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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

ESSAY • Criteria for Hymn Selection

St. Edmund Campion Missal and Hymnal · July 1, 2013

“But if people do not understand what is sung, to them all this is lost.”
— Dr. Adrian Fortescue, 1913, writing about the importance Missals at Mass.


7158 MISSALE IMAGE Click to enlarge image HE CAMPION MISSAL contains an extensive collection of metrical hymns in English, and our selections are distinctive for two reasons. First of all, in honor of St. Edmund Campion, great emphasis was placed on the Catholic poetry of England. We included more than twenty hymns by English martyrs like St. Thomas More (†1535), and several of these texts were written in the Tower of London, as the saint awaited martyrdom. We also gave prominence to hymns by the English Oratorians (Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman, Fr. Edward Caswall, and so forth), often in rare settings that appear for the first time in our publication. The second distinguishing characteristic is our avoidance of the “fatal flaw” of so many Catholic hymnals published over the last 150 years. For those unaware of this plague, the authors of the New St. Basil Hymnal (1958) explain in very clear terms [original emphasis]:

The majority [of popular Catholic hymns] reflect the sentimental, individualistic piety of the late Victorian period. Too frequently their melodies are poor copies of the secular music of that era, while their texts unduly emphasize the human nature of the Savior, tending to bring God to a purely human level rather than to lift man’s thoughts to God. Such hymns are more than dated; they are positively harmful in that they attempt to express a religious emotion which is exaggerated, over-familiar and, eventually, false—since they teach the singer to pray badly. In the present collection, then, they have yielded place to better, and in some cases older hymns of genuine piety and dignity.

We cannot add anything to this statement, except to note what a stark and unwelcome contrast these overly sentimental hymns make with the Traditional Latin Mass of the Roman Rite, the prayers of which are unfailingly lucid, austere, and (as Fr. Adrian Fortescue notes) eminently “Roman” in expression. Fr. Fortescue (†1923) has been a special influence on our work, and we strongly urge every Catholic to become familiar with the basic facts of his life. Writing in 1916, Fortescue seemed to be in total agreement with the St. Basil Fathers (four decades earlier!):

In nothing are English Catholics so poor as in vernacular hymns. The real badness of most of our popular hymns, endeared, unfortunately, to the people by association, surpasses anything that could otherwise be imagined. When our people have the courage to break resolutely with a bad tradition, there are unworked mines of religious poetry in the old hymns that we can use in translations. If we do, there will be an end of the present odd anomaly, that, whereas our liturgical hymns are the finest in the world, our popular ones are easily the worst.

Fortescue goes on to recommend in particular the English translations of Latin Breviary hymns by Alan McDougall. Our book features several of these elegant hymns, set to music for the very first time (as Fortescue desired a century ago). Furthermore, many have been given exquisite settings by Kevin Allen. To get a sense of Allen’s masterful treatment of Cardinal Newman’s poems, please listen to “Lead, Kindly Light” or “St. Philip in his school”.

We also highly favored translations of Dr. John Neale (†1866), about whose fine work Fortescue wrote in 1913:

After Dr. Neale’s beautiful poetic translations of nearly all our hymns it seems vain for anyone else to try to rival them.

In addition to these special hymns, we have, without fail, included all the hymns normally sung by Traditional Catholic communities. That is to say, a major effort was made to include all the “standard” hymns, lest the book be filled with texts and tunes that nobody knows. Our book, then, is a mixture: the common hymns of Catholic communities along with some treasures that will enrich.

Finally, it must be remembered that, in the final analysis, it is not what is included in a book of Catholic hymns, but what is left out. Nothing would have been easier than simply including “everything” from the old hymnals, and (in essence) saying to the Catholic choirmaster, “You must now spend your time deciding what is good and what is not.”

Carefully searching about 35 hymnals, including rare Catholic collections, has proven very helpful. Here is a partial bibliography:

Arundel Catholic Hymnal (1898)
Hymns, Psalms, & Spiritual Canticles (Theodore Marier)
New St. Basil’s Hymnal (1958)
Fr. Matthew Britt, OSB: Hymns of the Breviary and Missal (1922)
Latin Hymns (Fortescue, 1913)
Pange Lingua (McDougall & Fortescue, 1916)
New English Hymnal (1999)
The Hymnal of St. Pius X (Fr. Percy Jones, 1952)
A Catholic Sunday-School Hymn Book (Henry McGrath, 1850)
The Catholic Hymn Book (Edward Dunigan & Brothers, 1851)
Catholic Hymnal, by Fr. John Hacker, S.J. (1920)
A Treasury of Catholic Song (1915)
American Catholic Hymnal (Marist Brothers, 1913)
The Parochial Hymn Book (Fr. Anatole Police, 1897)
Summit Choirbook (Dominicans, 1983)
Hymnal of the Polish National Catholic Church (2011)
St. Basil’s Hymnal (Canadian Basilian Fathers, 1918)
Alverno Hymnal (1948)
St. Andrew Hymnal (Philip G. Kreckel, 1945)
Laudate Hymnal (Fr. Herman J. Koch & Fr. Andrew Green, OSB, 1957)
The Monastery Hymnal (Achille P. Bragers)
Parochial Hymnal (Rossini, 1951)
Pius X Hymnal (Marier, 1950)
Sing to the Lord (Most Rev. Richard J. Cushing, 1946)
Liber Hymnarius (Solesmes, 1982)
Cantus Selecti (Solesmes, 1949)
Liber Usualis (Solesmes, 1961)
Antiphonale Monasticum (Solesmes, 1934)
Parish Book of Chant (Church Music Association of America, 2008)
Mundelein Psalter (2007)
Hymns Ancient & Modern (1981)
Hymnal 1982 (Church Hymnal Corporation)
St. Gregory Hymnal (Society of St. Gregory, 1920)
St. Joseph Sunday Missal & Hymnal (1966)
Hymnal 1940 (Church Pension Fund)
The Catholic Hymn Book (London Oratory, 2006)
Adoremus Hymnal (2011)
St. Michael Hymnal (2011)
Vatican II Hymnal (Corpus Christi Watershed, 2011)

UE TO THE CONSIDERABLE RESEARCH done for the hymnal section, we have discovered numerous hymns that are really beautiful and ought to be sung. After the publication of the St. Edmund Campion Missal & Hymnal, we plan to publish an 1100-page book with nothing but hymns.

If your congregation is not familiar with a particular tune in the Campion book, play it as an organ interlude during, before, and/or after Mass. Once this has been done, the congregation will “magically” know the tune when it is time to sing it. Do not “assault” your congregation with tunes they have never heard before, in spite of how beautiful the tunes may be.

At last, thanks to the Campion book, congregations can have beautiful Catholic hymns that actually fit the feasts! We took great pains to include hymnody for the different Seasons and Feasts of the Church, unlike so many other hymnals containing, for instance, a disproportionate amount of Advent and Christmas hymns.

We have left all the original language in the hymns, with one small exception. In a few cases, we replaced “Jesu” with “O Lord.” This was done primarily in places where the musical accent was quite jarring with the holy name (in other words, to make up for a defect in the poem itself). We believe that the translator would not mind the freedom in this instance . . . freedom the translator did not have. Finally, the word “Jesu” does not have the same place in the English language as it did in the 19th century.

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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President’s Corner

    PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —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

“In my opinion, there should be reached the aim that all priests could continue to use the old Missal.”

— ‘Cardinal Ratzinger, Letter to Wolfgang Waldstein (14 December 1976)’

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  • “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
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