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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 · December 13, 2020

“Rorate Mass” (FSSP) • 12 December 2020

Attendance was standing room only. Afterwards, the children presented roses to Mary—as the entire parish prayed the Rosary—and then we consecrated California to Jesus Christ.

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Jeff Ostrowski · December 12, 2020

“Homily — 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B” • Father Valentine Young, OFM

As the Gloria during Mass suggests, we should “thank Him simply because of His great glory.” When is the last time you did that?

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Jeff Ostrowski · December 10, 2020

“Martinelli’s Letter” (dated 18 February 1910)

My recent post on the repercussion has induced some to ask: “Can we just sing whatever rhythm we want for the Vatican Edition? What about mensuralism? What about Bonvin and Vollaerts?” For those of us who work in the Extraordinary Form, we must follow the rhythm of the Editio Vaticana, and this was addressed in […]

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Jeff Ostrowski · December 10, 2020

Offertory Compared • “Ave Maria” (4th Sunday of Advent) vs. “Ave Maria” (Immaculate Conception)

Consider the melody found in “Le Graduel Romain,” published in 1800—nine years before Napoleon Bonaparte kidnapped Pope Pius VII

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Jeff Ostrowski · December 9, 2020

9 December 2020 • A Cool Tradition

Before the reforms of the “Code of Rubrics” (1961), antiphons at Vespers were abbreviated in a cool way. For example, look at this antiphon, Ecce Veniet (from Vespers on the 4th Sunday of Advent). But that tradition—as far as I know—ended in 1961, with §191 which said: “The whole antiphon is always said before and […]

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Jeff Ostrowski · December 8, 2020

Gregorian Chant • “How To Sing The Repercussion” (such as: Bistropha, Tristropha, etc.)

Each monastery had its own particular way of singing plainsong.

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Jeff Ostrowski · December 6, 2020

“Homily — 2nd Sunday of Advent, Year B” • Father Valentine Young, OFM

Yes, these are extraordinary times—and they require something extraordinary from us.

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Jeff Ostrowski · December 2, 2020

Book Title • “English As She Is Spoke”

One who translates Aquinas expects to be cross-examined by those who understand philosophy and Latin; but Bible translators are liable to be cross-examined by anybody, because everybody thinks he knows what the Bible means.

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Jeff Ostrowski · December 2, 2020

(Ecuador) • Archbishop Poisoned on Good Friday

It happened during the “Mass of the Presanctified” celebrated on Good Friday, 30 March 1877.

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Jeff Ostrowski · November 30, 2020

30 November 2020 • “Case in point”

The Solesmes rhythmic markings, which often contradict the official rhythm, do such damage to the antiphons of the Divine Office that—in my humble opinion—they should be abandoned. (In reality, this will never happen.) But sometimes, they do great damage to the melody of the Graduale Romanum, and I would offer the Offertory for the 1st […]

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Jeff Ostrowski · November 30, 2020

The “Winking” Part • Where’d Father Lasance Get It?

A curious translation which Father Lasance “borrowed” for the Ash Wednesday Introit…

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Jeff Ostrowski · November 29, 2020

Extremely Rare! • Pages from the “Directorium Chori” (Solesmes Abbey, 1864)

The entire edition was destroyed in a fire (circa 1866) except four rare copies.

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Jeff Ostrowski · November 27, 2020

27 November 2020 • ACCENTS

Certain Latin words are constantly mispronounced. For example, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana is supposed to be pronounced “Cármina” but people frequently pronounce it as “Carmína”—wrong! Another example: Nova organi harmonia is supposed to be pronounced “órgani” but many people erroneously say “orgáni.” A somewhat tricky word is incipit. In Latin, it would be “íncipit” while […]

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Jeff Ostrowski · November 25, 2020

Feast of the Holy Family • Where did it come from?

The Consilium asked (15 March 1965): “Is it pleasing that the feast of the Holy Family be suppressed?” • Discussion of the First Sunday After Epiphany; the Feast of the Holy Name; the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord; the two (2) instances of different “Jubilate Deo” Offertories which repeat; “Abhinc Duos Annos” (23 October 1913); and many other items+

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Jeff Ostrowski · November 24, 2020

“Homily — 1st Sunday of Advent, Year B” • Father Valentine Young, OFM

All of us are now closer to our moment of death than we were last year or in any time in the past.

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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

“In chronological order, [Dom Pierre Combe] traces the Gregorian reform from its beginnings under Dom Guéranger in 1833, to the problems of the Vatican Commission on Sacred Music in the first decade of the 20th century. As one reads the topic headings and development of their content, one wonders how such an innocent and un-warlike subject such as Gregorian chant could have been the focal point of such an intense and continuing battle among scholars and churchmen for so many decades.”

— Dr. Theodore Marier (1968)

Recent Posts

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  • Cookies and the “Correct” Way to sing at Solesmes
  • Shortest Psalm In The Bible

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