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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Jeff Ostrowski • Article Archive

A theorist, organist, and conductor, Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He completed studies in Education and Musicology at the graduate level. Having worked as a church musician in Los Angeles for ten years, in 2024 he accepted a position as choirmaster for Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Michigan, where he resides with his wife and children. —Read full biography (with photographs).

Jeff Ostrowski · January 4, 2018

PDF Download • Best Hymnal Ever Printed?

If you like this, stay tuned—I’ll soon release a 1,200 page treasure!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 31, 2017

“Veni Creator Spiritus” • with Fortescue’s English Translation

A plenary indulgence can be gained by singing the “Veni Creator Spiritus” publicly on New Year’s Day.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 31, 2017

“Te Deum” • Printable 4-Page Sheet

…with English Translation by Rt. Rev. Msgr. Charles E. Spence.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 24, 2017

Midnight Mass (4th Sunday of December)

“O God, Who hath brightened this most holy night with the shining of the true light…”

Jeff Ostrowski · December 24, 2017

Your Christmas Present!

We met our fundraising goal, so you get these items!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 22, 2017

Cardinal Sarah to celebrate TLM on 21 May 2018

If this is accurate, it’s marvelous news.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 21, 2017

Xmas Image • Print for Children to Color

Courtesy of John Sonnen.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 20, 2017

Can You Say “Theft” ?

Unless I am mistaken, John David Chambers stole Neale’s rhymes without attribution.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 19, 2017

“Death” • By John Henry Cardinal Newman

No man can deliver his brother, no make agreement unto God for him.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 18, 2017

PDF Download • Kyrie “O Magnum Mysterium”

This morning, I recorded the voice parts—but please pardon my screechy soprano notes!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 17, 2017

How Should Renaissance Music Be Sung?

Hermann Finck (d. 1558) wrote about choral sound and performance in 1556.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 14, 2017

3rd Sunday of Advent (3rd of December)

John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water; but there hath stood one in the midst of you, Whom you know not…”

Jeff Ostrowski · December 13, 2017

PDF Download • “Rorate Mass” (13 pages) —Dec 2017

“Let us not be cast into the darkness to burn in flames, but may we share the joy of heaven, seeing the face of God.”

Jeff Ostrowski · December 11, 2017

Advent Piece for 2 Voices

Multi-Track recording created by a high school sophomore.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 8, 2017

PDF Download • Immac. Conception Booklet

“He whom the whole world cannot contain was enclosed in thy womb…”

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Music List • (4th Sunday of Lent)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 4th Sunday of Lent (15 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has sublime propers. It is most often referred to as “Lætare Sunday” owing to its INTROIT. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • Communion (4th Snd. Lent)
    The COMMUNION ANTIPHON for this coming Sunday, which is the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year A), is particularly beautiful. There’s something irresistible about this tone; it’s neither happy nor sad. As always, I encourage readers to visit the flourishing feasts website, where the complete Propria Missae may be downloaded free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Good Friday Flowers
    Good Friday has a series of prayers for various parties: the pope, catechumens, pagans, heretics, schismatics, and so forth. In the old liturgical books, there was no official ‘name’ for these prayers. (This wasn’t unusual as ‘headers’ and ‘titles’ for each section is a rather modern idea.) The Missal simply instructed the priest to go to the Epistle side and begin. In the SHERBORNE MISSAL, each prayer begins with a different—utterly spectacular—flower. This PDF file shows the first few prayers. Has anyone counted the ‘initial’ drop-cap flowers in the SHERBORNE MISSAL? Surely there are more than 1,000.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation
    It isn’t easy to determine what Alice King MacGilton hoped to accomplish with her very popular book—A Study of Latin Hymns (1918)—which continued to be reprinted in new editions for at least 34 years. This PDF file shows her attempt to translate the DIES IRAE “in the fewest words possible.” There’s a place for dynamic equivalency, but this is repugnant. In particular, look what she does to “Quærens me sedísti lassus.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”
    For vigil Masses on Saturday (a.k.a. “anticipated” Masses) we use this simpler setting of the “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989), a Belgian priest, organist, composer, and music educator who ultimately succeeded another ‘Jules’ (CANON JULES VAN NUFFEL) as director of the Lemmensinstituut in Belgium. Although I could be wrong, my understanding is that the LEMMENSINSTITUUT eventually merged with “Catholic University of Leuven” (originally founded in 1425). That’s the university Fulton J. Sheen attended.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Grotesque Pairing • “Passion Chorale”
    One of our rarest releases was undoubtably this PDF scan of the complete Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) by Father Joseph Roff, a student of Healey Willan. One of the scarcest titles in existence, this book was provided to us by Mr. Peter Meggison. Back in 2018, we scanned each page and uploaded it to our website, making it freely available to everyone. Readers are probably sick of hearing me say this, but just because we upload something that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wonderful or worthy of imitation. We upload many publications precisely because they are ‘grotesque’, interesting, or revealing. Whereas the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal had an editorial board that was careful and sensitive vis-à-vis pairing texts with tunes, the Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) seems to have been rather reckless in this regard. Please take a look at what they did with the PASSION CHORALE and see whether you agree.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Naturally the accompaniment of the organ is merely tolerated during the office of the dead, but in fact, in nearly every parish this toleration has become a habit.”

— Henri Potiron, 1958

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