Views from the Choir Loft

Sacred Music Symposium

Jeff Ostrowski · October 20, 2025

“Can Choral Music Survive?” • 3 Reasons It Will

You may think I’m crazy, but I have a belief when it comes to choral music.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 12, 2025

“Register Today!” • Sacred Music Symposium 2025

A generous benefactor has agreed to cover 50% of the tuition for those who register before a certain date.

Corpus Christi Watershed · January 8, 2025

“Prelim. Details” • Sacred Music Symposium 2025

Too many parish choirs don’t sound as nice as they could. We’re here to help!

Corpus Christi Watershed · June 28, 2022

“I Found Myself Weeping, Almost In Disbelief…”

“Your faculty may never know the depth of how you affected each person there. For my part, I am forever changed…” — Symposium Participant (Texas)

Jeff Ostrowski · May 10, 2022

“Big Reveal” by the Symposium Committee

We are so pleased to welcome this priest!

Corpus Christi Watershed · May 3, 2022

“Repertoire Page” • Sacred Music Symposium 2022

Sign up today! A few voice parts still have openings.

Richard J. Clark · July 5, 2019

In Gratitude for Choral Singers

I am deeply grateful to faith-filled choral singers because of their willingness to understand these 10 things

Guest Author · July 30, 2018

Expectations Exceeded at the Symposium!

“If you occasionally share a habit of mine for getting stuck in one style, take new inspiration here!” —Miss Phoebe Wing

Fr. David Friel · May 7, 2017

Fota X Conference (and other Summer Opportunities)

Summer 2017 looks to be a blockbuster period for sacred music activity.

Fr. David Friel · April 16, 2017

Introducing the Wethersfield Institute Chant Workshop

A new chant workshop in upstate New York in June 2017.

Jeff Ostrowski · June 9, 2016

Rehearsal Videos • Masterpiece w/ Cantus Firmus

Can you tell which voice is not mine?

Jeff Ostrowski · May 24, 2016

O Salutaris Hostia • Do You Like This Version?

Download this 47-page booklet … and please pardon any typos!

Jeff Ostrowski · May 18, 2016

May Crowning • The Official Antiphon

Do you agree this is a dark antiphon?

Jeff Ostrowski · May 7, 2016

A Special “Gaudeamus” For 31 May

Nobody has been able to explain why they changed the psalm verse…

Jeff Ostrowski · February 5, 2016

2016 • Sacred Music Symposium (Last Year’s)

We’re approaching capacity—if you’re interested, we need to hear from you soon!

PDF Download • “Ubi Caritas” (SATB)

I remember singing “Ubi Cáritas” by Maurice Duruflé at the conservatory. I was deeply moved by it. However, some feel Duruflé’s version isn’t suitable for small choirs since it’s written for 6 voices and the bass tessitura is quite low. That’s why I was absolutely thrilled to discover this “Ubi cáritas” (SATB) for smaller choirs by Énemond Moreau, who studied with OSCAR DEPUYDT (d. 1925), an orphan who became a towering figure of Catholic music. Depuydt’s students include: Flor Peeters (d. 1986); Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel (d. 1953); Arthur Meulemans (d. 1966); Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989); and Gustaaf Nees (d. 1965). Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #19705. When I came across the astonishing English translation for “Ubi Cáritas” by Monsignor Ronald Knox—matching the Latin’s meter—I decided to add those lyrics as an option (for churches which have banned Latin). My wife and I made this recording to give you some idea how it sounds.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “Cantus Mariales” (192 pages)

Andrea Leal has posted an absolutely pristine scan of CANTUS MARIALES (192 pages) which can be downloaded as a PDF file. To access this treasure, navigate to the frabjous article Andrea posted Monday. The file is being offered completely free of charge. The beginning pages of the book have something not to be missed: viz. a letter from Pope Saint Pius X to Dom Pothier, in which the pope calls Abbat Pothier “a man versed above all others in the science of liturgy, and to whom the cause of Gregorian chant is greatly indebted.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Music List • (2nd Sunday of Lent)

Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 2nd Sunday of Lent (1 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has magnificent propers. Its somber INTROIT is particularly striking—using a haunting tonality—but the COMMUNION with its fauxbourdon verses is also quite remarkable. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Extreme Unction

Those who search Google for “CCCC MS 079” will discover high resolution images of a medieval Pontificale (“Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 079”). One of the pages contains this absolutely gorgeous depiction of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

PDF Chart • “Plainsong Rhythm”

I will go to my grave without understanding the lack of curiosity so many people have about the rhythmic modifications made by Dom André Mocquereau. For example, how can someone examine this single sheet comparison chart and at a minimum not be curious about the differences? Dom Mocquereau basically creates a LONG-SHORT LONG-SHORT rhythmic pattern—in spite of enormous and overwhelming manuscript evidence to the contrary. That’s why some scholars referred to his method as “Neo-Mensuralist” or “Neo-Mensuralism.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Simplified)

I admire the harmonization of “Adeste Fideles” by David Willcocks (d. 2015), who served as director of the Royal College of Music (London, England). In 2025, I was challenged to create a simplified arrangement for organists incapable of playing the authentic version at tempo. The result was this simplified keyboard arrangement (PDF download) based on the David Willcocks version of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Feel free to play through it and let me know what you think.

—Jeff Ostrowski