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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 · January 13, 2013

The Need For Beauty In the Church

Artistic works often look “natural and easy” but their creation might have been by “blood, sweat, and tears.”

Jeff Ostrowski · January 7, 2013

Baptism of our son

Our son was baptized by Most Rev. Bishop René H. Gracida.

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.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

Surprising Popularity!

One of our most popular downloads has proven to be the organ accompaniment to “The Monastery Hymnal” (131 pages). This book was compiled, arranged, and edited by Achille P. Bragers, who studied at the Lemmensinstituut (Belgium) about thirty years before that school produced the NOH. Bragers might be considered an example of Belgium “Stile Antico” whereas Flor Peeters and Jules Van Nuffel represented Belgium “Prima Pratica.” You can download the hymnal by Bragers at this link.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • To Capitalize…?

In the Introit for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, there is a question regarding whether to capitalize the word “christi.” The Vulgata does not, because Psalm 27 is not specifically referring to Our Lord, but rather to God’s “anointed one.” However, Missals tend to capitalize it, such as the official 1962 Missal and also a book from 1777 called Missel de Paris. Something tells me Monsignor Knox would not capitalize it.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • “Sung vs. Spoken”

We have spoken quite a bit about “sung vs. spoken” antiphons. We have also noted that the texts of the Graduale Romanum sometimes don’t match the Missal texts (in the Extraordinary Form) because the Mass Propers are older than Saint Jerome’s Vulgate, and sometimes came from the ITALA versions of Sacred Scripture. On occasion, the Missal itself doesn’t match the Vulgate—cf. the Introit “Esto Mihi.” The Vulgate has: “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in domum refúgii…” but the Missal and Graduale Romanum use “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in locum refúgii…” The 1970s “spoken propers” use the traditional version, as you can see.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“To me nothing is so consoling, so piercing, so thrilling, so overcoming, as the Mass, said as it is among us. I could attend Masses for ever, and not be tired.”

— John Henry Cardinal Newman (1848)

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