Views from the Choir Loft

Gregorian Rhythm Wars

Jeff Ostrowski · November 12, 2022

Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Jeff’s First Response to Patrick” (12 Nov 2022)

Mr. Williams, today I challenge you (please) to provide direct responses for two questions.

Matthew Frederes · November 10, 2022

Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Frederes Feedback”

Why declare that rhythmic signs are permitted if alteration of any kind is unacceptable? It doesn’t make any sense…

Jeff Ostrowski · November 9, 2022

“Vatican Commission on Gregorian Chant” • Biographies for Its Twenty Members

Including two (2) documents translated into English for the first time!

Patrick Williams · November 4, 2022

Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Doubled Notes”

“We have a number of quotations from medieval writers in support of proportional rhythm…” —Patrick Williams

Patrick Williams · November 3, 2022

Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Patrick’s First Response to Jeff” • (3 Nov 2022)

“Mr. Ostrowski apparently wants to lock this door, install a deadbolt, and throw away both keys!” —Patrick Williams

Jeff Ostrowski · November 1, 2022

“Gregorian Chant Rhythm Wars” • Ostrowski Vs. Williams

My colleague, Patrick Williams has agreed to enter into a “colloquy” with me vis-à-vis Gregorian rhythm.

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Cool Symbolism

During Lent, the Year A readings & propers may be chosen instead of Year C. I notice that the Communion Chant which talks about our Lord raising Lazarus from the dead uses the same exact melody as the REQUIEM MASS. That’s pretty awesome!

—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