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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

Do-It-Yourself Hymnal: The impossible dream

Veronica Brandt · April 20, 2013

HERE IS NO SUCH THING as a perfect hymnbook or missal.

Why would you try to make your own Missal/Hymnal for the Extraordinary Form when there’s the Campion Missal?

The quest for the perfect hymnbook has been revived lately. This time I’m aiming to have it ready for Pentecost. I have thirty days.

It started back in early 2011 when a certain priest outlined a project to make new improved Mass books. Our old books were getting on a bit and plagued with typos in the Latin. They had the order of Mass, a few devotionals peculiar to the parish, and a collection of hymns. The new books would be along similar lines, but include readings and extra music for sung Masses. They would be ready by June.

I had done Mass booklets before, and a couple of hymnbooks for pilgrimages, so had ideas about how to put it together. I use LaTeX, a document preparation system from the 80s. Infuriating as it can be, it can do a great job with cross references and indices and Gregorian chant. And it’s free.

June 2011 came and went, so I hoped to get it done by Advent. By then I had a pretty good book together, but the cost of the print run was a major obstacle.

One amazing advantage that the Vatican II and Campion Missals have is that they stick to Public Domain hymns. That really frees up what you can do with your book. You can sell it! Of course, you can sell books with copyright hymns too, but you need to negotiate licences and have set print runs and pay fairly considerable royalties to different people. Once I had negotiated licences for the handful of copyright hymns for parish use I was not keen to go back and ask for commercial licences.

So, since I could not subsidise the printing with sales, I made about thirty copies of a nearly 300 page hymnbook myself over the Christmas holidays. Another experience I was not keen to repeat. Mistakes in guillotining cannot be undone. And your average home laser printer is not made for printing book. And guillotines are very sharp.

In 2012 I was drawn into preparing sung Masses and time passed quickly. The Campion Missal came out. It was considered too expensive for our small parish community. And it didn’t have Help of Christians, Hail Queen of Heaven or Hail Redeemer.

Then Elizabeth was born.

Now the PVA glue bindings are coming apart on the homemade books. New books are way overdue. Now my evenings are spent tweaking the book and setting up brandt.id.au to accept donations.

Today I squeezed in Lead Kindly Light by Cardinal Newman.

Maybe Of the Father’s Love Begotten next…

Despite all the hassles, working with these treasures is still a joy.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    New Bulletin Article • “21 September 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 21 September 2025) discusses some theological items—supported by certain verses in ancient Catholic hymns—and ends by explaining why certain folks become delirious with jealousy when they observe feats by Monsignor Ronald Knox.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!
    It’s always amusing to see old diocesan newspapers—in huge capital letters—advertising the Cheapest Catholic Paper in the United States. The correspondent who sent this to me added: “I can think of certain composers, published by large companies in our own day, who could truthfully brag about the most tawdry compositions in the world!” I wonder what she could have meant by such a cryptic comment…
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • Dom Murray Harmonies
    Along with so many others, I have deep respect for Dom Gregory Gregory Murray, who produced this clever harmonization (PDF) of “O SANCTISSIMA.” It’s always amazed me that Dom Gregory—a truly inspired composer—was so confused when it came to GREGORIAN CHANT. Throughout his life, he published contradictory statements, veering back-and-forth like a weather vane. Toward the end of his life, he declared: “I see clearly that the need for reform in liturgical music arose, not in the 18th and 19th centuries, but a thousand years earlier—in the 8th and 9th centuries, or even before that. The abuses began, not with Mozart and Haydn, but with those over-enthusiastic medieval musicians who developed the elaborate and flamboyant Gregorian Chant.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Karl Keating • “Canonization Questions”
    We were sent an internet statement (screenshot) that’s garnered significant attention, in which KARL KEATING (founder of Catholic Answers) speaks about whether canonizations are infallible. Mr. Keating seems unaware that canonizations are—in the final analysis—a theological opinion. They are not infallible, as explained in this 2014 article by a priest (with a doctorate in theology) who worked for multiple popes. Mr. Keating says: “I’m unaware of such claims arising from any quarter until several recent popes disliked by these Traditionalists were canonized, including John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II. Usually Paul VI receives the most opprobrium.” Mr. Keating is incorrect; e.g. Father John Vianney, several centuries ago, taught clearly that canonizations are not infallible. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen would be another example, although clearly much more recent than Saint John Vianney.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Vatican II Changed Wedding Propers?
    It’s often claimed that the wedding propers were changed after Vatican II. As a matter of fact, that is a false claim. The EDITIO VATICANA propers (Introit: Deus Israel) remained the same after Vatican II. However, a new set of propers (Introit: Ecce Deus) was provided for optional use. The same holds true for the feast of Pope Saint Gregory the Great on 3 September: the 1943 propers (Introit: Si díligis me) were provided for optional use, but the traditional PROPRIA MISSAE (Introit: Sacerdótes Dei) were retained; they weren’t gotten rid of. The Ordo Cantus Missae (1970) makes this crystal clear, as does the Missal itself. There was an effort made in the post-conciliar years to eliminate so-called “Neo-Gregorian” chants, but (contrary to popular belief) most were retained: cf. the feast of Christ the King, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and so forth.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

After ordering the bishops to appoint in each diocese “special commission of persons who are really competent in the matter, to whom they will entrust the duty of watching over the music performed in the churches in whatever way may seem most advisable,” Pope Pius X continues—“this commission will insist on the music being not only good in itself, but also proportionate to the capacity of the singers, so that it may be always well executed.”

— Dom Alphege Shebbeare (Downside Review)

Recent Posts

  • New Bulletin Article • “21 September 2025”
  • How do you pronounce this word in Latin?
  • Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!
  • Children’s Repertoire: “3 Recommendations”
  • PDF Download • Dom Murray Harmonies

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