A New Book of Old Hymns 4th edition out now!

IFTY THREE LATIN HYMNS plus Missa Orbis Factor and Credo 1 (the default Mass setting for ordinary Sundays). Six English hymns to pad out the gaps and make the page breaks convenient.

Music for Advent, Christmas, Holy Name of Jesus, Candlemas, Lent, Passiontide, Easter, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi, Sacred Heart, Christ the King, All Saints, All Souls, feasts of Our Lady, for Peace, Thanksgiving and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

All the Latin is accompanied by English translations.

How is this different to the Parish Book of Chant?

This book is made for fun. It was designed for a group of children learning Gregorian chant. I’m sure it could be used in a Parish setting, but that is not its aim. It is a singer’s book.

There are seven rounds or canons. They are all very groovy, very singable and all in Latin. It also includes a two part Veni O Sapientia (O come, O come Emmanuel), Stella Splendens from the Camino de Santiago Compostela and the Christmas favourite Gaudete.

This is also the only book of Gregorian chant largely typed up on an Atari Portfolio. With lots of little boys I needed a device that was portable and dull enough to avoid attention. I could take this little computer outside to keep an eye on my sons while transcribing from the Liber Usualis. The screen was quite readable in daylight. Sadly, it broke after a few years and it has passed on, but I still remember it fondly when working on A New Book of Old Hymns.

How can I get a copy?

      * *   Paperback, spiral bound and large print through Lulu – use the code MATEY25 for 25% off through 22nd September

If you’re set on a createspace copy, you can find it here – enter code FZS3YC7B for 10% off to match the Amazon price.

The earlier edition is available as a free PDF download. The changes are small – the fourth edition prays for Pope Francis, Hail Redeemer has been replaced by another Christus Vincit, a couple of accent marks have been fixed up, the hymn numbers have been taken out as they can be confused with the page numbers, Blessed Herman is now referred to as “of Reichnau” instead of “the cripple”.

And for those who can’t read music and have asked me for recordings – I’m collecting examples over at New Book, Old Hymns. Any recommendations are appreciated.