Views from the Choir Loft

Articles

Aurelio Porfiri · March 3, 2015

Permission Needed to Replace the Propers?—(7 of 7)

We should be more and more convinced that the Propers are “healthier” than alternative songs…

Jeff Ostrowski · March 2, 2015

Stuff Choir Directors Say

I’ve discovered how traumatizing it can be when somebody impersonates you.

Jeff Ostrowski · March 2, 2015

A Flawed Translation Of Ritus Servandus?

Why are the words “ad orientem” never translated?

Dr. Lucas Tappan · March 2, 2015

The Great Secret

Oh, what would it be like to give my choristers a new motet and then lift my hands and go? Oh wait, we already do that.

Jeff Ostrowski · March 2, 2015

PDF Download: “67 Hymns” Arranged & Translated by Rev. Adrian Fortescue (1913)

I cannot help but think of this hymn collection as his greatest masterpiece.

Cynthia Ostrowski · March 1, 2015

Permission Needed to Replace the Propers?—(6 of 7)

The wife of a Church musician weighs in…

Fr. David Friel · March 1, 2015

Basking in Beauty’s Glow

Taking the Time to Ponder

Jeff Ostrowski · March 1, 2015

Coolest Picture Of All Time?

Polish Anti-Communist “Army of Independence” in May of 1949.

Veronica Brandt · February 28, 2015

Solfege? There’s an app for that.

“Excuse me, I have to go work on my green belt.”

Jeff Ostrowski · February 27, 2015

Video • Padre Pio Celebrates Mass (5 May 1956)

You can hear Padre Pio singing the Mass.

Richard J. Clark · February 27, 2015

Helping Your Deacon or Priest Learn the Exsultet

Singing the “Exsultet” can be intimidating! Six pages of endless notes and words? Here are some helpful tools.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 26, 2015

Screenshots Proving “Versus Populum” Was Allowed By The 1572 Missal

A reader from Indonesia kindly sent us these…

Jeff Ostrowski · February 26, 2015

Musical Resources • 2nd Sunday of Lent

The “Gloria in excelsis” is not said from Septuagesima Sunday until Easter, except on Holy Thursday, Holy Saturday, & some special feasts.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 25, 2015

“Salve Festa Dies” • SATB Choral Piece By Canon Jules Van Nuffel (d. 1953)

Who wouldn’t welcome this fresh & contemporary piece for Easter?

Jeff Ostrowski · February 24, 2015

PDF Download: Two (2) Rare Franciscan Chant Books

Many of these melodies cannot be easily found in any other book.

“Music List” • 3rd Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 3rd Sunday of Easter (4 May 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Communion (3rd Sunday of Easter)

You can download the COMMUNION ANTIPHON (PDF score) for the 3rd Sunday of Easter (Year C). The piece is sung by either all men or all women. Those on the top rehearse with the Top Video. Those assigned to the middle use the Middle Video. Those who sing the bottom line use the Bottom Video. (Needless to say, the Latin version can also be sung.) A rather undesirable thing which took place after Vatican II—although not everywhere—was a “de-emphasis” or “neglect” of the Bible. In the pre-conciliar liturgy, the propers were proclaimed at every Mass, but these days many Catholics are clueless about the propers! Approximately 97% of the propers come directly from Sacred Scripture, as the COMMUNION ANTIPHON above demonstrates. You can hear a rehearsal video by clicking here.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Entrance Chant” • 3rd Sunday of Easter

You can download the ENTRANCE ANTIPHON in English for the Third Sunday of Easter (4 May 2025). Corresponding to the vocalist score is this free organ accompaniment. The authentic version—on the words ómnis térra—sounds exactly like the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. However, it only sounds that way if you follow Dom Mocquereau’s rhythm, which adds syncopation (in spite of the fact that Mocquereau claimed to abhor syncopation). The Germans do not syncopate the rhythm. If you’re someone who enjoys rehearsal videos, this morning I tried to sing it while simultaneously accompanying my voice on the pipe organ.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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

When to Sit, Stand and Kneel like it’s 1962

There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass, but I couldn’t find one which matched our local Latin Mass, so I made this one: sit-stand-kneel-crop

—Veronica Brandt

The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum

Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.

—Daniel Tucker