Views from the Choir Loft

President's Corner

Jeff Ostrowski · January 20, 2025

PDF • “Gloria VIII” on 5 lines!

As of a few minutes ago, you can freely download this PDF score.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 18, 2025

“Music List” • 2nd Sunday (Ord. Time)

Readers have expressed interest in examining the “music list” I prepared for this coming Sunday.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 17, 2025

“2-Voice Piece” • For February 2nd

The hymn traditionally sung on the feast of the Purification.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 15, 2025

“Entrance Chant” • 2nd Sunday (Ord. Time)

This English adaptation matches the mode of the authentic Gregorian Chant version.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 14, 2025

Repugnant Rhymes in Hymns

This stuck out like a sore thumb.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 9, 2025

“Music List” • Baptism of the Lord

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the “music list” I prepared…

Jeff Ostrowski · January 8, 2025

“Entrance Chant” • Baptism of the Lord

This English adaptation matches the mode of the authentic Gregorian Chant version.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 6, 2025

Hidden Treasure!

What are you waiting for?

Jeff Ostrowski · January 4, 2025

“Music List” • Feast of the Epiphany

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the “music list” I prepared…

Jeff Ostrowski · January 2, 2025

“Entrance Chant” • Feast of the Epiphany

The authentic Gregorian Chant version begins the same way “Salve, Sancta Parens” begins…

Jeff Ostrowski · January 2, 2025

PDF Download • 129 Pages!

This book—now available as a PDF file—is 129 pages long!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 30, 2024

Accents Do Matter!

The upcoming feast of the Epiphany gives a good example…

Jeff Ostrowski · December 27, 2024

Year’s End Appeal • “Asking for Help”

As 2024 comes to a close, we could really use even a TINY amount of your generous financial support…

“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

PDF • “Cantus Mariales” (192 pages)

Andrea Leal has posted an absolutely pristine scan of CANTUS MARIALES (192 pages) which can be downloaded as a PDF file. To access this treasure, navigate to the frabjous article Andrea posted Monday. The file is being offered completely free of charge. The beginning pages of the book have something not to be missed: viz. a letter from Pope Saint Pius X to Dom Pothier, in which the pope calls Abbat Pothier “a man versed above all others in the science of liturgy, and to whom the cause of Gregorian chant is greatly indebted.”

—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

Extreme Unction

Those who search Google for “CCCC MS 079” will discover high resolution images of a medieval Pontificale (“Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 079”). One of the pages contains this absolutely gorgeous depiction of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

PDF Chart • “Plainsong Rhythm”

I will go to my grave without understanding the lack of curiosity so many people have about the rhythmic modifications made by Dom André Mocquereau. For example, how can someone examine this single sheet comparison chart and at a minimum not be curious about the differences? Dom Mocquereau basically creates a LONG-SHORT LONG-SHORT rhythmic pattern—in spite of enormous and overwhelming manuscript evidence to the contrary. That’s why some scholars referred to his method as “Neo-Mensuralist” or “Neo-Mensuralism.”

—Jeff Ostrowski