Views from the Choir Loft

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Jeff Ostrowski · November 25, 2017

PDF Download • “Evening Masses and Days of Obligation” (58 pages)

Permission has been given to post this marvelous 2016 dissertation by Fr. Shawn Tunink.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 20, 2017

PDF Download • Authentic Irish Hymnal (164 pages)

Imagine the amount of time required to typeset something like this!

Jeff Ostrowski · November 2, 2017

PDF Download • All Souls Day

Here’s the booklet we used for All Souls (2 November).

Jeff Ostrowski · October 29, 2017

PDF Download • Congregational “Dies Irae”

…including two reasons I believe a liturgical reform was desired in the 1960s.

Jeff Ostrowski · October 17, 2017

PDF Download • Rare German Hymnal

Fr. Guido Maria Dreves was a Jesuit priest who died in 1909.

Corpus Christi Watershed · October 9, 2017

PDF Download • Responsorial Psalms (502 Pages)

Composer Brian Michael Page releases his work of 22 years!

Jeff Ostrowski · September 20, 2017

PDF Download • “Missal for the Laity” (1846)

Have you noticed liturgical progressives are never happy?

Jeff Ostrowski · September 19, 2017

PDF Download • “Lauda Sion” Hymnal (1886)

Hymns to the Blessed Virgin, Hymns for Benediction, Offertories, etc.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 18, 2017

PDF Download • “O Esca Viatorum”

I am deeply saddened that some people still don’t know where these items are located.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 7, 2017

PDF Download • “Hymns Ancient & Modern”

Including a magnificent hymn for two voices (“Rex Sempiterne”) appropriate throughout the entire liturgical year.

Corpus Christi Watershed · July 10, 2017

PDF Download • (2,292 Pages) Choral Music in Latin & English by Richard Rice

A stunning announcement by Richard Rice!

Richard J. Clark · June 8, 2017

Introit • Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity • Free Download

Free download of an Introit for Holy Trinity (Years A&B). English text; SATB, organ, schola/cantor, and congregation.

Jeff Ostrowski · April 23, 2017

PDF Download • “Compline for Sunday”

My ignorance vis–à–vis the 1962 Breviary will astound you…

Jeff Ostrowski · April 17, 2017

PDF Download • Last Minute Holy Saturday File

“The use of Psalm 150 is a change from the experimental Easter Vigil (1951-1955) in which Psalm 116 was used for Lauds.” —Msgr. McManus

Jeff Ostrowski · April 10, 2017

PDF Download • Booklet for Congregation

May I share a secret?

“Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.

—Jeff Ostrowski

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Music Director Job • $80,000 per year

Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!

—Jeff Ostrowski

Pope Pius XII Hymnal?

Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Hybrid” Chant Notation?

Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

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