Views from the Choir Loft

Articles

Fr. David Friel · November 16, 2014

Colloquium Friends & Chant Workshops

“Adventus Dona” in the Diocese of San Diego

Veronica Brandt · November 15, 2014

Advent Music

Waiting for the season of waiting.

Richard J. Clark · November 14, 2014

I’m not here to make you or me happy. | Music as a Virtue

It is not the point of sacred music to make individuals or even the Music Director happy.

Dr. Peter Kwasniewski · November 13, 2014

Difference between the Two Priesthoods

What exactly is the difference between the universal priesthood of the baptized and the ministerial priesthood of the ordained?

Andrew R. Motyka · November 12, 2014

Eyes on Your Own Paper

The importance of focusing on our own work.

Fr. David Friel · November 12, 2014

Restoring A Sense of the Sacred to the Mass

A Great Article over at One Peter Five

Jeff Ostrowski · November 10, 2014

St. Thomas Aquinas College In California

Below are a few pictures I snapped during my visit.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 9, 2014

“Fear Of The Dark-Skinned” — Really?

“Right-wing Christians push fear of the dark-skinned and fear of honesty.” —National Catholic Reporter (28 October 2014)

Fr. David Friel · November 9, 2014

Sacred Architecture & the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

When we come to church, there should be no question whether we are in a church or in a coffeehouse or in a multipurpose gym.

Veronica Brandt · November 8, 2014

Preparing for an EF Sung Mass

Preparing music folders for a Missa Cantata – all the essentials and a few handy desirables.

Richard J. Clark · November 7, 2014

Can’t sing? Sing the dialogues!

Reverence, prayer, and internal participation increased through this act of external participation.

Dr. Peter Kwasniewski · November 6, 2014

How Liberalism Undermines Itself

Freedom for all sounds nice in theory, but how does it work in practice?

Jeff Ostrowski · November 6, 2014

Those Selfless Ordinary Form Priests

Yesterday evening—on his day off, after another Mass he’d offered—I observed an OF priest saying the 1962 Missal in his private chapel.

Andrew R. Motyka · November 5, 2014

Prepared to Receive: the Importance of Disposition

Warm-ups and reverent liturgy.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 4, 2014

Fr. Christopher Smith Weighs In

“Why am I excited? Well, every year we spend about $4,000 on those paperback missalettes…”

Heretical Hymns

As a public service, perhaps a theologian ought to begin assembling a heretical hymns collection. A liturgical book—for funerals!—published by the Collegeville Press contains this monstrosity by someone named “Delores Dufner.” I can’t tell what the lyrics are trying to convey—can you? I detest ‘hymns’ with lines such the one she came up with: “Let the thirsty come and drink, Share My wine and bread.” Somehow, the publication was granted an IMPRIMATUR by Most Rev’d Jerome Hanus (bishop of Saint Cloud) on 16 August 1989. It’s a nice tune, but paired with a nasty text!

—Jeff Ostrowski

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Dom Pothier • Photo from 1904

Dom Paul Cagin, in a 1904 publication (L’oeuvre de Solesmes dans la restauration du chant grégorien) made sure to include a beautiful image of Dom Pothier, the legendary abbot of St-Wandrille. Also shown is a very young Dom André Mocquereau. Auguste Pécoul—considered the spiritual “son” of Abbat Prosper Guéranger of Solesmes—wrote as follows on 24 June 1901: “To forestall any confusion, let us remember that there is just one Gregorian notation—that restored, according to the ancient manuscripts, by the eminent Abbot of Saint-Wandrille, Dom Pothier.” ✠

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Reminder” — Month of Febr. (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

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