Views from the Choir Loft

FSSP Los Angeles New Parish

Saint Vitus Roman Catholic Church • Los Angeles, CA

Corpus Christi Watershed · June 30, 2018 ·

Four (4) Masses each Sunday! Established by Archbishop Gomez as an exclusively Latin Mass Parish for Los Angeles!

Brave Schola Director Posts “Live” Recording • Part 2

Jeff Ostrowski · April 27, 2015 ·

We’re having a lot of fun…is that bad?

Amazing Opportunity for Los Angeles Catholics

Jeff Ostrowski · April 23, 2015 ·

Here’s your chance to meet Fr. John Berg, FSSP Superior General, who’s coming all the way from Switzerland.

Is This The World’s Greatest Cry Room?

Jeff Ostrowski · April 16, 2015 ·

An usher approached me, tapping on my shoulder. This was the last straw.

Photographs • FSSP Holy Triduum in Los Angeles (2015)

Jeff Ostrowski · April 7, 2015 ·

Notice how the priest, dressed in cope, is engulfed in darkness at the beginning of the Easter Vigil—except for candles burning.

Brief Recording • Newest Choir In Los Angeles

Jeff Ostrowski · March 11, 2015 ·

We have been able to establish a choir, even though our FSSP parish is still in its infancy.

Brave Schola Director Posts “Live” Recording

Jeff Ostrowski · February 17, 2015 ·

Last Sunday, I stuck a recording device in my pocket.

UPDATE * Latin Mass Will Remain In Hollywood

Jeff Ostrowski · December 29, 2014 ·

The Ancient Form of Mass will be offered indefinitely at St. Victor Church every Sunday at 7:00pm.

Solemn High Christmas Midnight Mass • Hollywood

Jeff Ostrowski · December 18, 2014 ·

Oh, please help us spread this exciting news!

Musical Resources • 3rd Sunday of Advent

Jeff Ostrowski · December 13, 2014 ·

Including “Creator Alme Siderum” with English Translation by Rev. Adrian Fortescue.

Could Pope St. Pius X Sing?

“On 12 March 1908, the complete publication of the Roman Gradual was issued by the Vatican Press. On that very day, Dom Pothier solemnly presented the first copy to the Holy Father. A witness of the audience says that Pius X wished to be the first to see the new book; he opened it at random, at page 128 of the supplement pro aliquibus locis—it was the Introit of the new Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Pope sang it with perfect taste to the last note.” (Catholic Choirmaster, February 1915)

—Jeff Ostrowski

Julius Bas Accompaniment

A very prolific harmonizer of Gregorian chant in the early 20th century was Mr. Julius Bas. He often uses a very strange technique, wherein he employs rests to eliminate the Alto, Tenor, and Bass voices. Consider what he did with “Lumen ad revelationem” here:

* JPEG • Lumen ad revelationem

It seems quite lazy, and I’ve never seen anyone else use such a technique, although Dr. Peter Wagner often switched to parallel octaves when he ran out of ideas… (Yuck!)

—Jeff Ostrowski

Hitting wrong notes

Fr. Valentine Young, OFM, used to say: “The organist can play 1,000 correct notes and one wrong note—and the only thing people will care about is the wrong note.” Last Sunday I hit some wrong notes, and felt bad. Then I remembered a story about Rudolf Serkin and started to chuckle. Charles Rosen (or was it Leon Fleisher?) told the story of Serkin playing a Beethoven Sonata in front of a large audience. The theme is all in octaves; but Serkin hit some wrong notes, and played parallel 7ths instead. This so unnerved him that every time the theme returned, he played the entire thing in parallel 7ths! We must remember that even the greatest hit wrong notes. Alfred Cortot, Vladimir Horowitz, Wilhelm Backhaus, Edwin Fischer, Sviatoslav Richter, Egon Petri—they all hit wrong notes, which we can hear on recordings. (Josef Hofmann was an exception, but he was super-human so he doesn’t count!)

—Jeff Ostrowski