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 · 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?

Jeff Ostrowski · April 17, 2011

Proof Beyond A Shadow Of A Doubt

Whenever you learn a new word, you will see it within 24 hours.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 9, 2010

Voice Leading Matters

All men are created equal, but what about accompaniments for Gregorian chant?

Father Adrian Fortescue on the “Agnus Dei”

Speaking about the AGNUS DEI, Father Fortescue wrote: “Agnus as a vocative is curious, evidently in order to reproduce the original text (John 1:29) exactly.” [Altera die vidit Joannes Jesum venientem ad se, et ait: Ecce agnus Dei, ecce qui tollit peccatum mundi.] Father Fortescue, as usual, is correct; but in some medieval manuscripts you can find “Agne Dei.” Here’s an an example of that.

—Jeff Ostrowski

List • Responses by each bishop!

This incredible website gives each bishop’s response to the recent MOTU PROPRIO Traditionis Custodes, a decree by Pope Francis which seeks to reduce the number of celebrations of the “Extraordinary Form” (Traditional Latin Mass): traditioniscustodes.info

—Jeff Ostrowski

Tomorrow is Sunday…

When you were in school, you would have gotten in trouble if you wrote the Roman Numeral “9” as viiii. You were supposed to write: IX. But look how an ancient manuscript writes “9” as a Roman Numeral. That’s the Introit Ecce Deus for tomorrow’s feast in the Extraordinary Form: The 9th Sunday after Pentecost.

—Jeff Ostrowski