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Views from the Choir Loft

Arundel hymns

Veronica Brandt · April 26, 2013

THE ADVERTISING copy for a Catholic hymnbook published in 1905:

Arundel Hymns, chosen and edited by Henry Duke of Norfolk and Charles T. Gatty, with Introductory letter from Pope Leo XIII., Preface, etc. Complete in one volume (553 pages), price 6s. net. Parts I to VII. 1s. each. Published by Boosey & Co., 295 Regent Street, London, W.

Also, listed in the adverts in the back:

Words only, Complete Edition. Price in leather, with gilt edges, and printed on special paper, 2s.; in cloth, 1s.; in stiff paper 9d.

Words only, Abridged Edition, suitable for poor Missions. Price, in cloth 6d.; in stiff paper, 3d.

Arundel Masses — William Byrd’s Mass for 3 voices and Missa de Angelis.

Arundel Antiphons, simple settings by classical composers, with Latin words.

I haven’t seen the rest of these books, only the complete one volume edition thanks to the Internet Archive. I don’t have a picture of the original binding, but here is the copy I put together through Lulu.

The Church of England beat us to writing the first big collections of English hymns and we couldn’t just copy. So Catholic hymn books from around the time of Catholic emancipation have a difficult task. To try collect a distinctly Catholic collection of hymns from the bits left over by the heretics and schismatics.

This is an over simplification. Catholics have a huge treasury of hymns in Latin and these had been translated into English by quite a few scholars. But a persecuted Church who had been excluded from higher education for so long looked upon these with suspicion.

Enter the fifteenth Duke of Norfolk a descendant of St Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel who died in the tower of London in 1595. At long last the government permits Catholic churches to be built, so he builds one. The Church of Our Lady and St Philip Neri, built in 1868-1873, now serving as Arundel Cathedral. You can see it on the cover of this paperback copy in the picture.

They need hymn books, so he teams up with a learned antiquarian to produce a new book. In some ways it is quite impractical. Such a mixture of favourite poems and hymns. Little motets by William Byrd alongside “Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, bless the bed that I lie on.” Most are given in four parts. Some poems are left without any music-maybe just for the edification of the reader. But such a mixture of styles offers something for everyone. I’m probably not the only one to have grown up reading the hymnbook during Mass – so it serves as a prayer book too. It’s also designed for use in Catholic Schools so even has a song praying for fair weather for the summer holidays “From rain and sadness, keep us free and send the sun to cheer us.”

        1.  Click here to view on Open Library.

        2.  Click here to buy a tidied up copy from Lulu.

They may have overdone it in providing alternative tunes. Most have at least one tune spare in case the first doesn’t fit.
But do we need 12 settings of Stabat Mater?
13 of Ave Maris Stella?
14 of Tantum Ergo?
15 of O Salutaris Hostia?
Maybe we don’t need them, but they are good to have.

Though it might not serve as a practical pew book in a parish today, Arundel Hymns might be more of a treat for someone who learns new hymns for fun. Maybe to dip into after a choir social night round the piano.

And if anyone has any of the other editions, contact me.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Hymnbooks 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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Quick Thoughts

    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Baptism” • A Unique Hymn
    Father Christopher Phillips is the founding Pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church. One of his hymns is unique and (in my humble opinion) quite beautiful. His hymn is basically a prayer to the Holy Trinity but also speaks of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It would be an ideal Communion hymn on Trinity Sunday or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. You can hear live recording from last Sunday by clicking here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

In the ’60s, I thought this emphasis on congregational singing was to encourage good Catholic hymns like “Immaculate Mary” and so forth … but after the Council, they threw them out, too!

— ‘Fr. Valentine Young, OFM (2007)’

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