• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

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.”

  • Donate
  • Our Team
    • Our Editorial Policy
    • Who We Are
    • How To Contact Us
    • Sainte Marie Bulletin Articles
    • Jeff’s Mom Joins Fundraiser
  • Pew Resources
    • Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal
    • Jogues Illuminated Missal
    • Repository • “Spanish Music”
    • KYRIALE • Saint Antoine Daniel
    • Campion Missal, 3rd Edition
  • MUSICAL WEBSITES
    • René Goupil Gregorian Chant
    • Noël Chabanel Psalms
    • Nova Organi Harmonia (2,279 pages)
    • Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Catechism of Gregorian Rhythm
    • Father Enemond Massé Manuscripts
    • Lalemant Polyphonic
    • Feasts Website
  • Miscellaneous
    • Site Map
    • Secrets of the Conscientious Choirmaster
    • “Wedding March” for lazy organists
    • Emporium Kevin Allen
    • Saint Jean de Lalande Library
    • Sacred Music Symposium 2023
    • The Eight Gregorian Modes
    • Gradual by Pothier’s Protégé
    • Seven (7) Considerations
Views from the Choir Loft

Palestrina • Jaw-Dropping “Kyrie” based on a Hymn

Jeff Ostrowski · October 18, 2016

AST FRIDAY, I MENTIONED how the complete works of Palestrina can be downloaded in PDF format, but the clefs are archaic. I promised to show what can be done with these scores and today I fulfill my promise. They can quickly be placed into SIBELIUS, so the archaic clefs are eliminated. 1 Then your singers can more easily enjoy these treasures, many of which have not been sung for centuries! I want to talk about the NAME of this Mass, but first let’s explore:

* *  PDF Download • KYRIE “Te Saeculorum” (Palestrina)

Two generous young ladies—currently in high school—helped me record it:

MARVELOUS REHEARSAL VIDEOS for each individual voice have been created for volunteer choirs. To access them, locate #6995.

WHEN IT CAME TO CHOOSING a name for this Mass, Palestrina ran into a difficulty. There was not in Palestrina’s day—and amazingly still is not—a book which names the Gregorian hymn tunes. Because the text “Jam Christus astra ascenderat” used the melody, he chose that name. However, he could have easily chosen other names, which you can understand by reading the penultimate page of the score (SEE ABOVE). Throughout history, different melodies have been “married” to hymn texts—and this practice continues even now.

Indeed, Abbot Pothier chose different melodies in 1885 than he would twenty years later for the Editio Vaticana. For example, consider “Jesu Dulcis Memoria” and “Sanctorum Meritis” in this rare and fascinating book of hymns:

* *  PDF • HYMNI DE TEMPORE ET DE SANCTIS (Pothier, 1885)

The choir I direct often sings a spellbinding polyphonic version of “Te Saeculorum Principem,” which is the same hymn melody Palestrina used for his Mass. That’s why I made this clear in the title of my edition, as well as marking the various points where the hymn tune occurs. But this Mass could just have easily been called the “Vexilla Christus” Mass; or the “Te Lucis” Mass; or the “Lucis Creator” Mass. 2 Indeed, it might well be called Missa Ad Coenam Agni. (Notice, by the way, the treatment of hypermetric syllables in that MSS.) Or, for that matter, Missa Lucis Creator. Or, looking at a hymnal from 1876AD, you could call it Missa Ad Coenam Agni—I give this as yet another example.

While there’s nothing incorrect about calling the Mass JAM CHRISTUS ASTRA ASCENDERAT, doing so might cause some to believe it’s for the Ascension. In fact, the hymn is suitable for Pentecost or the Sundays after Pentecost. If you read the literal translation by Fr. Joseph Connelly, you’ll agree it’s a really cool hymn. Notice where Connelly says, “The hymn stops abruptly, and some MSS tried to remedy this by adding another verse.”

If you think I’m getting worried over nothing, think again! For example, the wikipedia entry wrongly labels as this Mass as “for the Ascension” as you can see:

For the record, Fr. Haberl did something odd with the underlay in the “Christe” section of this KYRIE, inexplicably disrupting a pattern. I tried to “fix” it, but was not 100% successful. 3

759 Palestrina

I hope to transcribe and record more movements. Here is the SANCTUS.

MS D 9, folio 573 [283r] shows two Easter hymn texts with this tune:

330 MS D 9 page 573 [283r]

To completely confuse your mind, look at the tune this hymnal used for “Jam Christus Astra Ascenderat” (1876AD):

This polyphonic Mass is clearly based on the “Jam Christus” hymn melody, but I don’t know the composer:

CORRECTION: Dr. Aaron James pointed out the beginning is similar but this is NOT based on “Jam Christus”—rather, it is a piece by Isaac based on Virgo prudentissima.

But this is certainly Te Saeculorum Principem:

Other hymns that use this tune include JESU REDEMPTOR SAECULI and VENITE SERVI SUPPLICES and HAEC HORA QUAE RESPLENDUIT.


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Since I know how to read archaic clefs, I just transpose in my head. If you don’t know how to read the clefs, enter them into Sibelius—which does contain such clefs—then copy and paste to modern clefs when you’re finished.

2   That’s because the melody is identical. This reminds me of a heated conversation I once had with a gentleman who insisted that the “1962 Missal” had nothing to do with the “Extraordinary Form,” since that nomenclature wasn’t around in 1962. He failed to understand that some things in life have more than one name.

3   The whole issue of text underlay is quite complicated, and anyone who tells you otherwise hasn’t spent enough time looking through the MSS. Indeed, the printer sometimes changed what the composer wanted, which makes things even more complicated. The text underlay by Guerrero often strikes me as “wrong,” but when we sing his music at Mass, suddenly it seems perfect & clever. I’ve come to believe that frequently there is no “absolutely correct” text underlay—in other words, I now have a more relaxed attitude.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, PDF Download Tagged With: Jam Christe Sol Justitiae, Jam Christus Astra Ascenderat, O Sol Salutis Intimis, Te Saeculorum Principem Last Updated: July 4, 2021

Subscribe

It greatly helps us if you subscribe to our mailing list!

* indicates required

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).

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —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

Giovanni Doni is known for having changed the name of note “Ut,” renaming it “Do.” He convinced his contemporaries to make the change by arguing that 1) “Do” is easier to pronounce than “Ut,” and 2) “Do” is an abbreviation for “Dominus,” the Latin word for the Lord, Who is the tonic and root of the world. There is much academic speculation that Giovanni Doni also wanted to imprint himself into musical canon in perpetuity because “Do” is also ulteriorly an abbreviation for his family name.

— Giovanni Battista Doni died in 1647AD

Recent Posts

  • “Three Reasons To Shun Bad Hymns” • Daniel B. Marshall
  • “Puzzling Comment” • By A Respected FSSP Priest
  • New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
  • “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
  • “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)

Subscribe

Subscribe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2025 Corpus Christi Watershed · Isaac Jogues on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.