Views from the Choir Loft

Articles

Fr. David Friel · August 14, 2016

World Youth Day Krakow: Music Recordings

Seventeen (17) Tracks Now Available on iTunes

Jeff Ostrowski · August 12, 2016

Musical Resources • 14th Sunday after Pentecost

“May Thy Sacraments, O Lord, ever purify and fortify us…”

Jeff Ostrowski · August 12, 2016

Major Media Outlet Re: “Ad Orientem”

Corpus Christi Watershed is mentioned and cited!

Richard J. Clark · August 12, 2016

The Difficulty of Cultivating a Prayerful Focus for Musicians

Quiet prayer for church musicians is very difficult to come by. Here are nine things one may find helpful.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 11, 2016

Hymn Tunes • What’s Up With Naming Them?

Until recently, most Catholic hymnals didn’t have a metrical index!

Jeff Ostrowski · August 10, 2016

Worst Typo Of All Time?

This one got by the editor’s eye!

Jeff Ostrowski · August 9, 2016

Too Many Sopranos? Try This Canon!

A compositional miracle by Rev’d Tomás Luis de Victoria (d. 1611).

Jeff Ostrowski · August 8, 2016

Being Careful With Hymns

Each individual “ear” must decide what is acceptable.

Fr. David Friel · August 7, 2016

A Different Kind of World Youth Day

Sacred Music Helped to Transform Tauron Arena Kraków into a House of Prayer

Jeff Ostrowski · August 6, 2016

Interesting Points in this Sunday’s Offertory

Do you understand why I’ve highlighted various points?

Richard J. Clark · August 5, 2016

“Ad Orientem” and Granovetter’s Threshold Models of Collective Behavior

The people deserve to know the truth. It is time for ignorance to end so that the faithful may develop informed opinions.

Andrew Leung · August 4, 2016

St. Josemaría and the Mass

These pictures can prove St. Josemaría’s love for the Old Mass.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 3, 2016

The “Long & Short” of Latin Hymns

Such underlay would be considered loathsome by composers like Guerrero. Indeed, it’s an impossibility!

Jeff Ostrowski · August 2, 2016

Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli in Cappa Magna

Anyone care to hazard a guess regarding why a blue biretta would have been used circa 1933?

Jeff Ostrowski · August 1, 2016

Does Your Bishop Enforce The GIRM?

They will assume—and why shouldn’t they?—that “approved by the USCCB” applies to the hymns and songs…

“Reminder” — Month of April (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). 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

Simplified Accompaniment (Easter Hymn)

Number 36 in the Brébeuf Hymnal is “At the Lamb’s high feast we sing,” an English translation for Ad Cenam Agni Próvidi (which was called “Ad Régias Agni Dapes” starting 1631). As of this morning, you can download a simplified keyboard accompaniment for it. Simply click here and scroll to the bottom. Many organists are forced to serve simultaneously as both CANTOR and ACCOMPANIST. In spite of what some claim, this can be difficult—which explains why choirmasters appreciate these simplified keyboard accompaniments. Sadly, many readers will click that link but forget to scroll to the bottom where the simplified PDF file is located.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Quasi Modo Sunday”

The Introit for “Quasi Modo Sunday” (12 April 2026) is particularly beautiful. The musical score can be downloaded as a PDF file, and so can the organ accompaniment. The official language of the Catholic Church is Latin (whereas Greek is our mother tongue). Vatican II said Gregorian Chant must be given “first place” under normal circumstances. As a result, some parishes will rightly sing the authentic version. On the other hand, because so many USA dioceses disobey the mandate of Vatican II, some musicians sing plainsong in the vernacular. I have attempted to simultaneously accompany myself on the pipe organ while singing the English version. Although very few take advantage of it, the complete Proprium Missae is posted at the flourishing feasts website.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Anima Christi”

I received a request for an organ accompaniment I created way back in 2007 for the “Anima Christi” Gregorian Chant. You can download this PDF file which has the score in plainsong followed by a keyboard accompaniment. Many melodies have been paired with “Anima Christi” over the centuries, but this is—perhaps—the most common one.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “Liturgical Law” (467 Pages)

On Good Friday during the middle ages, the pope privately recited THE ENTIRE PSALTER. If you don’t believe me, see for yourself by reading this passage by Dom Charles Augustine Bachofen (d. 1943). His famous book—called “Liturgical Law: A Handbook Of The Roman Liturgy”—was published by the Benjamin Herder Book Company, which was the American arm (operating out of St. Louis, Missouri) of one of the world’s most significant Catholic publishers. Dom Charles Augustine Bachofen was born in Switzerland but spent his career between the Benedictine monasteries at Conception (Missouri) and Mount Angel (Oregon). His 1931 masterpiece, Liturgical Law can be downloaded as a PDF file … 467 pages!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Gregorian Chant Quiz” • 24 March 2026

How well do you know your Gregorian hymns? Do you recognize the tune inserted into the bass line on this score? For many years, we sang the entire Mass in Gregorian chant—and I mean everything. As a result, it would be difficult to find a Gregorian hymn I don’t recognize instantly. Only decades later did I realize (with sadness) that this skill cannot be ‘monetized’… This particular melody is used for a very famous Gregorian hymn, printed in the LIBER USUALIS. Do you recognize it? Send me an email with the correct words, and I promise to tell everybody I meet about your prowess!

—Jeff Ostrowski