Matthew Frederes

Jeff Ostrowski · November 13, 2022

PDF Download • “Gregorian Accompaniments” … Just in time for Advent! (366 pages)

The second half of today’s article answers questions submitted by Mr. Matthew Frederes.

“Progress Made!” • 10-Nov-2022

My volunteer choir has felt the repercussions of this year’s (particularly severe) flu season. Nevertheless, I believe in always—always—giving one’s best as a choir director, even when many singers are absent. You can hear by this brief recording that our singers are starting to blend very nicely. And you can download that choral “warm-up” exercise if you click here.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Mark Your Calendars!

Have you marked your calendar for Sacred Music Symposium 2023? The dates were recently revealed. You don’t want to miss this! This annual event has gained a reputation as the church music conference par excellence vis-à-vis Catholic musicians “in the trenches.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

A God We Cannot “See”

By the Incarnation, our Savior’s divinity was hidden. In the Eucharist, according to Saint Thomas Aquinas, our Savior also ‘hides’ His manhood. We cannot see God—although we can see Him (through faith) in the SANCTISSIMUM, in the eyes of the poor, in the grandeur of the mountains, and so forth. Hymn #746 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal contains a text from the 12th century called LUX ALMA JESU MENTIUM, whose second stanza says: “You are the companion of the Father at His right hand. You are the light that consoles heaven, but is unseen by man on earth” (Carnis negatum sensibus).

—Jeff Ostrowski