About this blogger:
Jeff Ostrowski
A theorist, organist, and conductor, Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004), and did graduate work in Musicology. He serves as choirmaster for the new FSSP parish in Los Angeles, where he resides with his wife and children.
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The soul is distracted from that which is sung by a chant that is employed for the purpose of giving pleasure. But if the singer chant for the sake of devotion, he pays more attention to what he says, both because he lingers more thereon, and because, as Augustine remarks (Confess. x, 33), “each affection of our spirit, according to its variety, has its own appropriate measure in the voice, and singing, by some hidden correspondence wherewith it is stirred.” The same applies to the hearers, for even if some of them understand not what is sung, yet they understand why it is sung, namely, for God's glory: and this is enough to arouse their devotion.
— St. Thomas Aquinas

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Francisco Guerrero • “Hymn To The Sacred Trinity” (SATB with Plainsong)
published 9 February 2016 by Jeff Ostrowski

EADY FOR THE HYMN CHALLENGE? FIRST, spend some time familiarizing yourself with this beautiful melody (unless you already know it). If you prefer, you can use a version by Pustet that is probably closer to what Guerrero sang. SECOND, scroll down and sing through the individual parts—especially the Bass, Alto, and Soprano. THIRD, locate the Canon in the final section. FOURTH, see if you agree that this one is the most incredible hymn you’ve never heard!

    * *  PDF Download • “HYMN TO THE SACRED TRINITY” (Francisco Guerrero)

I recorded all the voices myself, to give you an idea how it sounds. Needless to say, a real choir would sound much nicer:


This melody was set polyphonically by numerous masters: Marenzio, Palestrina, Anerio, Victoria, and so forth. Indeed, these two settings (see above) are not the only ones by Guerrero. In our current liturgical books, this tune is a “Christmas” melody. Traditionally, however, the same tune was used for numerous feasts: Epiphany, Holy Innocents, Saint Catherine, and especially NOVEMBER 1st (the Feast of All Saints). Here’s an All Saints hymn called “Jesu salvator saeculi” as found in an ancient manuscript:

781 “Jesu salvator saeculi”


Do you see how it uses that same hymn melody? In Guerrero’s time, this melody was used for the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity—a “Spanish” tradition as far as I can tell. Fr. Andrew Green used that tune thusly in 1950. The Desclée/Westminster 1949 hymnal does something similar. And it can be seen in a 1524AD Sarum manuscript.

REHEARSAL VIDEOS :

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube   •   Mp3 Audio

SOPRANO : YouTube   •   Audio

ALTO : YouTube   •   Audio

TENOR : YouTube   •   Audio

QUINTUS : YouTube   •   Audio   •   (2nd Half Only)

BASS : YouTube   •   Audio



RETURN TO BLOG:   VIEWS FROM THE CHOIR LOFT

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