PDF Download • Rare Hymnal by Organist at the Birmingham Oratory (1913)

ILLIAM SEWELL was organist and choirmaster about 100 years ago at the Birmingham Oratory. In 1913, he collaborated with Benedictine FATHER SAMUEL GREGORY OULD to produce a hymnal.  Ould—a chant enthusiast who converted to the “Mocquereau method”—served as chaplain to the Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre, located in Boreham (a village in Essex, England).

Peter Meggison had a copy of this extremely rare hymnal, and Watershed scanned it:

    * *  PDF • LONDON BOOK OF HYMNS (572 pages)

The most interesting pages are toward the end. You will find SATB settings of the Rosary, which would surely require hours to pray!

YOU WILL ALSO FIND a setting of Newman’s “Lead, Kindly Light” (one I’ve never seen before) which is interesting because the cardinal lived at that place. You will find a section with “Hymns for Low Mass”—typical at the time—including a setting of the CREED and OUR FATHER sung to one note. Most interesting to me, however, are the plainsong accompaniments, such as the Missa de Angelis setting:

Father Gregory Ould (1865-1939) also edited splendid & clever interludes based upon Gregorian themes:

    * *  PDF Download • The Latin Organist (65 pages)

According to Thomas Muir, Fr. Ould left several “massive volumes of manuscript plainchant accompaniments” at the New Hall archives in Essex.