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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • “Christ The King Hymnal” (1955)

Jeff Ostrowski · October 21, 2015

OME OF YOU KNOW I’m currently involved in serving on a committee to produce the Brébeuf hymnal. As part of our research, we peruse old hymn books searching for melodies and texts of a high quality. Whenever I find a particularly intriguing Catholic hymnal, I try to share it with our readers. This one is 232 pages:

*  PDF Download • “Christ the King Hymnal” (1954)
—232 pages • Scanned & uploaded by Corpus Christi Watershed in 2015.

The vast majority of these hymns will be unfamiliar to most USA Catholics since they come from the German tradition. The collection was produced by Rev. Aloysius Knauff in Saskatchewan (CANADA). However, the lion’s share of work was done by Sister Pauline of St. Clare Convent (CINCINNATI, OHIO), who translated tons of hymns from German into English. I’m afraid to admit that some of her renderings strike me as a bit forced. The back of the book has quite a nice section of indices.

The cover looks like this:

From the book’s PREFACE:

ROM THE RICH TREASURES of Catholic hymnody of several centuries I have endeavored to choose the best. To this precious legacy from our forefathers I have added many hymns from more recent composers. I have resisted the temptation of including certain hymns which, although very popular, have melodies or texts of inferior character, such as the hymns O du mein Heiland hoch und hehr, Es bluht der Blumen eine, Geleite durch die Wellen, etc. Wherever possible, I have added the Latin text to the English with the hope of extending the repertoire of hymns and motets which could be used at High Mass. Latin hymns for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament commence with hymn No. 160 on page 172 and will no doubt be appreciated—particularly in convents, seminaries, and boarding schools, where Benediction is very frequent.

A word of sincere thanks is due here, first to my collaborator, Mr. Hubert Wachendorf of Aachen, Germany, who has succeeded in producing a fine accompaniment to most of these hymns; to Sister Pauline, S.P.S.F., of St. Clare Convent, Hartwell (Cincinnati, Ohio) who has made excellent translations for most of the German hymns; and to Dr. Eugene Lapierre of Montreal, Canada, for the accompaniments to the Gregorian chants…

To get an idea how these hymns actually sound, click on the video in this article and go to the last verse, which is sung in SATB harmony.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Christ the King Last Updated: November 4, 2021

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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

Random Quote

“I am of the opinion, to be sure, that the old rite should be granted much more generously to all those who desire it. It’s impossible to see what could be dangerous or unacceptable about that. A community is calling its very being into question when it suddenly declares that what until now was its holiest and highest possession is strictly forbidden and when it makes the longing for it seem downright indecent.”

— Cardinal Ratzinger, 1997

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  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
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