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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • “The Parish Hymnal” (1957)

Jeff Ostrowski · April 28, 2015

862 Parish Hymnal 1957 YMNALS MUST HAVE BEEN very popular in the century before Vatican II. So many were created! Some people believe there was just the Saint Gregory Hymnal by Nicola A. Montani, but that’s not true.

An extremely rare hymnal compiled by Sister Catherine Cecilia can be downloaded for the first time ever:

    * *  PDF Download • THE PARISH HYMNAL (1957)

If we were transported back to the 1950s, would our ears be shocked? Would the singing impress us? It’s impossible to know. Growing up, I studied pianism with great fervor. My brother and I devoured every video we could find and memorized all the Horowitz films. There’s a famous recording of Horowitz—along with conductor Carlo Maria Giulini and The Orchestra of La Scala—performing Mozart’s 23rd Piano Concerto; it can now be viewed on YouTube. In high school, I won a competition playing that same concerto (with the Busoni cadenza). My ears hear the Horowitz performance differently now than they did twenty years ago. Horowitz does certain things extremely well—there’s no question about that. On the other hand, he’s way off in some parts: wrong notes, poor choice of dynamics, and sloppy playing are evident. The same can be said 1 of Giulini, although he was a first-rate conductor in his day. This is why I say we cannot know what our “current” ears would think of music in the 1950s.

FROM THE FOREWORD :

The hymns contained in the following pages have been drawn from some of the best available sources. The origins of some of them are not known with any degree of exactitude due to the long and nearly untraceable popular usage to which they have been put. Their long establishment in the repertoire, however, is the best approbation they could have.

The viewpoint of the editors has been that this should be a fundamentally congregational collection in both style and scope. To this end the hymns have been placed in the most convenient voice ranges, and every factor which could enhance the value of the collection as an aid to good congregational hymn-singing has been emphasized.

The value of hymn singing is not to be underestimated. It is one of the most effective means for synthesizing the spirit of a parish or community in public worship. In the singing of a vernacular hymn, the individual and the group merge their intentions and both derive profound spiritual benefits therefrom. As was once said by Dom Columbo Marmion, OSB: “Lend your voice to the Word, that He may use it as His organ to praise the Father.” We are convinced that this is precisely the effect on the individual of a tradition of good hymn-singing.

These old hymnals are being uploaded to the internet in partial preparation for a new hymnal—and our readers will be invited to assist in its creation!



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   When conductor & pianist are not together, that’s never right. It’s not an agogic thing. Nor is it some kind of effect. Nor is it artistic license. It’s always wrong: for beginners or masters.

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Affordable Hymnal for Catholic Parishes, Roman Catholic Hymnals Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —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

“It will not be Rome to tell you what you should do, no: because you have the charism. …you have the Holy Spirit for this. If Rome were to begin to make the decisions it would be a blow to the Holy Spirit, who works in the particular Churches.”

— Pope Francis (27 March 2023)

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