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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • “Christ The King Hymnal” (1955)

Jeff Ostrowski · October 21, 2015

OME OF YOU KNOW I’m currently involved in serving on a committee to produce the Brébeuf hymnal. As part of our research, we peruse old hymn books searching for melodies and texts of a high quality. Whenever I find a particularly intriguing Catholic hymnal, I try to share it with our readers. This one is 232 pages:

*  PDF Download • “Christ the King Hymnal” (1954)
—232 pages • Scanned & uploaded by Corpus Christi Watershed in 2015.

The vast majority of these hymns will be unfamiliar to most USA Catholics since they come from the German tradition. The collection was produced by Rev. Aloysius Knauff in Saskatchewan (CANADA). However, the lion’s share of work was done by Sister Pauline of St. Clare Convent (CINCINNATI, OHIO), who translated tons of hymns from German into English. I’m afraid to admit that some of her renderings strike me as a bit forced. The back of the book has quite a nice section of indices.

The cover looks like this:

From the book’s PREFACE:

ROM THE RICH TREASURES of Catholic hymnody of several centuries I have endeavored to choose the best. To this precious legacy from our forefathers I have added many hymns from more recent composers. I have resisted the temptation of including certain hymns which, although very popular, have melodies or texts of inferior character, such as the hymns O du mein Heiland hoch und hehr, Es bluht der Blumen eine, Geleite durch die Wellen, etc. Wherever possible, I have added the Latin text to the English with the hope of extending the repertoire of hymns and motets which could be used at High Mass. Latin hymns for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament commence with hymn No. 160 on page 172 and will no doubt be appreciated—particularly in convents, seminaries, and boarding schools, where Benediction is very frequent.

A word of sincere thanks is due here, first to my collaborator, Mr. Hubert Wachendorf of Aachen, Germany, who has succeeded in producing a fine accompaniment to most of these hymns; to Sister Pauline, S.P.S.F., of St. Clare Convent, Hartwell (Cincinnati, Ohio) who has made excellent translations for most of the German hymns; and to Dr. Eugene Lapierre of Montreal, Canada, for the accompaniments to the Gregorian chants…

To get an idea how these hymns actually sound, click on the video in this article and go to the last verse, which is sung in SATB harmony.

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Christ the King Last Updated: November 4, 2021

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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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book

If there is a more beautiful book than Abbat Pothier’s 1888 Processionale Monasticum, I don’t know what it might be. This gorgeous tome was today added to the Saint John Lalande Online Library. I wish I owned a physical copy.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Had the Church never spoken on this matter, it would still be repugnant to our Catholic people’s sense of what is fit and proper in the holiest of places, that a priest should have to struggle through the prayers of the Holy Mass, because of such tunes as “Alice, where art thou?” the “Vacant Chair,” and others of more vulgar title, which, through the carelessness or bad judgment of organists, sometimes find their way into our choirs.

— Preface to a Roman Catholic Hymnal (1896)

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