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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • St. Cecilia Hymnal (1937)

Jeff Ostrowski · July 20, 2016

297 SAINT CECILIA HYMNAL AM CURRENTLY working on a hymnal project, which—among other things—entails pouring through thousands of pages from old Catholic hymnals. Some hymns I discover are sentimental and low quality, while others are quite inspiring. Whenever possible, I’ll share these books with our readers.

Some of our planned releases will astound you! On the other hand, some books are interesting primarily from a Catholic historian’s point of view, and the following probably falls into that category:

    * *  PDF • SAINT CECILIA HYMNAL (1937)

Like all the books we release, this extremely rare hymnal was previously unavailable until we placed it online. If you appreciate books like those we’ve placed in the Lalande Library or our Hymnnal Tome, please consider donating $5.00 per month, using the button on the upper right called “DONATE.”

I WAS TOUCHED by the inscription J. Alfred Schehl placed inside his 1927 (1937) hymnal:

In loving memory of My Mother
who first taught me many of the melodies
contained in this volume,
and whose love of the true and beautiful
was always an inspiration,
this work is dedicated.

My favorite hymns are often those I learned as a child; and I’m sure most of you feel the same!

Schehl’s book certainly contains hymns I had not previously known, such as the following text:

294 O Lord Who Dares To Smite Thee


You might want to explore the (somewhat bizarre) “Short and Easy Mass” purportedly arranged from a Saint Gall chant by Oswald Joos:

293 Short And Easy Mass Oswald Joos St Gall


Like most other hymnals from this period, the book contains a fair amount of plainsong with accompaniment, such as “Asperges Me,” Mass VIII, etc.

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Hymnbooks, 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

    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Contradictions place us at the foot of the Cross, and the Cross places us at the gates of Heaven.” (Saint John Mary Vianney)

— Cardinal Merry del Val’s Prayer-Book

Recent Posts

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  • Why A “Fugue” Here?
  • “Three Reasons To Shun Bad Hymns” • Daniel B. Marshall
  • “Puzzling Comment” • By A Respected FSSP Priest
  • New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”

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