Views from the Choir Loft

Versus Populum Altars

Fr. David Friel · April 8, 2018

The Turns at Benediction

To the Right or to the Left?

Jeff Ostrowski · July 17, 2016

Showdown in Arkansas over “Ad Orientem”

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

Jeff Ostrowski · March 2, 2015

A Flawed Translation Of Ritus Servandus?

Why are the words “ad orientem” never translated?

Jeff Ostrowski · February 26, 2015

Screenshots Proving “Versus Populum” Was Allowed By The 1572 Missal

A reader from Indonesia kindly sent us these…

Jeff Ostrowski · December 1, 2014

The Current Missal Specifies When To Face the Altar & When To Face The People

The phrase “ad populum conversus” does appear in the postconciliar books, and no amount of polemical articles can change this fact.

Jeff Ostrowski · June 9, 2014

Is There Truly “Versus Populum” Celebration? Vatican Says No.

Can AD ORIENTEM be excluded from the Novus Ordo? Vatican says: “Negatively, and in accordance with the following explanation.”

Jeff Ostrowski · March 27, 2014

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

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

22 September 2020 • “Tears of Joy”

A reader wrote to us: “Thank you for the sample verses of Hymn #869 (Solemn Hymn to the Son of God). I found this music posted to YouTube this morning, and I’ve lost count at of the number of times I’ve replayed it and—no exaggeration!—it makes me tear up each time. This lovely hymn makes me feel closer to Jesus in a way I have not experienced before. It also makes me want to proceed with my daily prayers right then and there, rather than run off to the next errand or household task. I could play your traditional hymns and liturgical music all day long!” —(Ann from the Boston area)

—Jeff Ostrowski

Myth Re: Johann Sebastian Bach

Some musicologists try to make a “splash” by saying that Bach was totally forgotten when he died—remembered only as an organ virtuoso—and that his sons were more famous than he was. Such an idea is indefensible. It is true that musical styles changed in 1750AD—but this is normal. Musical styles change constantly; e.g. much of the repertoire of Hofmann and Rachmaninov was considered “garbage” toward the end of their lives. But those who carefully study the lives of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Christian Gottlob Neefe, Franz Liszt, John Field, Hans von Bülow, Felix Mendelssohn, Frédéric Chopin, and countless others realize that Bach was revered. It’s true that his music was seldom played in public, but music by “dead composers” was generally speaking not played in public until approximately the middle of the 19th century.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Arthur Friedheim, Franz Liszt’s Secretary

Arthur Friedheim (d. 1932) has a very poor reputation as a pianist, and Liszt rejected him several times before finally accepting him as a pupil, yet the Liszt recordings he left are quite good—especially considering the transgressions by other Liszt pupils. Friedheim must have been an amazing musician; twice he was asked to become conductor of the New York Philharmonic (1898 + 1911) but he declined both times. Circa 1912, Friedheim was recording Chopin’s “Funeral March” but the record ran out, so he simply stopped in the middle of the piece. Things sure have changed! Pianists no longer stop in the middle of pieces, although Cortot would sometimes abridge pieces to make them fit on records (cf. Chopin’s Andante Spianato & Grande Polonaise Brilliante).

—Jeff Ostrowski