Views from the Choir Loft

Quick Thoughts

Corpus Christi Watershed · November 1, 2025

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity”…

Jeff Ostrowski · October 24, 2025

“Our Father” • Musical Setting?

Do any readers speak German?

Jeff Ostrowski · October 6, 2025

New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”

Those responsible for preparing parish bulletins may wish to…

Jeff Ostrowski · October 4, 2025

“American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)

This one book contains and memorializes every horrible idea from the 1980s.

Jeff Ostrowski · September 24, 2025

“Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams

This is quite a clever arrangement of “Come down, O love divine.”

Jeff Ostrowski · September 22, 2025

Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?

Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952…

Jeff Ostrowski · September 21, 2025

PDF Download • “Side-By-Side Comparison”

Re: the special hymn for the upcoming feast (9 November).

Corpus Christi Watershed · September 7, 2025

Karl Keating • “Canonization Questions”

Mr. Keating is incorrect; e.g. Saint John Vianney, several centuries ago, taught clearly that canonizations are not infallible.

Corpus Christi Watershed · September 6, 2025

Vatican II Changed Wedding Propers?

This myth is quite pervasive.

Corpus Christi Watershed · August 14, 2025

Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)

The Schwann edition is on 4 lines, the version by Dr. Weinmann is on 5.

Corpus Christi Watershed · June 13, 2025

Pope Pius XII Hymnal?

This extremely rare hymnal was published in 1959.

Corpus Christi Watershed · June 11, 2025

“Hybrid” Chant Notation?

See whether you agree that Father Weinmann made matters worse.

Corpus Christi Watershed · May 1, 2025

Antiphons Don’t Match?

The short answer is: the “Adalbert Propers” were never intended to be sung.

Veronica Brandt · April 1, 2025

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

There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass…

“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