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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 · October 13, 2022

PDF Download • “Liber Cantualis”

On 22 November 1963, Pope Paul VI established the “Consociatio Internationalis Musicae Sacrae.” On 16 July 1966, the Vatican reiterated that the Consociatio was “the only international association of sacred music approved by the Holy See.” It’s very difficult—at least for me—to figure out what happened to that organization, and whether it still exists. One […]

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Jeff Ostrowski · October 13, 2022

PDF Download • “Salve Regina” Chant in English (Four Different Versions)

I never knew these existed until earlier today!

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Jeff Ostrowski · October 11, 2022

PDF Download • 1915 “Gregorian Vesperale” … Printed On Five Lines! (651 Pages)

Father Weinmann placed plainsong on five (5) lines, yet still used Gregorian notation—including chord symbols!

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Jeff Ostrowski · October 11, 2022

Feedback • “Not Happy With Your Article”

“My name is *******. I wanted to share with you my thoughts on your recent blog post. I was very displeased with this article. […] I’ve have been a supporter of the Latin Mass since I was 14 years old. I’m now 26 and a seminarian; and I very much hope (in the near future) […]

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Jeff Ostrowski · October 11, 2022

“Times & Locations” • Traditional Latin Masses in the Diocese of Arlington

Bishop Burbidge has forbidden eight parishes from publishing Mass times in their bulletins, parish websites, or social media channels!

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Jeff Ostrowski · October 10, 2022

“Chord Pausing” • Choir Warm-Ups

Download my “choir warm-up” at this link. Have your singers pause on different chords. As choirmaster, see if you can identify each seventh chord in real time (and which position it’s in). You can hear my volunteer choir attempting this. You will notice that we still have work to do, because the singers must be […]

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Jeff Ostrowski · October 6, 2022

“Bravery!” • Schola Director Posts ‘Live’ Recording

“The portable organ shall be lowered into the quire to accompany the singers, who shall sing solos in their order of seniority…” —1604 document

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Jeff Ostrowski · October 5, 2022

“Portable organ shall be lowered…”

Alonso Lobo (1555-1617) started out as an assistant to Father Guerrero (d. 1599). In the book by Stevenson—which I never grow tired of praising—we find this wonderful excerpt which provides fascinating details vis-à-vis musical performance circa 1600AD. I like how it says that on Easter the prosa “must be the one composed by Morales.”

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Jeff Ostrowski · October 1, 2022

“Released” • A Eucharistic Hymn You’ll Love!

Installment 4 • “How Has Nobody Done This Before?” (series)

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Jeff Ostrowski · September 28, 2022

PDF Download • SATB “Alleluia” by J.S. Bach

This short piece shimmers with beauty. The arrangement is by Monsignor René Moissenet.

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Jeff Ostrowski · September 27, 2022

“What Is Polyphony?” • With Audio Examples

A professor at our conservatory always told us: “An example is worth 1,000 words.”

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Jeff Ostrowski · September 26, 2022

Say “Hello” to the Villain Who Lied About You

Fulton J. Sheen told a story about a man who bumped into Abraham Lincoln yelling: “Get out of my way, you big ugly lummox!”

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Jeff Ostrowski · September 24, 2022

“Nobody Cares About This” • (Except Me!)

I’ve attempted to create a recording for this coming Sunday according to the official rhythm…

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Jeff Ostrowski · September 21, 2022

Why Text Only?

Why do hymns in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal give so many optional “text only” versions of the hymns? It’s easier to demonstrate than explain. Consider Hymn #24, which allows the director to choose a wonderful melody and easily apply it to the text. Hymnal editors knew about the value of “text only” versions […]

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Jeff Ostrowski · September 20, 2022

PDF Download • Brief Polyphonic “Asperges Me” for SATB by Father Guerrero (d. 1599)

Here’s my attempt at recording all the voices myself, to give you a rough idea how it sounds.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    PDF • “Singers’ Booklet” (22 Pages)

    The formatting of this booklet is ‘messy’—but it’s only ever seen by the singers (not the congregation).

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    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Twenty-Two (22) English Translations
    We gathered every English translation of “Creátor Alme Síderum” ever made by Catholic poets, priests, bishops, cardinals, and saints (22 in all). Click this link to see them displayed, placed directly alongside the original Latin. Some are strikingly beautiful (e.g. “Great Maker of the glitt’ring stars”) and together they trace the hymn back to the ancient “Cónditor Alme Síderum,” which POPE URBAN VIII reworked in 1632AD.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Stained Glass Window • Father Brébeuf
    Saint John de Brébeuf was one of the North American Martyrs. The photograph of a gorgeous stained glass window depicting Father Brébeuf was sent to us by Courtney Roberson. Father Brébeuf and his companions were canonized by Pope Pius XI on 29 June 1930. We are told this window is found in the Cathedral of Peoria, Illinois.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Preface of Saint Joseph (added by the pope)

    You can see the “Præfatio de Sancto Joseph” inserted directly into the priest’s missal.

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    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Predictable Rhymes?” • A Follow Up
    We received considerable correspondence regarding my article, Two Ways to Defile a Hymn. More specifically, what really raised certain people’s hackles was its follow-up article dealing with the keyboard accompaniment for the CHRIST THE KING HYMNAL. But to quote Eliza Doolittle: “Have I said anything I oughtn’t?” Please examine this PDF file and see whether you agree. Were the editors of the BRÉBEUF HYMNAL incorrect to insist upon sophisticated and clever rhymes, rather than mind-numbingly predictable rhymes?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    ‘Ould’ But Not Good
    Dom Samuel Gregory Ould (note the spelling) was a Benedictine monk at FORT AUGUSTUS ABBEY in Scotland. As musician, organist, and composer, Dom Ould was highly regarded. Moreover, he was considered an authority on Gregorian Chant. But not everything found in an old book—or, in this case, an “Ould” book—is necessarily praiseworthy. Consider this page from Dom Ould’s hymnal. Do you see the rhymes? They offend severely by ABR (“Abuse By Reuse”) and are utterly predictable. In my recent article—Two Ways to Defile a Hymn—I addressed this topic.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

In a meeting that took place on 23 July 2014, Pope Benedict told Father Josef Bisig, FSSP, that “Pope Saint John Paul II had the firm intention to personally bestow the episcopal consecration on an SSPX priest on 15 August 1988.”

— Libre entretien sur l’été 1988, Sedes Sapientiæ, issue 160, summer 2022

Recent Posts

  • “Ad Orientem” • Six (6) Post-Conciliar Quotes
  • PDF • “Singers’ Booklet” (22 Pages)
  • Twenty-Two (22) English Translations
  • “Creátor Alme Síderum” • Twenty-Two (22) English Translations by Catholic Priests and Archbishops!
  • “Gregorian Chant Rhythm” • Recorded Conversation with Dr. Horst Buchholz Re: Rhythmic Markings

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