Views from the Choir Loft

Articles

Veronica Brandt · March 2, 2019

God of Mercy and Compassion

Two hymns with the same opening line, but very different content. A mystery rewrite symptomatic of an avoidance of personal contrition.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 28, 2019

PDF • “Additional Versions of the Credo” (1934)

This morning, fascinating versions of the Credo arrived in my inbox—versions I had never seen!

Dr. Lucas Tappan · February 27, 2019

Strive for Greatness!

Stop trying to make everything easy, and therefore unimportant.

Fr. David Friel · February 23, 2019

New Resource! • Chant Videos for Treble Voices

A new website seeks to record the full Gregorian propers each week using a treble voice.

Richard J. Clark · February 22, 2019

“Woman of No Distinction” World Premiere

What makes this work unique is its perspective: written entirely from the point of view of the Samaritan woman.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 20, 2019

When You Go To Mass … Be This Guy!

Bringing a falcon to Mass never crossed my mind…

Jeff Ostrowski · February 19, 2019

An Outrageous “Paradox” I Cannot Accept

I’m not someone who believes everything was perfect before Vatican II—but calling the EF “worldly” compared to the OF is just silly.

Fr. David Friel · February 17, 2019

Sacred Architecture and Brexit

A connecting link in the form of Gothic cathedrals

Jeff Ostrowski · February 14, 2019

Update! • Accompaniments for the Brébeuf Hymnal

Oh, if only…if only you knew what’s going on behind the scenes!

Dr. Lucas Tappan · February 12, 2019

The Cantor and Congregational Singing

I wonder if we haven’t lost sight of the cantor’s original purpose of fostering congregational singing…

Jeff Ostrowski · February 11, 2019

Breaking! • Father Edwin C. Dwyer Development?

Did Bishop A. Hurley have a change of heart?

Jeff Ostrowski · February 7, 2019

“Your Choirmaster” • What Nobody Realizes

Do you see the part where it specifically asks for humiliation?

Fr. David Friel · February 2, 2019

Fourth-Century Advice for Choir Directors

A passage from Nicetas of Remesiana remains eminently applicable today.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 28, 2019

When Hymn Names Don’t Match

I submit to you that calling the same tune by multiple names in the same hymnal is unacceptable.

Fr. David Friel · January 27, 2019

Formed in Beauty Lectures

Videos have been posted from the 2017 & 2018 conferences of the Catholic Art Guild

“Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.

—Jeff Ostrowski

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Music Director Job • $80,000 per year

Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!

—Jeff Ostrowski

Pope Pius XII Hymnal?

Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Hybrid” Chant Notation?

Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

Antiphons Don’t Match?

A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).

—Corpus Christi Watershed