De musica sacra et sacra liturgia

Jeff Ostrowski · April 6, 2021

Live Recording • “Jesus My Lord, My God, My All”

Vernacular hymns at Communion during EF High Mass—your thoughts?

Jeff Ostrowski · August 16, 2020

3 September 1958 • Issued by Pius XII

The Sacred Congregation for Rites issued De musica sacra et sacra liturgia (“Instruction on Sacred Music and Sacred Liturgy”) on 3 September 1958. An excerpt: Finally, perfect active participation is achieved when there is also sacramental participation, by which “the faithful who are present communicate not only with spiritual affection, but also in reception of […]

Jeff Ostrowski · April 11, 2013

PDF Download • Instruction on Sacred Music (“De Musica Sacra”) • Issued by Pope Pius XII in 1958

Don’t you hate it when you think you know the answer to something . . . and then you find out you were dead wrong? This happened to me regarding the congregation reciting Mass Propers in the Extraordinary Form.

PDF • “Organ Interludes” (Manuals Only)

In graduate school, one is taught a valuable lesson: if you emphasize everything, nothing is emphasized. In other words, putting every other word in bold or italic (or both) wrecks your paper. I never to use the word “best”—but today I make an exception. The book of organ interludes released today by my colleague is without question the best I’ve ever seen. Including Dom Gregory Murray, Flor Peeters, Jacques Lemmens, John Lee, C. H. Rinck, Dom Alphege Shebbeare, Oreste Ravanello, Louis Niedermeyer, Eugène Gigout, Luigi Bottazzo, Johann Sebastian Bach, and many others. Learn more by clicking here.

—Jeff Ostrowski

For the Upcoming Choir Season!

Last week, I posted an SATB choral setting of the SANCTUS in a ‘contemporary’ style. You might want to consider this piece for two reasons: (1) It’s extremely brief; (2) Free rehearsal videos are available for each individual part. The piece is by Father Lhoumeau.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Sunday Vespers” (22 pages)

When an organist accompanies Vespers, there is no time to think. It’s one thing after another: Bam – Bam – Bam. And that’s what makes Vespers difficult to accompany; there’s hardly even time to check the key signature for each piece! Therefore, although it’s far from perfect, I’m releasing this 22-page booklet:

PDF Download • SUNDAY VESPERS ACCOMPANIMENT

As time goes on, I will explain why I believe this booklet is important, my hopes for it, and why I selected the official edition, directly from the Vesperale Romanum. In spite of its imperfections, creating this (draft) booklet required much more effort than I had anticipated.

—Jeff Ostrowski