Views from the Choir Loft

Mass Facing The People

The Turns at Benediction

Fr. David Friel · April 8, 2018 ·

To the Right or to the Left?

“Table Altar” vs. “High Altar” (Novus Ordo)

Jeff Ostrowski · January 2, 2017 ·

It’s incorrect to say new Churches must be constructed with table altars.

“Ad Orientem” • Why I’m Rejoicing over Sloppy Errors in the Catholic Herald

Jeff Ostrowski · August 23, 2016 ·

His assertion that “smoking out enemies” is best done by appointing them to high positions in the Vatican is absurd.

Showdown in Arkansas over “Ad Orientem”

Jeff Ostrowski · July 17, 2016 ·

The Bishop of Little Rock has sent a letter (14 July 2016) forbidding his priests to celebrate Mass “ad orientem.”

Bishop Conley & Advent “Ad Orientem”

Fr. David Friel · January 25, 2015 ·

The results are in.

Looking East for Advent

Fr. David Friel · November 23, 2014 ·

Bishop Conley proposes celebration “ad orientem” for the season of Advent.

Preconciliar Missal Allowed Mass “Versus Populum”

Jeff Ostrowski · April 7, 2014 ·

These same exact rubrics have been found in Missals published in 1962, 1927, 1943, 1906, and 1886.

“Turn Those Altars Around!” — Cardinal Lercaro, Consilium President (1965)

Jeff Ostrowski · March 27, 2014 ·

Could this be the missing link explaining why “versus populum” celebrations took over?

Peculiar Altar Decorations

Fr. David Friel · November 4, 2013 ·

Reimagining the Altar Steps

Pope Francis Celebrates Mass “Ad Orientem”

Jeff Ostrowski · November 2, 2013 ·

Pope Francis celebrating in this manner was a bit of a surprise, since members of his generation aren’t usually accustomed to “turning their backs on the people.”

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