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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Hymns: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know (1 of 2)

Jeff Ostrowski · March 15, 2012

This article has two parts:    SECTION 1    •    SECTION 2


Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Hymns

The word hymn, as Bishop Sheen would say, is “a word much abused.” The abuse, albeit, is normally involuntary and due to imprecision of language. However, when it comes to hymns, it is important to be precise in our language. Perhaps the following illustration will help make this clear:

Zach: “Kindly bring me my favorite bat.”
Henry: “Here is your favorite bat. It has beautiful black wings and eats bugs.”
Zach: “No, Henry. I meant the bat I use when playing baseball.”

To avoid confusion, Zach should have been more specific. His language was imprecise, and similar imprecision is rampant with regard to the word “hymn.” As the word “bat” contains more than one meaning, the word “hymn” contains more than one aspect. In an attempt to fully clarify this subject, I offer the following points:

1. The word “hymn” usually denotes something which consists of two elements: a TEXT and a TUNE.

2. A hymn text could be married to any number of hymn tunes, and vice versa.

3. One need not be a professional musician to understand the difference. Here are 5 different hymn texts (PDF link) married to the same hymn tune (LASST UNS ERFREUEN). Imagine if an organist played all five versions during the week: All Creatures Of Our God And King on Monday, This Holy Covenant Was Made on Tuesday, A Hymn Of Glory Let Us Sing on Wednesday, Ye Watchers And Ye Holy Ones on Thursday, and Sing We Triumphant Hymns Of Praise on Friday. Then, imagine if this same organist said to his priest, “Are you amazed that I played five different hymns this week?” Is it not obvious that this statement is imprecise? The organist did not play five different hymns at all. He played the same hymn tune which supported five different hymn texts.

4. Hymn tunes generally have “funky” names (such as BATTY, DUKE STREET, HYFRYDOL, DIX, DARWALL’S 148TH, DOWN AMPNEY, ERHALT UNS HERR, etc.). The same hymn tunes are often called by different names, as well. For instance, one of the editors of GIA Worship IV made a criticism of the Vatican II Hymnal, claiming that it lacked the tune GAUDEAMUS PARITER. As a matter of fact, the Vatican II Hymnal does contain that exact tune, but calls it by another (more common) name: AVE VIRGO VIRGINUM.

5. The editor of a hymnal could say, “My book has 400 hymns.” Another could say, “My book has 700 hymns.” Another could say, “My book has 1,200 hymns.” But what does that really mean? For the conscientious musician, the more important thing is often the number of hymn tunes the book contains . . . and the hymn texts to which they are wed! For instance, would it make sense to join an extremely beautiful hymn tune with a text that can only be sung once a year? Or should (perhaps) an effort be made to make sure that lovely tune will be enjoyed more than once a year? And should not steps be taken to ensure important hymn texts for the various seasons are not supplied over and over again with the same hymn tune? This is the approach taken in the Vatican II Hymnal: judiciously selecting the hymn texts and the tunes, giving great thought to the liturgical year, and so offering a variety in tunes and texts without excluding a reasonable amount of familiarity.

6. Once we realize that a “hymn” consists of two parts, we will be prepared to answer the recurring question: “Is such-and-such a hymn Catholic or Protestant?” We will draw a distinction between the melody (hymn tune) and the words (hymn text). From that point forward, we can begin to speak with clarity.

7. We must also understand clearly that there are different types of hymn tunes. “Traditional” hymn tunes are rhythmical (metrical) and generally composed according to Major-minor tonality (also called “common practice period” tonality or “functional harmony”). Gregorian hymns, on the other hand, are rhythmically free, modal, and very ancient. Here is an example of a Gregorian hymn for the feast of All Saints:

8. Once we realize how radically different Gregorian hymns are from “common practice era” hymn tunes—the ones we have been speaking of, like LASST UNS ERFREUEN, HYFRYDOL, NUN DANKET ALLE GOTT, and AURELIA—we will be clear and precise in our language. We will realize that mixing up Gregorian hymns with “common practice period” hymns is every bit as confusing as mixing up a baseball bat with a flying mammal.

9. Another common source of confusion arises when people refer to “devotional songs” as hymns. People will speak of “the good old Catholic hymns,” but are actually referencing songs, such as City of God, Be Not Afraid, Eye Has Not Seen, Peace Is Flowing Like A River, and One Bread One Body. Common practice period hymn tunes are constructed in a certain way, especially as regards rhythm, syncopation, and chromaticism. Devotional songs, which can be very beautiful, are different; they are composed according to the conventions of secular music, especially as regards rhythm, syncopation, and chromaticism. The melodies are usually highly emotional and rhythmically-driven. A quick way to tell the difference between a hymn tune and a song is this: a song needs accompaniment to “work,” while a hymn sounds great with or without accompaniment.

10. In the Vatican II Hymnal, we included hundreds of beautiful hymns, but we did not include devotional songs. Again, the reason is that devotional songs are often written in a secular style, and the Church does not allow this style to be used during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, though it has become common practice in many parishes. Many devotional songs are quite beautiful and enjoyable to sing: however, they are unfit for Mass, due to the compositional techniques they employ. In mission countries, the Church does allow for some degree of “inculturation,” in terms of taking what is best from various cultures and adapting it for use at Mass. However, the Church also lays down very strict regulations about how this is to be done. Unfortunately, there are too many Church documents regarding Sacred music to quote in this article, but perhaps a start might be to study the quotes contained in this video.

Click here to read “Part 2” of this article.

This article has two parts:    SECTION 1    •    SECTION 2

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Hymns Replacing Propers Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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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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President’s Corner

    PDF Download • “Offertory” for this Sunday
    This coming Sunday, 12 October 2025, is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). Its OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF) is gorgeous, and comes from the book of Esther, as did the ENTRANCE CHANT last Sunday. Depending on a variety of factors, various hand-missals (all with Imprimatur) translate this passage differently. For instance, “príncipis” can be rendered: King; Prince; Lion; or Fierce lord. None is “more correct” than another. It depends on what each translator wants to emphasize and which source text is chosen. All these pieces of plainsong are conveniently stored at the blue-ribbon feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF example) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short 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 latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

In the United States, Archbishop Kenrick had said in his “Moral Theology” that it was acceptable to sing the “Véni Sáncte Spíritus” before the sermon.

— Monsignor Schmitt (1977)

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