Views from the Choir Loft

Articles

The Triumph of the Cross

Fr. David Friel · September 14, 2011

Choosing Death

Growth in Holiness

Fr. David Friel · September 4, 2011

The Joy of Shepherds

Masculine Spirituality

Fr. David Friel · August 29, 2011

Losing Our Heads

Peter Lives On

Fr. David Friel · August 21, 2011

Pointing to the Truth

Seeking the Face of God

Fr. David Friel · August 12, 2011

We Have to Hear before We See

The Work of God & the Work of Man

Fr. David Friel · August 5, 2011

On Priestly Zeal

The Experience of Ordination

Fr. David Friel · July 26, 2011

What was I thinking?

Modern Sacred Music

Jeff Ostrowski · May 25, 2011

QUESTION: Are there any composers alive today writing truly great Sacred music?

Proof Beyond A Shadow Of A Doubt

Jeff Ostrowski · April 17, 2011

Whenever you learn a new word, you will see it within 24 hours.

Voice Leading Matters

Jeff Ostrowski · December 9, 2010

All men are created equal, but what about accompaniments for Gregorian chant?

Sonata during the Gradual?

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote seventeen Church Sonatas between 1772 and 1780. These are short pieces intended to be played between the Epistle and the Gospel (during Mass). Shortly after Mozart left Salzburg, the Archbishop mandated that an appropriate choral motet or congregational hymn be sung at that point in the liturgy, with the result that the “Epistle Sonata” fell into disuse.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Note from a reader (25 June 2020)

“Just visited your website for the first time 5 minutes ago. Was that struck by the beauty of the chant and the immense gift of such a beautiful collection that can be downloaded with ease…at no charge! In awe of the gift of this extensive content and the amount of labor that has gone into all of it. Please receive our support and encouragement! God bless and keep you all. Praise be to Jesus Christ, now and forever! Thank you truly.” —Signed, The P____ Family

—Jeff Ostrowski

Positive Message from a Catholic Priest

Today, we received this wonderful message from a Catholic Priest: I want to say thank you for everything you have done to bring back the sense of the sacred in The liturgy. We are going through a liturgical renewal here in the parish where I was assigned as a parochial vicar. I’ve only been a priest for 1 year and 8 days! We are beginning to use your psalms for our English Masses.

—Jeff Ostrowski