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 · July 20, 2015

“Sacred Vs. Secular Music” • Fr. John C. Selner

“…like man, Mary, you are IN—really cool among women.”

Jeff Ostrowski · July 18, 2015

Church Needs “Disposable Art” Created To Last “Not Centuries, But Weeks (Or Hours).”

Fr. Robert W. Hovda argues that “Little Green Apples” can be sung during Mass.

Jeff Ostrowski · July 16, 2015

Is Latin Impossible For Choirs?

When priests came into Bishop Trautman’s office asking permission, he would start speaking Latin to them.

Jeff Ostrowski · July 16, 2015

Musical Resources • 8th Sunday after Pentecost (Extraordinary Form)

“The master in this Gospel is praising, not the wrongful act of the unfaithful steward, but the peculiar astuteness with which he makes friends who will be useful when things go amiss.” (Maredsous N. T.)

Jeff Ostrowski · July 15, 2015

“Asperges Me” • Gregorian Chant

In the Extraordinary Form, the “Asperges Me” is only used on Sundays.

Jeff Ostrowski · July 14, 2015

1951 Solemn Pontifical Field Mass • With 100-Voice “Palestrina Cathedral Choir”

Following the Mass, Archbishop Joseph H. Schlarman was made an honorary Indian chief.

Jeff Ostrowski · July 13, 2015

The Day Fulton J. Sheen Made A Mistake

“Sheen told a friend of mine that anything he’d ever said of significance was taken from either Knox or Chesterton.” —Fr. George Rutler

Jeff Ostrowski · July 13, 2015

SATB “Kyrie Eleison” • Henri Durieux

It’s extremely short and not difficult—yet fresh & gorgeous.

Jeff Ostrowski · July 10, 2015

“You Will Now Feel These Interior Sentiments…”

Can you imagine a liturgical commentator standing at the front of Church declaring something like that?

Jeff Ostrowski · July 9, 2015

Musical Resources • 7th Sunday after Pentecost (Extraordinary Form)

The organist will play softly at the Offertory.

Jeff Ostrowski · July 8, 2015

Beware Of Microphones!

My mother was present during that Mass and recorded some brief snippets on her iPhone.

Jeff Ostrowski · July 7, 2015

Short, Fresh, & Beautiful • SATB “Ave Maris Stella”

This piece by Fr. Antonin Lhoumeau will knock your socks off!

Jeff Ostrowski · July 7, 2015

UGLY • Just Plain, Old-Fashioned Ugly

Have you noticed that contemporary music was not forced upon congregations the same way contemporary architecture was?

Jeff Ostrowski · July 6, 2015

The Beauty Of Ancient Catholic Manuscripts

Medieval manuscripts were normally created by (at least) two monks: one drew, one wrote.

Jeff Ostrowski · July 4, 2015

Clarence Thomas: “I waited 25 years to return to the Church”

“Older people have an obligation not to spew their cynicism on our youth.” —Justice Thomas

“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