Views from the Choir Loft

Articles

Jeff Ostrowski · May 13, 2015

“Omnes Gentes Plaudite” • Sequence For Ascension

“The Staff used by Christ was the Cross…”

Jeff Ostrowski · May 12, 2015

Heretical Hymns & Transformation

I hope Dr. Tappan will tell us someday how such a transformation happened!

Dr. Lucas Tappan · May 12, 2015

The Ingredients of a Choir School (Part II)

A choir school can be an immense help toward our goal of establishing a liturgical choir worthy of its name.

Jeff Ostrowski · May 12, 2015

Stephen Colbert: “I’m Not A Fan Of Guitar Masses”

Perhaps it requires a comedian to realize that not all musical styles are appropriate for Mass.

Jeff Ostrowski · May 11, 2015

VIDEO • Watch Jeff Ostrowski Load Choir Binders

Wow—did you ever see anyone load them this fast?

Jeff Ostrowski · May 11, 2015

Stunning Hymn With 3-Voice Polypony You Will Want To Sing For Pentecost

A story about Victoria—perhaps a myth—says Palestrina was jealous of his student’s first drafts.

Jeff Ostrowski · May 10, 2015

Resources • 5th Sunday after Easter (1962 Missal)

We are getting close to Pentecost, when the FSSP Superior General will visit our parish.

Fr. David Friel · May 10, 2015

Credo Priests

A statement of fidelity to the Church’s long-held doctrine concerning human sexuality & marriage.

Veronica Brandt · May 9, 2015

The difference between Anything and Everything.

Where free choice can lead to chaos or paralysis.

Richard J. Clark · May 8, 2015

Why Should We Sing the Psalms at Mass?

if we do not sing the antiphons proper to the day—and the corresponding Psalm verses—we risk having a narrow view of the Psalms.

Andrew Leung · May 7, 2015

Pastoral Plan (Part 2 of 2)

Point 3 and 4 of the Pastoral Plan of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. And you don’t want to miss this Sacred Music Workshop!

Jeff Ostrowski · May 5, 2015

The Actual Vestments Of Pope Saint Pius V

Let’s be honest…those shoes look nice and comfy!

Dr. Lucas Tappan · May 5, 2015

Choir School Ingredients

Now all you need are some children for the choir. Get started!

Jeff Ostrowski · May 4, 2015

Video • “Vidi Aquam” Organ Accompaniment By Jeff Ostrowski

The “Method of Gregorian Accompaniment” by Flor Peeters is excellent.

Fr. David Friel · May 3, 2015

Bishop to Restore Traditional Order of the Sacraments of Initiation

Baptism & Confirmation “go together like Easter and Pentecost.”

“Simplified” Keyboard Accompaniment (PDF)

I’d much rather hear an organist play a simplified version correctly than listen to wrong notes. I invite you to download this simplified organ accompaniment for hymn #729 in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal. The hymn is “O Jesus Christ, Remember.” I’m toying with the idea of creating a whole bunch of these, to help amateur organists. The last one I uploaded was downloaded more than 1,900 times in a matter of hours—so there seems to be interest in such a project. For the record, this famous text by Oratorian priest, Father Edward Caswall (d. 1878) is often married to AURELIA, as it is in the Brébeuf Hymnal.

—Jeff Ostrowski

‘Bogey’ of the Half-Educated: Paraphrase

Father Adrian Porter, using the cracher dans la soupe example, did a praiseworthy job explaining the difference between ‘dynamic’ and ‘formal’ translation. This is something Monsignor Ronald Knox explained time and again—yet even now certain parties feign ignorance. I suppose there will always be people who pretend the only ‘valid’ translation of Mitigásti omnem iram tuam; avertísti ab ira indignatiónis tuæ… would be “You mitigated all ire of you; you have averted from your indignation’s ire.” Those who would defend such a translation suffer from an unfortunate malady. One of my professors called it “cognate on the brain.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Father Cuthbert Lattey • “The Hebrew MSS”

Father Cuthbert Lattey (d. 1954) wrote: “In a large number of cases the ancient Christian versions and some other ancient sources seem to have been based upon a better Hebrew text than that adopted by the rabbis for official use and alone suffered to survive. Sometimes, too, the cognate languages suggest a suitable meaning for which there is little or no support in the comparatively small amount of ancient Hebrew that has survived. The evidence of the metre is also at times so clear as of itself to furnish a strong argument; often it is confirmed by some other considerations. […] The Jewish copyists and their directors, however, seem to have lost the tradition of the metre at an early date, and the meticulous care of the rabbis in preserving their own official and traditional text (the ‘massoretic’ text) came too late, when the mischief had already been done.” • Msgr. Knox adds: “It seems the safest principle to follow the Latin—after all, St. Jerome will sometimes have had a better text than the Massoretes—except on the rare occasions when there is no sense to be extracted from the Vulgate at all.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Reminder” — Month of November (2025)

On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Our Father” • Musical Setting?

Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?

—Jeff Ostrowski