Natalia’s Message • “Hymn Verses Written Out!”
The cruelest thing you can do to anyone is…
“Is it not true that prohibiting or suspecting the extraordinary form can only be inspired by the demon who desires our suffocation and spiritual death?” —The Vatican’s chief liturgist from 2014-2021; interview with Edw. Pentin (23-Sep-2019)
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).
We must remember the lesson of the rock.
Today, I release another movement of the “Saint Noël Chabanel Mass Setting” (for use in the Ordinary Form).
As if the canonic sections were insufficiently stupendous, the composer works in stepwise ascending lines juxtaposed with lines in augmentation.
The hubris on the part of OCP is breathtaking.
Including a scanned copy of a rare “Graduale” (Pustet, 1911) released a few minutes ago—for the first time in history!
Today, we release the congregational “Lamb of God” with SATB polyphonic extension.
Some feel the most irresponsible 1960s reformer was Fr. Godfrey Diekmann. The Second Vatican Council had solemnly declared: “In accordance with the centuries-old tradition of the Latin rite, the Latin language is to be retained by clerics in the divine office.” In spite of this clear directive, Diekmann (3 March 1964) wrote: “What young candidate […]
Bishop Brennan selected the version by Fulton J. Sheen. He began weeping (towards the final station) because of their beauty and poignancy.
As of a few minutes ago, you may go here to download the organ accompaniment booklet (25 pages) I created for the feast of the TRANSFIGURATION. Obviously, that feast will not take place for another year. Nevertheless, several techniques I used may be of interest to those who create liturgical booklets.
Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn!
The professor inserted himself into our conversation, saying: “You’re both being foolish…”
I mentioned a 3-Voice Setting of the AGNUS DEI, based on a Canon by William Byrd (d. 1623) in the context of the “hairpin” technique, something I really will emphasize this coming season. The piece is for Soprano, Middle, and Baritone. (The “Middle” voice should ideally be a mixture of women and men.) Recently, we […]
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