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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 · February 10, 2021

“Reform of the Reform” • Eight Lies We Were Told

We should evaluate things based on their merit.

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Jeff Ostrowski · February 10, 2021

10 February 2021 • “Follow the text…”

Gregorian Chant does not follow the example of Baroque composers, who strongly emphasize (“slam”) the tonic accent. Cantus Gregorianus has a very sophisticated way of honoring the text—an approach which goes far beyond the “goo goo gah gah” approach of slamming the tonic accent. Thousands of examples in the Gregorian repertoire demonstrate this reality, but […]

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Jeff Ostrowski · February 7, 2021

“Homily for Sexagesima Sunday” (EF) • Father Valentine Young, OFM

I had the good fortune of being assigned to the same mission field twice: the first time in 1956 when I was first ordained.

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Jeff Ostrowski · February 5, 2021

5 February 2021 • “Tainted”

We have witnessed the downfall of so many “famous” Catholics—including priests—who had pretended to be holy, but were caught committing terrible sins. In a particular way, EWTN was harmed because several of their biggest stars were exposed. I was thinking about whether something holy can be “tainted,” and what that means. Fulton Sheen made mistakes, […]

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Jeff Ostrowski · February 4, 2021

Ben Shapiro Teaches His Audience Music Theory!

Also included: “Can amateurs sing polyphony?”

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Jeff Ostrowski · February 4, 2021

3 February 2021 • “Politics”

A recent article—Glaring Omission from Post-Vatican II Lectionary—has generated enormous traffic, and has become one of our most popular articles. During that article, I made reference to our position on “political” articles. If anyone cares to know about my political views, please download: Only In Secret And With Horror. I have explained my views in […]

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Jeff Ostrowski · January 31, 2021

“Homily for Septuagesima Sunday” (EF) • Father Valentine Young, OFM

I don’t know whether all of you will agree with me when I say: “life is not fair”—but I would imagine older people would agree.

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Jeff Ostrowski · January 23, 2021

Glaring Omission from Post-Vatican II Lectionary

In the 1980s, Father Valentine wrote to a Vatican Congregation in Rome about this omission. It still hasn’t been fixed.

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Jeff Ostrowski · January 21, 2021

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!

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Jeff Ostrowski · January 21, 2021

(Ladies Singing Low) • “Adding Fifths Above”

Under Covid-19, certain “pre-conciliar” practices have been mandated by the same bishops who previously declared such things to be evil.

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Jeff Ostrowski · January 19, 2021

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 […]

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Jeff Ostrowski · January 19, 2021

PDF Download • “Mass Propers For Sundays And Holydays Set To Simple Melodies” (429 pages)

In 1947, this book was given a double “Imprimatur” by Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York.

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Jeff Ostrowski · January 13, 2021

“Homily for the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany” (EF) • Father Valentine Young, OFM

Why have I been so blessed, and spared such hardships?

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Jeff Ostrowski · January 12, 2021

Lies, Lies, Lies

“Narrative lies” cannot exist without a storyteller.

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Jeff Ostrowski · January 7, 2021

Catholic Choirmasters • Never Fall For This!

Statements so appalling, egregious, and atrocious they must be corrected…

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Music List • (15th Sund. Ordinary Time)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A), which is 12 July 2026. Please feel free to download it as a PDF file if that appeals to you. The hymns chosen are some of the most ‘traditional’ I have chosen (and were chosen by our pastor). The ENTRANCE CHANT radiates pure bliss, overflowing with joy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Shortest Psalm In The Bible
    The shortest chapter in the whole Bible—as well as the shortest psalm—is PSALM 116 (“Laudáte Dóminum ómnes géntes”), which consists of just two verses. German-speaking Catholics did something really splendid (PDF) with PSALM 116. I was alerted to this many years ago by none other than Monsignor Robert Alexander Skeris. Click here to download—from different Catholic hymn books—ten (10) different harmonizations for this fabulous hymn.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Oldest Latin Eucharistic Hymn
    The Church’s oldest Latin Eucharistic hymn is featured in the Brébeuf Hymnal. Indeed, the legendary Father Adrian Fortescue made a translation of it—matching the original’s meter—which was elevated by the Brébeuf team. For years, we’ve been working on a Spanish hymnal: “Cantoral del Padre Antonio Daniel.” The progress has been slow but steady, and we encourage anyone fluent in Spanish to consider joining the proofreading team. A few days ago, my wife helped me record a rehearsal video for this Spanish version of the Church’s oldest Latin Eucharistic hymn.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Reader Feedback” • 22 June 2026
    A reader wrote to us from Virginia: “I really appreciate the 23 harmonizations that you posted on CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED for the Daily, Daily, Sing to Mary hymn. I hope to find willing voices in our small Schola Cantorum to try the three-voice version. Carry on, sir! You’re doing the Lord’s work.” While we don’t know this gentleman personally, we note that he earned a Ph.D. (which demonstrates that our blog has something for everybody). 😊
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Time and Again We Are Asked…
    John Baptist Singenberger (d. 1924) was a central figure of Catholic Church music. In this utterly fascinating excerpt (Single-Page PDF), Singenberger writes: Time and again we are asked: “Is the Gregorian chant to be accompanied by the organ?” As a young student in Saint Gall, Singenberger befriended SEBASTIAN GEBHARD MESSMER, the future Archbishop of Milwaukee (Wisconsin). The two graduated together in 1861. The school they attended (Saint George’s Seminary) was a “seminary”—but in the older European sense. In other words, it provided a classical education without necessarily leading to ordination. Singenberger remained a layman his whole life, but Messmer was eventually made archbishop—by Pope Saint Pius X—of the very archdiocese in Wisconsin where Singenberger would spend his American career, giving him a powerful ecclesiastical ally.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of June (2026)
    On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). Since we were founded in 2006, not one of our board members has ever accepted any remuneration whatsoever—not a penny. We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. It couldn’t be easier to subscribe! Just scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“We must strip from our Catholic prayers and from the Catholic liturgy everything which can be the shadow of a stumbling block for our separated brethren—that is, for the Protestants.”

— Monsignor Annibale Bugnini (March, 1965) in L’Osservatore Romano

Recent Posts

  • Music List • (15th Sund. Ordinary Time)
  • This Is Precisely What’s Hated By Purists
  • PDF Download • “Organ Interludes for Manuals Only” (Denmark) — 23 pages
  • Cookies and the “Correct” Way to sing at Solesmes
  • Shortest Psalm In The Bible

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