Views from the Choir Loft

The Annual Sacred Music Symposium

O YOU SING AT CHURCH? Do you direct a choir? Do you believe the liturgy should be set apart (holy) and beautiful? If you said “yes” to any of these questions, we urge you to consider attending the SACRED MUSIC SYMPOSIUM! If you attend Mass in either form—Ordinary or Extraordinary—you won’t want to miss it. When it comes to Catholic musicians “in the trenches” our annual event is considered the church music conference par excellence. We invite you to scroll down and read some of the hundreds of personal testimonies we have received vis-à-vis this life-changing event. Our conference is described by the film below.

Dramatic & Spectacular Testimonies
from Sacred Music Symposium 2023

Here’s the direct URL link.

*  PDF Download • 2025 POSTER (High Resolution)
*  PDF Download • 2025 REPERTOIRE BOOKLET (for participants)
*  PDF Download • SCHEDULE OF EVENTS for 2025

2024 Announcement:
Jeff Ostrowski’s seminar, Secrets of the Conscientious Choirmaster (based on the many lectures Mr. Ostrowski has given during symposia over the past decade) has been committed to video for posterity. —Learn more.

Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly

Using “Ye” vs. “You” is rather tricky, because it depends upon which era one is trying to recreate—if that makes any sense. In other words, the rules haven’t always been the same for these two. Nevertheless, Father Philip George Caraman (the legendary Jesuit scholar) gives us a masterclass using Saint Luke’s Gospel. Father Caraman was close friends with Monsignor Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, and Sir Alec Guinness.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”

My pastor asked me to write brief articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The most recent article speaks about the recent announcement by Pope Leo XIV, which does have an impact on church musicians. Scheduled for publication on 2025 08 10th, it’s called: “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

All the chants for 3 August 2025—which is the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)—have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (from the book of Wisdom) is stunning. That feast website has been called “the best kept secret of Church music.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Pope Pius XII Hymnal?

Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Hybrid” Chant Notation?

Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

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). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).

—Corpus Christi Watershed