Corpus Christi Watershed

Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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).

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“Mixing” Your Singers? • Just Do It!

Not long ago, I posted an Agnus Dei for Three Voices by William Byrd (d. 1623). When we sing the “Agnus Dei” at Mass, I often have the singers mix up, so they’re not standing next to someone singing their part. In my experience, this technique does wonders for tuning. Here’s a live excerpt (Mp3) […]

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8 Sept. 2023 • Charles Rosen on Bach!

Charles Rosen was a concert pianist who published insightful books about various musical topics. I believe our readers will enjoy this 27-minute presentation on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Not everything Mr. Rosen says is true. (For instance, Rosen was not the first pianist to record the ART OF THE FUGUE on the piano. […]

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7 Sept. 2023 • Alphabetized Hymnals?

One could be forgiven for believing that arranging hymns in alphabetical order would make them easier to find. Believe it or not, that’s actually one of the worst decisions an editor could make. This very brief video explains why.

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27 August 2023 • Nine Merry Men!

Half a decade has passed since nine (9) colleagues from Corpus Christi Watershed contributed texts, melodies, and harmonizations to a special hymn book in honor of North America’s patron saint, Father John Brébeuf. The website promoting it was massively overdue for a facelift. As of a few minutes ago, I can report that it’s been […]

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24 August 2023 • FEEDBACK

From a female choirmaster: “Thank you for your recent article, Jeff. We here in _____ absolutely love our Brébeuf hymnals! They have saved my life as a choir director! ☺️ The ease with which my choir members plunge into a new hymn using the ‘common melodies technique’ is so wonderful. You can see the relief on […]

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