebration of Mass. Since this abuse had spread to the Greeks, Innocent IV strictly forbade it in his letter to the Bishop of Tusculum: “Women should not dare to serve at the altar; they should be altogether refused this ministry.” We too have forbidden this practice in the same words in Our oft-repeated constitution “Etsi Pastoralis” (§6, #21)

— Pope Benedict XIV • Encyclical “Allatae Sunt” (26 July 1755)

Recent Posts

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  • 20 January 2021 • REMINDER
  • (Ladies Singing Low) • “Adding Fifths Above”
  • 19 January 2021 • Confusion over feasts

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