Views from the Choir Loft

Articles

Guest Author · April 17, 2017

Palestrina and the Perfecting of the Medieval Ideal of Music as Rational • (Part 2 of 3)

The polyphonic imitative style of the Renaissance is a refection of the rational mind and the music of heaven.

Fr. David Friel · April 16, 2017

Introducing the Wethersfield Institute Chant Workshop

A new chant workshop in upstate New York in June 2017.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 15, 2017

“Reproaches” for Good Friday (Recording)

The indispensable “Musician’s Guide to Good Friday,” including a 50-page PDF and rehearsal videos!

Richard J. Clark · April 14, 2017

Descent into Hell and The Greatest Act of Love

Read the words of John 3:16 again.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 13, 2017

Do these Holy Thursday rubrics strike you as odd?

I haven’t studied the situation enough to know with certainty.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 12, 2017

Musical Resources • Holy Thursday (EF)

“O God, from Whom Judas received the punishment of his crime, and the thief the reward of his confession…”

Jeff Ostrowski · April 12, 2017

“Contemporary” Catholic Music • Is it truly dead?

Today we announce a special guest who will be present at the Sacred Music Symposium!

Jeff Ostrowski · April 10, 2017

PDF Download • Booklet for Congregation

May I share a secret?

Jeff Ostrowski · April 10, 2017

Accompaniment: “Credo III” (Parochial Hymnal)

Easiest organ accompaniment to Credo III ever penned.

Fr. David Friel · April 9, 2017

Square Note App

Bring your “Graduale Digitalum” wherever you go.

Veronica Brandt · April 8, 2017

33 Days to Marian Consecration

There are 33 days to prepare for the feast of Our Lady of Fatima this centenary year, starting Monday April 10.

Corpus Christi Watershed · April 8, 2017

Members’ Page • Sacred Music Symposium 2018

Private & Confidential

Jeff Ostrowski · April 7, 2017

Musical Resources • Palm Sunday (1962) 1

“The multitude goeth forth to meet our Redeemer with flowers and palms, and payeth the homage due to a triumphant conqueror.”

Richard J. Clark · April 7, 2017

Sing Everything From the Viewpoint of the Resurrection

Music has a way of describing the indescribable, of bringing to speech the ineffable. That is what our choirs must do this Holy Week.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 7, 2017

Intensely Powerful • “Requiem” Production (FSSP)

I’ve never seen a more beautiful promo video.

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

All of the chants for 27 July 2025, which is the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down.” The COMMUNION ANTIPHON—both text and melody—are particularly beautiful and exceedingly ancient.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser

To assist our fundraiser, Mrs. Kathleen Ostrowski has drawn several beautiful sketches which she offers to all our readers free of charge. If you have a moment, I invite you download them at this link.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Errors in Latin: “17th Sund. Ordinary”

The COMMUNION for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) contains several typos in the Jogues Illuminated Missal with regard to the Latin text. That particular COMMUNION ANTIPHON is extremely ancient, and the English Adaptation is utterly gorgeous. For the record, it’s normal for books to contain typos; even books by Father Fortescue and Monsignor Knox have errors. Books by Solesmes Abbey—surely among the finest ever produced—contain many printing errors. Click here to see a few examples of typos.

—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

“Although the Mass contains much instruction for the faithful, it has nevertheless not seemed expedient to the fathers that it be celebrated everywhere in the vernacular. The holy synod commands pastors and everyone who has the care of souls to explain frequently during the celebration of the Masses, either themselves or through others, some of the things that are read in the Mass, and among other things to expound some mystery of this most Holy Sacrifice, especially on Sundays and feastdays.”

— ‘Council of Trent, XII:8 (1562)’