organ

Keven Smith · July 7, 2020

Unslumping Yourself with the King of Instruments

On those days when you can’t quite put your heart into singing, improvising at the organ can be comforting and rewarding.

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4 August 2020 • FEEDBACK

A reader wrote to us: “I must confess to taking oodles of inspiration from the work that you do. When I first found your website it was a revelation. I’ve been a monthly donor ever since. I think the work that you do is absolutely VITAL. There are so many things I’d have never been exposed to, but for your website.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

1 August 2020 • FEEDBACK

K.S. in Rochester, New York, wrote to us: “Your website is outstanding. It is a rich mine for information and liturgical music. Glad I found it. I’m a retired former orchestra conductor and church music director and organist. While I’m no longer an active church music director and organist (after 45 years with a variety of congregations—some not so kind—it gets wearing) but I follow your site and appreciate the effort you put into it. Your Mass Setting is quite good. Thanks for sharing it. I also found some wonderful books on chant at CCW and am grateful for it.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

22 July 2020 • Five Recent Messages

We are asking our readers to give $5.00 per month (or even $3.00 per month) so we can keep our website online. Here are five recent messages from donors:

(#1) Your site is a Godsend. It must continue. I am a church mouse but I can afford $5 a month. Let’s help keep the beautiful music ringing through our sanctuaries. (#2) In honor of my Godson, who just turned 5 yrs old. May he and his brothers grow up singing in my Youth Schola and learning to play pipe organ at our Parish where I am Director of Music Ministries. (#3) Thank you! This is a beautiful resource that I sing with every morning, with my kids, on your YouTube channel. (#4) Thank you CCWatershed team for all you have done to keep Catholic sacred music alive in this ever changing world. You help us provide liturgical beauty in our ordinary form parishes. I can only pray, that before the end of the year, all of us will be back in church singing glorious sacred music. Pax Christi. (#5) Thank you for all your efforts! I have learned so much from you sharing your gifts and love of sacred music.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Although the Mass contains much instruction for the faithful, it has nevertheless not seemed expedient to the fathers that it be celebrated everywhere in the vernacular. The holy synod commands pastors and everyone who has the care of souls to explain frequently during the celebration of the Masses, either themselves or through others, some of the things that are read in the Mass, and among other things to expound some mystery of this most Holy Sacrifice, especially on Sundays and feastdays.”

— ‘Council of Trent, XII:8 (1562)’