BEA PSALTER

Jeff Ostrowski · April 28, 2021

“Are They Ugly?” • May 1st Propers For Saint Joseph

I fail to see how such a position can be defended…

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Jeff Ostrowski · March 16, 2021

Three Radical Liturgical Changes • (Pope Pius XII)

I love Venerable Pius XII very much, but this particular change was unconscionable.

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Jeff Ostrowski · July 21, 2020

“Pope Pius XII Psalter” • How different was it?

If this had caught on, every chant book—along with every psalm setting of Palestrina, Victoria, Morales, Guerrero, etc.—would have become “garbage” overnight.

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Jeff Ostrowski · December 4, 2013

Dom Gajard on Vernacular Adaptations & Pius XII Psalter

“We request His Eminence the Cardinal Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites the permission to point out the manifest danger of adopting either of these solutions.” — Dom Joseph Gajard, OSB

14 June 2021 • “From Rehearsal…”

One of our choristers recorded this audio excerpt from a recent rehearsal we had. I know there are certain people on the internet who claim that “proper voice leading & harmonies died with Bach in 1750AD…anything goes these days.” But I could not disagree more with such an assertion. The proper rules of harmony and counterpoint make incredible music—and I would suggest that tiny excerpt (from our volunteer choir rehearsal) shows this reality.

—Jeff Ostrowski

3 June 2021 • Re: “Mass of the Angels”

In the past, we have provided thirteen organ accompaniments to Mass VIII (a.k.a. “Missa de Angelis”). Some versions of the KYRIALE use the melody from Sanctus VIII for Agnus VIII also. Dr. Peter Wagner’s 1903 edition of the KYRIALE does this, as we mentioned earlier this month. Please sing through Sanctus VIII and then sing O Quam Suavis Est from the feast of Corpus Christi. Do you hear it?

—Jeff Ostrowski

1 June 2021 • Unsure of Author

The editors of this 1667AD Missale Romanum weren’t sure who wrote the VEXILLA REGIS hymn, so they wrote this in the margin. (To be fair, the original text by Bishop Fortunatus was greatly altered under Pope Urban VIII.)

—Jeff Ostrowski