Young Girl Imitates Jeff Ostrowski Conducting!
They say imitation is the highest form of flattery.
“I Hate Hearing It, but I Love It?” • Honesty About Church Music (Examples Provided)
When the bell rang (signaling examination of conscience) all the seminarians would immediately drop their pencils, even if they were in the middle of writing a sentence.
Are We Done? • “Gregorian Chant Rhythm Wars”
It’s been decided to bring that particular series to a close. However…
Hope For Our Church.
People like Deacon Francis give me hope!
“Christ the King” is coming up…
I’ve attempted to record the INTROIT for the Feast of Christ the King according to the official rhythm of the Catholic Church. You can view the YouTube recording of my attempt. Traditionally, our Savior’s “kingship” was celebrated as part of the Epiphany—but in 1925, Pope Pius XI created the “feast of Christ the King” to […]
Does Singing Fulfill One’s Obligation?
My colleague, Richard J. Clark, has a little motto: The more time you spend on an article, the less people will care about it. I cannot claim to understand why certain articles gain more attention than others. For whatever reason, this recent article of mine has received an incredible amount of downloads. The full and […]
PDF Download • “Congregational Booklet” (Printable) for Jeff’s New Mass Setting
A congregational booklet requested by Mr. Seth Bauer.
“Must Hymns Always Rhyme?” • (With Examples)
Non-rhyming hymns are certainly a strong temptation since they’re so much easier to compose.
“Slander!” • (Response to an Accusation)
A reader sent us an email which was both thoughtful and articulate. Feeling it deserved a response, I published this article a few days ago. I included the full letter sent to us by the reader, but that’s not all. Indeed, the article became rather lengthy and touched upon a number of different themes. I […]
Palestrina Would Not Recognize This! • (Plus: Hopeful Signs)
On 21 September 2023, composers Dan Schutte, Roc O’Connor, and Bob Dufford stood in the Sanctuary of Old St. Patrick’s Church…
Interesting story about Sergei Rachmaninoff
It’s very brief, but I think you would enjoy hearing Benno Moiseiwitsch (d. 1963) tell this really cool story about Sergei Rachmaninoff (d. 1943). Moiseiwitsch, whose playing was admired by Josef Hofmann, had studied with Theodor Leschetizky (d. 1915). I opened my recent article by speaking of a powerful quote Rachmaninoff gave to Robert Croan, […]
[Quiz] • “Do You Know Your Hymns?”
In case you missed it, many readers have enjoyed taking this little Quiz On Hymns. In the context of that article, I included a sensational quote about the Holy Mass by Monsignor Ronald Knox. Moreover, I talk about how Abraham Lincoln’s mother died, as well as a fabulous Eucharistic hymn by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Eight (8) Responsorial Psalm Options • On turning Missalettes into little “gods”
They have embraced a certain opinion about matters and will never change—not even on their deathbed.
William Byrd • Simple “Agnus Dei” Canon
Time flies! Back in July, I posted a PDF setting of a perfect canon by William Byrd (d. 1623) arranged as an AGNUS DEI for three voices. Last Sunday, we sang that arrangement with our volunteer choir. To hear a ‘live’ recording of it, click here (Mp3). In my humble opinion, this would be a perfect […]
(Not Kidding) • Does Singing for Mass Fulfill One’s Obligation to Attend Mass?
Jeff Ostrowski provides five (5) responses to an assertion made by a priest.