Views from the Choir Loft

Articles

Jeff Ostrowski · May 7, 2016

A Special “Gaudeamus” For 31 May

Nobody has been able to explain why they changed the psalm verse…

Richard J. Clark · May 6, 2016

Working With People With Whom One Disagrees

One’s ability to work effectively with someone else does not actually rely very much on how much one agrees with the other. Why? It comes down to three things.

Andrew Leung · May 5, 2016

Video • Mass during WW2

Vintage video of an army chaplain celebrating Mass during World War II.

Dr. Lucas Tappan · May 4, 2016

Expect The Best—And You Will Get It

If you truly love the children of your parish, fight the elitism that says young children can’t sing, or just can’t appreciate good music.

Jeff Ostrowski · May 4, 2016

Does Gregorian Chant Work In English?

“In a musical phrase, each element is a part of the whole and must take its place in that whole.” —Dom Gajard

Jeff Ostrowski · May 2, 2016

What Modern Man Cannot Ever Accept: SILENCE

“I believe that more and more people will start to come to this, if nothing else because they wish to find a way in their world to carve out quiet time.”

Andrew Leung · May 2, 2016

Video • Cardinal Burke on the Traditional Latin Mass

Here is what Cardinal Burke has to say about the Latin Mass.

Jeff Ostrowski · May 1, 2016

Musical Resources • St. Joseph the Worker (1 May)

“Grant, O Lord, that what we have received may—by the intercession of blessed Joseph—crown our work and confirm our reward…”

Fr. David Friel · May 1, 2016

Regina Chesterton Academy

A Classical Education Track for Catholic High School Students

Veronica Brandt · April 30, 2016

How to train your dragon and the Easter Vigil Alleluia

Hearing a movie theme in the Alleluia verse from the Easter Vigil. Gregorian chant has all the good tunes.

Richard J. Clark · April 29, 2016

Children’s Choir in a Typical Suburban Parish? Endless Possibilities!

Children who sing today will be the foundation of our Church in the future.

Andrew Leung · April 28, 2016

Musical Works of Mercy

How can we help others spiritually through music?

Jeff Ostrowski · April 27, 2016

Propers for St. Joseph the Worker

This Sunday falls on May 1st, so the EF feast is “St. Joseph the Workman.”

Dr. Lucas Tappan · April 26, 2016

The Devil Gets in the Details

Just remember to laugh, thank the Good Lord and keep your coffee off of the piano!

Jeff Ostrowski · April 25, 2016

Rehearsal videos • “Veni Creator Spiritus” (Fauxbourdon)

Modern ears don’t always enjoy the sound of extremely ancient music—do you?

PDF Download • “Ubi Caritas” (SATB)

I remember singing “Ubi Cáritas” by Maurice Duruflé at the conservatory. I was deeply moved by it. However, some feel Duruflé’s version isn’t suitable for small choirs since it’s written for 6 voices and the bass tessitura is quite low. That’s why I was absolutely thrilled to discover this “Ubi cáritas” (SATB) for smaller choirs by Énemond Moreau, who studied with OSCAR DEPUYDT (d. 1925), an orphan who became a towering figure of Catholic music. Depuydt’s students include: Flor Peeters (d. 1986); Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel (d. 1953); Arthur Meulemans (d. 1966); Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989); and Gustaaf Nees (d. 1965). Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #19705. When I came across the astonishing English translation for “Ubi Cáritas” by Monsignor Ronald Knox—matching the Latin’s meter—I decided to add those lyrics as an option (for churches which have banned Latin). My wife and I made this recording to give you some idea how it sounds.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “Cantus Mariales” (192 pages)

Andrea Leal has posted an absolutely pristine scan of CANTUS MARIALES (192 pages) which can be downloaded as a PDF file. To access this treasure, navigate to the frabjous article Andrea posted Monday. The file is being offered completely free of charge. The beginning pages of the book have something not to be missed: viz. a letter from Pope Saint Pius X to Dom Pothier, in which the pope calls Abbat Pothier “a man versed above all others in the science of liturgy, and to whom the cause of Gregorian chant is greatly indebted.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Music List • (2nd Sunday of Lent)

Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 2nd Sunday of Lent (1 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has magnificent propers. Its somber INTROIT is particularly striking—using a haunting tonality—but the COMMUNION with its fauxbourdon verses is also quite remarkable. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Extreme Unction

Those who search Google for “CCCC MS 079” will discover high resolution images of a medieval Pontificale (“Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 079”). One of the pages contains this absolutely gorgeous depiction of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

PDF Chart • “Plainsong Rhythm”

I will go to my grave without understanding the lack of curiosity so many people have about the rhythmic modifications made by Dom André Mocquereau. For example, how can someone examine this single sheet comparison chart and at a minimum not be curious about the differences? Dom Mocquereau basically creates a LONG-SHORT LONG-SHORT rhythmic pattern—in spite of enormous and overwhelming manuscript evidence to the contrary. That’s why some scholars referred to his method as “Neo-Mensuralist” or “Neo-Mensuralism.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Simplified)

I admire the harmonization of “Adeste Fideles” by David Willcocks (d. 2015), who served as director of the Royal College of Music (London, England). In 2025, I was challenged to create a simplified arrangement for organists incapable of playing the authentic version at tempo. The result was this simplified keyboard arrangement (PDF download) based on the David Willcocks version of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Feel free to play through it and let me know what you think.

—Jeff Ostrowski