ODAY WE BEGAN WORK on a Spanish Hymnal. Are you fluent in Spanish? If so, we need your help! We are in search of QUALITY SPANISH TEXTS. I repeat: We are seeking top-notch Spanish texts. A bad hymn text is one that sounds “forced.” In other words, the completion of the rhyme is predictable. We also need volunteers who are fluent in Spanish to help us decide which texts are beautiful and which sound pedestrian.
Can you help us?
If so, send an email to: spanish.hymnal@gmail.com
BELOW, YOU WILL SEE the Spanish hymn books we have assembled so far:
* * Colección de cantos sagrados populares (1934) — Diocese of Mexico City
* * Cánticos Espirituales con música (1944) — El Paso, Texas
* * Manual de Cantos Religiosos Populares (1959) — José P. Quezada
Do you have books we can use? Or, better yet, can you send us individual texts we can use?
Wherever possible, we prefer public domain texts. However, if you find any copyrighted texts which are inspired, theologically-correct, and don’t sound forced, please let us know!
THE FOLLOWING BOOKS are not useful for our purposes:
* * Himnos Del Breviario Romano (1952) — Francisco Luis Bernárdez
This book contains hymns that are not metrical: they’re prose.
* * Poesia Sagrada, Himnos del Breviario Romano (1777)
These sacred poems seem to be taken from an ancient Breviary, and the Spanish used is ancient — some words might be unfamiliar, but this is definitely high level of sacred poetry.
