Views from the Choir Loft

Articles

Veronica Brandt · July 4, 2015

Don’t compare your kids

It may feel like forever, but children do grow up. The days are long but the years are short. Today’s toddlers are tomorrow’s altar servers and choir members. Then we can look back and whisper a “Thanks be to God.”

Jeff Ostrowski · July 4, 2015

Musical Resources • 6th Sunday after Pentecost (Extraordinary Form)

The organist will play softly at the Offertory.

Jeff Ostrowski · July 4, 2015

Clarence Thomas: “I waited 25 years to return to the Church”

“Older people have an obligation not to spew their cynicism on our youth.” —Justice Thomas

Richard J. Clark · July 3, 2015

I Have No Idea How to Solve this Problem

A dilemma for parents that has resurfaced many times is how to manage raising children in the faith while working for the Church, and I have no idea how to solve it.

Andrew Leung · July 3, 2015

Sacred Music Colloquium XXV — Update V

Report on the fifth day of the Sacred Music Colloquium in Pittsburgh

Corpus Christi Watershed · July 2, 2015

More Than 10,000 Attend Chartres Pilgrimage

“I considered myself to be a good Catholic, but when I went I realized how little I really cared for and lived my Faith.” —Margaret Walsh

Jeff Ostrowski · July 2, 2015

Annibale Bugnini’s Commentary (June 1967)

“The faithful everywhere have responded generously, and have greeted the new liturgy with great joy.” —Archbishop Bugnini (1967)

Andrew Leung · July 2, 2015

Sacred Music Colloquium XXV — Update IV

Report on the fourth day of the Sacred Music Colloquium in Pittsburgh

Jeff Ostrowski · July 1, 2015

Only Priests Can Save Catholic Music

Including thirteen (13) complete collections of Mass Propers…with audio examples!

Andrew Leung · July 1, 2015

Sacred Music Colloquium XXV — Update III

Report on the third day of the Sacred Music Colloquium in Pittsburgh

Andrew Leung · June 30, 2015

Sacred Music Colloquium XXV — Update II

Report on the second day of the Sacred Music Colloquium in Pittsburgh

Andrew Leung · June 29, 2015

Sacred Music Colloquium XXV — Update I

Report on the first day of the Sacred Music Colloquium in Pittsburgh

Jeff Ostrowski · June 28, 2015

Loading Choir Binders In Los Angeles

I average one binder per second.

Fr. David Friel · June 28, 2015

In Memoriam: Dr. Lucy E. Carroll, DMA

Lucy was a friend and mentor to me, and I would like to share with you a little bit of her story.

Veronica Brandt · June 27, 2015

Rebuild my Church

The Maternal Heart of Mary Church is a collegiate style church in Sydney, Australia and home to the only FSSP parish in the country.

Cool Symbolism

The Year A readings, orations, & propers may be chosen during Lent instead of Year C. I notice that the Communion Antiphon which talks about our Lord raising Lazarus from the dead uses the same exact melody as the REQUIEM MASS. That’s pretty awesome! To assist volunteer choirs, I created this rehearsal video. It’s a complicated piece … but what should one expect with a text speaking about our Lord crying and “sighing deeply” within Himself?

—Jeff Ostrowski

The “Secret” Prayer

It would be difficult to imagine more holy prayers than the “orations” at Mass: i.e. the Collect, Secret, and Post-Communion. Consider the Secret Prayer for Trinity Sunday: “Hallow, we pray thee, Lord our God, by our invocation of thy holy name, this sacrificial offering, and work upon us until we too become an eternal offering to thee: through our Lord.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Music List” • 4th Sunday of Lent

Some have expressed interest in perusing the “ORDER OF MUSIC” I prepared for the 4th Sunday of Lent (30 March 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The Propers are particularly beautiful, especially the INTROIT (“Lætare Jerúsalem”).

—Jeff Ostrowski

When to Sit, Stand and Kneel like it’s 1962

There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass, but I couldn’t find one which matched our local Latin Mass, so I made this one: sit-stand-kneel-crop

—Veronica Brandt

The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum

Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.

—Daniel Tucker

Antiphons Don’t Match?

A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music).

—Corpus Christi Watershed