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 · December 5, 2015

Musical Resources • Second Sunday of Advent (Extraordinary Form)

“Gather ye together His Saints to Him; who have set His covenant before sacrifices…”

Jeff Ostrowski · December 2, 2015

Introit For The Immaculate Conception (8 December)

“Gaudens Gaudebo” is not a short Introit.

Jeff Ostrowski · December 1, 2015

The Most Important Thing A Choirmaster Can Do

Sometimes it takes decades to appreciate the genius of this or that Gregorian chant.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 30, 2015

Changing The Good Friday Prayer For The Jews

“Christianity is the perfect development of the Jewish religion…” —Fr. Leslie Rumble

Jeff Ostrowski · November 29, 2015

Musical Resources • First Sunday of Advent (Extraordinary Form)

“Arise in thy strength, we beseech thee, O Lord, and come…”

Jeff Ostrowski · November 27, 2015

Clarity Regarding The Pius XII “Turkey” Indult

Whether this rumor is accurate makes no difference, because the rules for Friday abstinence were changed in the 1960s.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 24, 2015

Our Church Music Movement: How Are We Doing?

I never dreamed that so many people love this stuff…and are willing to fight for it!

Jeff Ostrowski · November 19, 2015

PDF Download • Hymnal by Fr. John Selner (1954)

Some of the old Catholic hymnals were dreadful, but this one is splendid.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 18, 2015

PDF Download • “Liber Brevior” (1954)

This special Solesmes book contains another version of the “Chants Abrégés.”

Jeff Ostrowski · November 17, 2015

Sacred Music & Babies

What’s our end game?

Jeff Ostrowski · November 16, 2015

Solesmes is not infallible…

The accent on “adjúva” should be “ádjuva”

Jeff Ostrowski · November 11, 2015

Stunning New Collection Of English Propers

This book of organ accompaniments by John Ainslie covers every season, including ordinary time.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 9, 2015

The Only “Credential” That Matters

“They should have been more offended by the Romanian doctor…” —Fr. George Rutler

Jeff Ostrowski · November 7, 2015

Simple 2-Part Canon For Men & Women

You will love what Henri Durieux has done with this hymn melody.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 7, 2015

Musical Resources • 23rd Sunday after Pentecost (Extraordinary Form)

“Remit, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the sins of Thy people…”

“Music List” • 1st Sunday of Lent

Some have expressed interest in perusing the “ORDER OF MUSIC” I prepared for the 1st Sunday of Lent, Year C (9 March 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. During Lent, the pipe organ is greatly reduced. Therefore, I marked a red “X” on all the pieces we’re singing a cappella.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Kyrie Setting” we’re doing for Lent

During Lent, we’re singing the KYRIE polyphony from the Mass in Honor of Saint Noël Chabanel. There are various pieces of information (and variations) on that website. Therefore, to make it easy to find—since choirs appreciate “no hassle” scores—here are the parts: (a) The Ordinary Form musical score (PDF) is based on the EF score; (b) Soprano Voice rehearsal video is here; (c) Alto Voice rehearsal video is here; (d) Tenor Voice rehearsal video is here; (e) Bass Voice rehearsal video is here; (f) Equal Voices rehearsal video is here.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord…”

The Communion antiphon for this coming Sunday is quite beautiful (PDF). I’m not sure I know any other feast which does what the 1st Sunday of Lent does. Specifically, the text for the COMMUNION is identical to the OFFERTORY, except the word “Dóminus” is understood in the Communion. The INTROIT, GRADUALE, and TRACT also use that same psalm: viz. Psalm 90.

—Jeff Ostrowski

The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum

Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.

—Daniel Tucker

Antiphons Don’t Match?

A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music).

—Corpus Christi Watershed

The Lofty Nature of This Goal

It is important above all that we never lose sight of our true goal as church musicians: the right worship of Almighty God. This is not a pious sentiment that should cause us to be lax about technical elements of music. Rather, the lofty nature of this goal is should motivate and inspire us to pursue the techne of musicianship with even greater zeal.

—Dr. Samuel Backman