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 18, 2015

From The 1400s • Communion Kneeling

A beautiful image from 15th-century Austria.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 15, 2015

Musical Resources • Second Sunday after Epiphany

It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful text than Sedulius’ Hymn: Hostis Herodes Impie.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 15, 2015

PDF Download: Standard Catholic Hymnal (1921)

This extremely rare Catholic hymn book is here made available for the first time ever as a PDF download.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 14, 2015

Hypocrisy About Francis From An Unlikely Source

Resist the temptation to believe that Francis is 80,000 times as important as Benedict since he receives 80,000 times as much media coverage.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 13, 2015

PDF Download: Notre Dame Hymn Tune Book (1905)

“They call me a Papist and they laugh at my creed…”

Jeff Ostrowski · January 12, 2015

PDF Download: Rare Hymnal By Boston’s Archbishop

Can you imagine singing all those vernacular hymns while Mass is happening?

Jeff Ostrowski · January 12, 2015

Cristóbal de Morales Missa “Ut Re Mi Fa Sol La.”

You’ll want to immediately download these scores, videos, and Mp3 files!

Jeff Ostrowski · January 9, 2015

Short And Simple Organ Postludes & Preludes

Many of you asked me to share the results, which I have done below.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 8, 2015

“The best I have ever seen. Anywhere. In the world. Period.” —Mr. John Sonnen

“The vitality of the Classical Rite is as fresh as ever.”

Jeff Ostrowski · January 8, 2015

Musical Resources • Holy Family

Many don’t realize that all the EF chants for the Holy Family can be used at OF—cf. section 397 of the Ordo Cantus Missæ.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 7, 2015

Why Didn’t Anyone Stop This?

Here is an except from a Church bulletin published in December of 2014.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 7, 2015

Was Fulton J. Sheen Ever Wrong?

There’s a discrepancy in this Sunday’s EF Introit.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 7, 2015

Rare Photograph: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen With Father Joseph Ratzinger in 1965

Archbishop Sheen said nary a word about any liturgical reforms following the Council.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 6, 2015

Organ Processionals & Postludes: Suggestions Needed

“So many of the wonderful Preludes & Fugues by Bach—as splendid as they are—do not work as Processional pieces: they’re simply too long.”

Jeff Ostrowski · January 5, 2015

Reflections On Marty Haugen’s “Mass Of Creation” (Revised Version)

Before the revision, Haugen’s Gloria “worked” much better, but I still had serious reservations about it.

“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