Views from the Choir Loft

Articles

Jeff Ostrowski · March 3, 2015

PDF Download • 1895 “Liber Responsorialis” by Solesmes Abbey

This free PDF was provided courtesy of the St. Jean de Lalande Library of Rare Books.

Aurelio Porfiri · March 3, 2015

Permission Needed to Replace the Propers?—(7 of 7)

We should be more and more convinced that the Propers are “healthier” than alternative songs…

Jeff Ostrowski · March 2, 2015

Stuff Choir Directors Say

I’ve discovered how traumatizing it can be when somebody impersonates you.

Jeff Ostrowski · March 2, 2015

A Flawed Translation Of Ritus Servandus?

Why are the words “ad orientem” never translated?

Dr. Lucas Tappan · March 2, 2015

The Great Secret

Oh, what would it be like to give my choristers a new motet and then lift my hands and go? Oh wait, we already do that.

Jeff Ostrowski · March 2, 2015

PDF Download: “67 Hymns” Arranged & Translated by Rev. Adrian Fortescue (1913)

I cannot help but think of this hymn collection as his greatest masterpiece.

Cynthia Ostrowski · March 1, 2015

Permission Needed to Replace the Propers?—(6 of 7)

The wife of a Church musician weighs in…

Fr. David Friel · March 1, 2015

Basking in Beauty’s Glow

Taking the Time to Ponder

Jeff Ostrowski · March 1, 2015

Coolest Picture Of All Time?

Polish Anti-Communist “Army of Independence” in May of 1949.

Veronica Brandt · February 28, 2015

Solfege? There’s an app for that.

“Excuse me, I have to go work on my green belt.”

Jeff Ostrowski · February 27, 2015

Video • Padre Pio Celebrates Mass (5 May 1956)

You can hear Padre Pio singing the Mass.

Richard J. Clark · February 27, 2015

Helping Your Deacon or Priest Learn the Exsultet

Singing the “Exsultet” can be intimidating! Six pages of endless notes and words? Here are some helpful tools.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 26, 2015

Screenshots Proving “Versus Populum” Was Allowed By The 1572 Missal

A reader from Indonesia kindly sent us these…

Jeff Ostrowski · February 26, 2015

Musical Resources • 2nd Sunday of Lent

The “Gloria in excelsis” is not said from Septuagesima Sunday until Easter, except on Holy Thursday, Holy Saturday, & some special feasts.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 25, 2015

“Salve Festa Dies” • SATB Choral Piece By Canon Jules Van Nuffel (d. 1953)

Who wouldn’t welcome this fresh & contemporary piece for Easter?

“Music List” • 1st Sunday of Lent

Some have expressed interest in perusing the “ORDER OF MUSIC” I prepared for the 1st Sunday of Lent, Year C (9 March 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. During Lent, the pipe organ is greatly reduced. Therefore, I marked a red “X” on all the pieces we’re singing a cappella.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Kyrie Setting” we’re doing for Lent

During Lent, we’re singing the KYRIE polyphony from the Mass in Honor of Saint Noël Chabanel. There are various pieces of information (and variations) on that website. Therefore, to make it easy to find—since choirs appreciate “no hassle” scores—here are the parts: (a) The Ordinary Form musical score (PDF) is based on the EF score; (b) Soprano Voice rehearsal video is here; (c) Alto Voice rehearsal video is here; (d) Tenor Voice rehearsal video is here; (e) Bass Voice rehearsal video is here; (f) Equal Voices rehearsal video is here.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord…”

The Communion antiphon for this coming Sunday is quite beautiful (PDF). I’m not sure I know any other feast which does what the 1st Sunday of Lent does. Specifically, the text for the COMMUNION is identical to the OFFERTORY, except the word “Dóminus” is understood in the Communion. The INTROIT, GRADUALE, and TRACT also use that same psalm: viz. Psalm 90.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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

The Lofty Nature of This Goal

It is important above all that we never lose sight of our true goal as church musicians: the right worship of Almighty God. This is not a pious sentiment that should cause us to be lax about technical elements of music. Rather, the lofty nature of this goal is should motivate and inspire us to pursue the techne of musicianship with even greater zeal.

—Dr. Samuel Backman