Corpus Christi Watershed

Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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).

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Too much music!

Choosing music for the Sacred Music Symposium requires careful consideration.  We make sure (always) to have great variety. Because the schedule is so full, there’s never sufficient time to discuss the music fully—indeed, we could easily do a month-long seminar on each piece!  For example, last year Dr. Calabrese conducted a setting of the Magnificat […]

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“Sharing Is Caring”

I would like to share a message from a highly respected scholar.  (His articles appear in distinguished journals such as Études grégoriennes and Oxford’s Early Music.) He wrote as follows: The Brébeuf Hymnal is very tastefully done. Your team has exquisite literary and musical taste. I see from my copy of the hymnal that you […]

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What Frightens Me

The world’s experts have been releasing contradictory statements Re: Covid-19. I am neither a doctor nor a scientist, so I won’t comment; but I have something to say about the spine-tingling predictions made by certain politicians. When I was growing up, they told us “within ten years” we would starve due to overpopulation. The next […]

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Official Statement on Coronavirus

The 2020 Sacred Music Symposium “Official Statement” on Coronavirus has been posted; I encourage everyone to read it. I would like to share some advice: (1) avoid excessive amounts of “cable news” reporting on the pandemic, similar to how we diligently avoid immoral magazines and pornography; (2) let us pray for God’s mercy, and let […]

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The Ability To Say “I Don’t Know”

Father Valentine Young, OFM, always spoke about people incapable of saying “I don’t know.”  Such people have an answer for everything—as if saying “I don’t know” would cause them physical pain.  That’s how I acted growing up, but I stopped when I reached maturity.  Another thing I did as a kid was insist that I […]

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Disturbing Trend

Have you noticed how many people these days don’t know what an analogy is?  If I say to John Doe, “that’s the pot calling the kettle black,” frequently John Doe will go around telling everybody I called him an ugly pot.  It’s quite disturbing.  I’ve also noticed that many Americans believe the definition of “possible” […]

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