Views from the Choir Loft

Liturgy For Children

Jeff Ostrowski · November 25, 2025

Kid’s Repertoire • “Jeffrey’s 3 Recommendations”

Growing up, I remember hearing this adage…

Mark Haas · August 1, 2025

False! • “Youthful” Music Attracts the Young

We often underestimate the spiritual hunger of our youth. But children and teenagers are drawn to beauty, truth, and transcendence.

Fr. David Friel · April 7, 2024

Summer Ward Method Courses • CUA 2024

Teaching Children the Fundamentals of Music

Fr. David Friel · March 20, 2023

Summer Ward Method Courses • CUA 2023

The Ward Method is a classical pedagogy designed for pre-K through eighth grade music classes in Catholic schools.

Fr. David Friel · May 2, 2021

Summer Course in the Ward Method

CUA is pleased to announce that this week-long intensive course will be offered in person this summer.

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Veronica Brandt · July 4, 2020

EF Gospel Illustrations

An Illustrated Book of Gospel Meditations from 1593! Print one for this Sunday to explore and color.

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Richard J. Clark · July 12, 2019

Our children must at the very least be exposed to the great music of the Church.

Traditional hymnody is often easier to sing: simpler melodically and rhythmically, and generally more substantive in theology.

Fr. David Friel · February 23, 2019

New Resource! • Chant Videos for Treble Voices

A new website seeks to record the full Gregorian propers each week using a treble voice.

Fr. David Friel · June 16, 2018

Sacred Music Camp in Allentown, NJ

New Opportunity for Children Grades 3–12

Fr. David Friel · June 10, 2018

Sacred Music Camp for Children in Philadelphia

The Inaugural “Cantate Domino” Festival

Fr. David Friel · December 17, 2017

Gray Book for Baptism of Children Approved

How will the “confirmatio” and “regonitio” processes unfold in light of “Magnum principium”?

Guest Author · September 17, 2014

Weak-Kneed Prayers or Religious Patrimony?

“How do we answer a question posed 30 years ago about learning prayers?” — Fr. Alan Guanella

Music List • “5th Sunday of Easter” (Year A)

Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for the 5th Sunday of Easter Sunday—a.k.a. “Dominica V Paschae”—which is 3 May 2026. Please feel free to download it as a PDF file if such a thing interests you. The COMMUNION (“Tanto Témpore Vobíscum Sum”) is rather somber, with awesome fauxbourdon psalm verses. The ENTRANCE CHANT is bright and happy.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • Communion for Sunday

The COMMUNION ANTIPHON with fauxbourdon psalm verses for this coming Sunday (3 May 2026) is elegant and poignant. It’s such a shame it only comes every three years. This piece—along with all the musical scores for this coming Sunday, which is the 5th Sunday of Easter (Year A)—can be downloaded free of charge from the flourishing feasts website. By the way, how is it already 2026?

—Jeff Ostrowski

Season’s End Repertoire

Looking at the REPERTOIRE SHEET until the end of the choral season, I see that I’ve fallen behind schedule. (The last three months have been extraordinarily busy.) As you know, I have been providing organ harmonies for all the ENTRANCE CHANTS—as well as rehearsal videos—and you can see I’m behind where I planned to be. Now I must make up lost ground. However, the choir picks up the ENTRANCE CHANT with ease, so I’m sure it will all work out. My ‘unofficial’ harmonizations are being posted each week at the flourishing feasts website.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Anima Christi”

I received a request for an organ accompaniment I created way back in 2007 for the “Anima Christi” Gregorian Chant. You can download this PDF file which has the score in plainsong followed by a keyboard accompaniment. Many melodies have been paired with “Anima Christi” over the centuries, but this is—perhaps—the most common one.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “Liturgical Law” (467 Pages)

On Good Friday during the middle ages, the pope privately recited THE ENTIRE PSALTER. If you don’t believe me, see for yourself by reading this passage by Dom Charles Augustine Bachofen (d. 1943). His famous book—called “Liturgical Law: A Handbook Of The Roman Liturgy”—was published by the Benjamin Herder Book Company, which was the American arm (operating out of St. Louis, Missouri) of one of the world’s most significant Catholic publishers. Dom Charles Augustine Bachofen was born in Switzerland but spent his career between the Benedictine monasteries at Conception (Missouri) and Mount Angel (Oregon). His 1931 masterpiece, Liturgical Law can be downloaded as a PDF file … 467 pages!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Gregorian Chant Quiz” • 24 March 2026

How well do you know your Gregorian hymns? Do you recognize the tune inserted into the bass line on this score? For many years, we sang the entire Mass in Gregorian chant—and I mean everything. As a result, it would be difficult to find a Gregorian hymn I don’t recognize instantly. Only decades later did I realize (with sadness) that this skill cannot be ‘monetized’… This particular melody is used for a very famous Gregorian hymn, printed in the LIBER USUALIS. Do you recognize it? Send me an email with the correct words, and I promise to tell everybody I meet about your prowess!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“The Second Vatican Council has not been treated as a part of the entire living Tradition of the Church, but as an end of Tradition, a new start from zero. The truth is that this particular council defined no dogma at all, and deliberately chose to remain on a modest level, as a merely pastoral council; and yet many treat it as though it had made itself into a sort of superdogma which takes away the importance of all the rest.”

— Cardinal Ratzinger (speaking formally as head of the CDF)