Views from the Choir Loft

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Jeff Ostrowski · January 28, 2018

PDF Download • “Agnus Dei” … for Lent

…including rehearsal videos for each individual voice!

Jeff Ostrowski · January 22, 2018

PDF Download • Dom Pothier Biography (1947)

“Dom Pothier himself acted as an illustrator, decorating his work with vignettes, illuminated capitals, tailpieces, even full-page illustrations representing the mysteries of the Annunciation and Christmas.”

Jeff Ostrowski · January 11, 2018

PDF Download • Easy Hymn with Melody in Tenor

The Brébeuf hymnal contains carefully chosen and flexible melodies; do you see how the following tune (“Old Hundredth”) can be used in the Tenor voice?

Jeff Ostrowski · January 8, 2018

PDF Download • Anglican Hymnal (1,151 pages)

I bet you’ve not seen this fascinating book! • Many pieces in this Anglican collection are actually translations of Roman Catholic hymns, such as Ave Maris Stella, Audi Benigne Conditor, Ad Regias Agni Dapes, and so forth • Readers will mainly be interested in sections 3 and 4 • The “Englished” versions of the propers (e.g. Puer Natus Est) are quite interesting+

Jeff Ostrowski · January 4, 2018

PDF Download • Best Hymnal Ever Printed?

If you like this, stay tuned—I’ll soon release a 1,200 page treasure!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 18, 2017

PDF Download • Kyrie “O Magnum Mysterium”

This morning, I recorded the voice parts—but please pardon my screechy soprano notes!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 13, 2017

PDF Download • “Rorate Mass” (13 pages) —Dec 2017

“Let us not be cast into the darkness to burn in flames, but may we share the joy of heaven, seeing the face of God.”

Jeff Ostrowski · December 8, 2017

PDF Download • Immac. Conception Booklet

“He whom the whole world cannot contain was enclosed in thy womb…”

Jeff Ostrowski · November 29, 2017

PDF Download • “How To Serve Mass” (1651)

“Pausing a little, arise, make Adoration to the Sacrament, give the Pax to those present, observe Order of calling, and Years…”

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!

“Music List” • Christ the King Sunday

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 23 November 2025, which is the 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. In the 1970 Missal, this Sunday is known as: Domini Nostri Jesu Christi Universorum Regis (“Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe”). As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the magnificent feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“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 is often married to AURELIA, as it is in the Brébeuf Hymnal. The lyrics come from the pen of Father Edward Caswall (d. 1878), an Oratorian priest.

—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

“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

“Unfortunately, on the one hand a deadly error in judgment placed the official leadership of this committee into the hands of a man who—though generous and brave—was not very knowledgeable: Cardinal Lercaro. He was utterly incapable of resisting the maneuvers of the mealy-mouthed scoundrel that the Neapolitan Vincentian, Bugnini, a man as bereft of culture as he was of basic honesty, soon revealed himself to be.”

— ‘Fr. Louis Bouyer, an important member of the Consilium’