Views from the Choir Loft

Articles

Guest Author · November 7, 2016

Catholic Liturgy in Secular Sweden

How does a tiny Catholic community in a secularized country celebrate Mass with the Pope?

Fr. David Friel · November 6, 2016

A Triptych on Mercy • Reflection I

The Meaning of Mercy

Richard J. Clark · November 4, 2016

Seraphim Singers Premiere “I Am the Land: A Poem in Memory of Óscar Romero”

Assassinated on March 24, 1980 while saying Mass, Romero was beatified by Pope Francis on May 23, 2015.

Jeff Ostrowski · November 4, 2016

Musical Resources • 6 November (Extraordinary Form)

“Grant that…through this sacrament which we have received, whatever is evil in our hearts may be restored by its gift of healing.”

Jeff Ostrowski · November 3, 2016

New Release! • “Dies Irae” Rehearsal Video

Also includes a printable score with literal English translation!

Jeff Ostrowski · November 1, 2016

“Sanctus” Recorded By Young Ladies From Las Vegas • Fabulous!

Palestrina cleverly interweaves an ancient hymn.

Jeff Ostrowski · October 30, 2016

Musical Resources • Feast of Christ the King

“Ask of Me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance…”

Fr. David Friel · October 30, 2016

The “Cantiones Sacrae” of William Byrd & Thomas Tallis

Why was this 1575 collection a financial failure?

Jeff Ostrowski · October 30, 2016

“Kyrie VIII” Organ Accompaniment by Flor Peeters

…with the Solesmes markings.

Veronica Brandt · October 29, 2016

Christus Vincit – Laudes Regiae

The flexible and stirring chant that is almost a war cry. Two versions to download.

Guest Author · October 28, 2016

What you didn’t realize about World Youth Day…

Guest article by the co-director of music for the English liturgies at WYD 2016.

Andrew Leung · October 27, 2016

New Document on Christian Burial and Cremation

The CDF released a Instruction on Christian Burial and Cremation yesterday.

Fr. David Friel · October 27, 2016

New Sacred Music Magazine — “Altare Dei”

Announcing the first issue of a brand new publication focusing on liturgy and sacred music.

Guest Author · October 27, 2016

PDF Download • “Mass of the Alabaster Jar” (2016)

These settings were written to be easily played by pianists and organists of an intermediate skill level.

Richard J. Clark · October 26, 2016

I Say: “Good for Marty Haugen”

He has been on top of the Roman Catholic world of liturgical music for decades.

Music List • (3rd Sunday of Lent)

Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 3rd Sunday of Lent (8 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has magnificent propers. Its stern INTROIT (“Óculi mei semper ad Dóminum”) is breathtaking, and the COMMUNION (“Qui bíberit aquam”) with its fauxbourdon verses is wonderful. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Samaritánæ” (3rd Sunday of Lent)

With regard to the COMMUNION for the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year A), the Ordo Cantus Missae—which was published in 1969 by the Vatican, bearing Hannibal Bugnini’s signature and approbation in its PREFACE—inexplicably introduced a variant melody and slightly different words, as you can see by this comparison chart. When it comes to such items, they’re always done in secrecy by unnamed people. (Although it is known that Dom Eugène Cardine collaborated in the creation of the GRADUALE SIMPLEX, a book considered by some to be a travesty.)

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Ubi Caritas” (SATB)

I remember singing “Ubi Cáritas” by Maurice Duruflé at the conservatory. I was deeply moved by it. However, some feel Duruflé’s version isn’t suitable for small choirs since it’s written for 6 voices and the bass tessitura is quite low. That’s why I was absolutely thrilled to discover this “Ubi cáritas” (SATB) for smaller choirs by Énemond Moreau, who studied with OSCAR DEPUYDT (d. 1925), an orphan who became a towering figure of Catholic music. Depuydt’s students include: Flor Peeters (d. 1986); Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel (d. 1953); Arthur Meulemans (d. 1966); Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989); and Gustaaf Nees (d. 1965). Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #19705. When I came across the astonishing English translation for “Ubi Cáritas” by Monsignor Ronald Knox—matching the Latin’s meter—I decided to add those lyrics as an option (for churches which have banned Latin). My wife and I made this recording to give you some idea how it sounds.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation

It isn’t easy to determine what Alice King MacGilton hoped to accomplish with her very popular book—A Study of Latin Hymns (1918)—which continued to be reprinted in new editions for at least 34 years. This PDF file shows her attempt to translate the DIES IRAE “in the fewest words possible.” There’s a place for dynamic equivalency, but this is repugnant. In particular, look what she does to “Quærens me sedísti lassus.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”

For vigil Masses on Saturday (a.k.a. “anticipated” Masses) we use this simpler setting of the “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989), a Belgian priest, organist, composer, and music educator who ultimately succeeded another ‘Jules’ (CANON JULES VAN NUFFEL) as director of the Lemmensinstituut in Belgium. Although I could be wrong, my understanding is that the LEMMENSINSTITUUT eventually merged with “Catholic University of Leuven” (originally founded in 1425). That’s the university Fulton J. Sheen attended.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Grotesque Pairing • “Passion Chorale”

One of our rarest releases was undoubtably this PDF scan of the complete Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) by Father Joseph Roff, a student of Healey Willan. One of the scarcest titles in existence, this book was provided to us by Mr. Peter Meggison. Back in 2018, we scanned each page and uploaded it to our website, making it freely available to everyone. Readers are probably sick of hearing me say this, but just because we upload something that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wonderful or worthy of imitation. We upload many publications precisely because they are ‘grotesque’, interesting, or revealing. Whereas the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal had an editorial board that was careful and sensitive vis-à-vis pairing texts with tunes, the Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) seems to have been rather reckless in this regard. Please take a look at what they did with the PASSION CHORALE and see whether you agree.

—Jeff Ostrowski