The following video shows three (3) ways that hymns are sung by our choir:
That haunting setting—in English—of the PANGE LINGUA of St. Thomas Aquinas was taken from the Campion Hymnal. It can also be sung in Latin, and the “Second Approach” (see video) is a good way for amateur choirs. Here’s the score with English translation by Fr. Adrian Fortescue:
* * PDF Download • “SECOND APPROACH”
The “Second Approach” should not be sung without organ accompaniment. When we use this approach, I often provide rehearsal files like these:
How do you sing hymns? Please let me know on the CCW Facebook page or send an Email using the “CONTACT” button at the top.
WE WILL SOON RELEASE more information about the SAINT JEAN DE BRÉBEUF HYMNAL project. Among other things, we will release our “goals & criteria” for this hymnal—but we’re not finished fighting over them yet! Here’s one thing we all agree upon:
There is such a thing as beautiful language. Not all language is beautiful. By the way, “beautiful” is not the same as “old.”
One practice that distinguished the Campion Hymnal was how—in addition to the common hymns all Catholics know and love—many lesser-known texts were paired with beautiful melodies, as was done in the 19th-century hymnals as a matter of course. We will continue this practice in the Brébeuf. By clicking on the HYMNAL BUTTON—located at top of the page—and scrolling down, you can start emailing your hymn suggestions. Please follow the Pie Pellicane Rule when sending suggestions:
PIE PELLICANE RULE :
If you send a hymn suggestion, explain the significance. Don’t assume everyone understands. In the beautiful hymn Adoro Te Devote (St. Thomas Aquinas) a line says “Pie Pellicane,” referring to an ancient legend that—if her children are dying of hunger—the mother pelican will wound herself, feeding her children with her own blood. That’s why Christ is called the “Divine Pelican.” Understanding the significance behind a hymn is important. Don’t assume everyone understands why you’re moved by a given hymn.
