Views from the Choir Loft

Articles

Jeff Ostrowski · August 18, 2015

Improve Your Parish’s Liturgy … Instantaneously!

“Until we are blue in the face, we could repeat what Vatican II said about Gregorian chant…”

Andrew Leung · August 18, 2015

Summer Sacred Music Workshop — Report

Report on the Summer Sacred Music Workshop in Jasper, GA.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 17, 2015

PDF Download • “Mount Mary Hymnal” (1937)

All 255 pages of this famous hymn book can now be downloaded as a PDF.

Fr. David Friel · August 16, 2015

Vesting Prayers • Part 7 of 9

The Stole

Richard J. Clark · August 14, 2015

Entering the Mainstream Conversation

Will Cardinal Sarah’s recent letter make it into the mainstream conversation?

Andrew Leung · August 13, 2015

Thoughts on the “Hymn” for the Year of Mercy?

The Vatican has just introduced the official hymn of the Holy Year Of Mercy. Any thoughts?

Jeff Ostrowski · August 13, 2015

Musical Resources • 12th Sunday after Pentecost (Extraordinary Form)

The “Testament of the Spirit” is the new and permanent covenant established by Jesus Christ between God and men.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 12, 2015

Cardinal Sarah’s Powerful Letter Available In English!

“Adoremus Bulletin” has uploaded a translation of the CDW Prefect’s document.

Andrew Leung · August 12, 2015

John Scott (1956-2015)

Today, the world lost one of the greatest living church musicians, Dr. John Scott.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 11, 2015

Evelyn Waugh Requiem Panegyric Preached At Westminster By Fr. Caraman (21 April 1966)

“Evelyn was sad when he read of churches in which the old altar was taken down…”

Jeff Ostrowski · August 11, 2015

Remarkable! • Amiens Cathedral During World War

There’s something scary about this image!

Jeff Ostrowski · August 10, 2015

Carlo Rossini: “Exaltate Deum Hymnal” (1941)

115 Offertories, Motets, and Hymns for SATB choirs.

Fr. David Friel · August 9, 2015

Vesting Prayers • Part 6 of 9

The Maniple

Jeff Ostrowski · August 9, 2015

Do You Like This German Hymn Tune?

Hymns in 3/4 can present problems, but this one really isn’t…

Veronica Brandt · August 8, 2015

Three part motet for the Assumption by Ravanello

A little counterpoint gem with ramblings on solfege.

“Simplified” Keyboard Accompaniment (PDF)

I’d much rather hear an organist play a simplified version correctly than listen to wrong notes. I invite you to download this simplified organ accompaniment for hymn #729 in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal. The hymn is “O Jesus Christ, Remember.” I’m toying with the idea of creating a whole bunch of these, to help amateur organists. The last one I uploaded was downloaded more than 1,900 times in a matter of hours—so there seems to be interest in such a project. For the record, this famous text by Oratorian priest, Father Edward Caswall (d. 1878) is often married to AURELIA, as it is in the Brébeuf Hymnal.

—Jeff Ostrowski

‘Bogey’ of the Half-Educated: Paraphrase

Father Adrian Porter, using the cracher dans la soupe example, did a praiseworthy job explaining the difference between ‘dynamic’ and ‘formal’ translation. This is something Monsignor Ronald Knox explained time and again—yet even now certain parties feign ignorance. I suppose there will always be people who pretend the only ‘valid’ translation of Mitigásti omnem iram tuam; avertísti ab ira indignatiónis tuæ… would be “You mitigated all ire of you; you have averted from your indignation’s ire.” Those who would defend such a translation suffer from an unfortunate malady. One of my professors called it “cognate on the brain.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Father Cuthbert Lattey • “The Hebrew MSS”

Father Cuthbert Lattey (d. 1954) wrote: “In a large number of cases the ancient Christian versions and some other ancient sources seem to have been based upon a better Hebrew text than that adopted by the rabbis for official use and alone suffered to survive. Sometimes, too, the cognate languages suggest a suitable meaning for which there is little or no support in the comparatively small amount of ancient Hebrew that has survived. The evidence of the metre is also at times so clear as of itself to furnish a strong argument; often it is confirmed by some other considerations. […] The Jewish copyists and their directors, however, seem to have lost the tradition of the metre at an early date, and the meticulous care of the rabbis in preserving their own official and traditional text (the ‘massoretic’ text) came too late, when the mischief had already been done.” • Msgr. Knox adds: “It seems the safest principle to follow the Latin—after all, St. Jerome will sometimes have had a better text than the Massoretes—except on the rare occasions when there is no sense to be extracted from the Vulgate at all.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Reminder” — Month of November (2025)

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. Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Our Father” • Musical Setting?

Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?

—Jeff Ostrowski