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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

“Tantum Ergo” • Eleven (11) Harmonizations

Jeff Ostrowski · April 8, 2016

580 MONSTRANCE F YOU WERE FORCED TO SIT DOWN and take an examination—from memory only—do you think you could write out a literal translation of the “Tantum Ergo,” which you have undoubtedly sung zillions of times for Benediction? If not, download this:

    * *  PDF • TANTUM ERGO (Congregational)

If you have a really good organist—one who doesn’t hit wrong notes and doesn’t slow down the tempo when they struggle with the pedals—give them this accompaniment:

    * *  PDF • TANTUM ERGO (Organ Accompaniment)

If your organist is still learning, consider the version found in the ORGAN EDITION of the Saint Edmund Campion Hymnal:

    * *  PDF • TANTUM ERGO (Campion Hymnal, Organist Edition)

Here are nine (9) more versions, but be careful—the melodies don’t always match perfectly the version found in the Campion Hymnal:

    * *  PDF • TANTUM ERGO (Nine More Versions)

Look how Fr. Adrian Fortescue (d. 1923) presents this beautiful hymn, and notice how he prefers “u” instead of “v” in Latin:

    * *  PDF • TANTUM ERGO (Rev. Fortescue)

If you haven’t seen the way BENEDICTION is presented in the Jogues Illuminated Missal, I would encourage you to do so. It’s gorgeous, and includes both Latin & English.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Hymn Tune St Thomas, Organ Accompaniments, Tantum Ergo Sacramentum 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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

    Tempo?? • 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘞𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦
    Once, after Mass, my pastor said he really loved the hymn we did. I said: “Father, that's Holy God, We Praise Thy Name—you never heard it before?” He replied: “But the way you did it was terrific. For once, it didn't sound like a funeral dirge!” Last Sunday, our volunteer choir sang that hymn. I think the tempo was just about right … but what do you think?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Don’t You Agree About These?
    If you want to make Jeff Ostrowski really happy, send him an email with effusive praise about the individual voice recordings for hymn #296. [Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass] They came out dazzlingly sensational, don't you agree?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Choral Vowels? Yes? No?
    Here's a live recording of one of the choral “warm-up” exercises my choir enjoys. It was taken during our rehearsal on 27 January 2023. It’s good to make sure each chord is perfectly in tune and balanced before moving to the next one. That only happens when each singer has the correct vowel. If you like, you can freely download that vocal exercise.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

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What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.

— ‘His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)’

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  • Tempo?? • 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘞𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦
  • PDF Download • Belgian Book of Gregorian Accompaniments (Official Edition)
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