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Views from the Choir Loft

“Adoro te devote” (SATB) • Rehearsal Videos

Jeff Ostrowski · March 31, 2017

285 Thomas Aquinas OMETIMES PROTESTANTS accuse Catholics of an “abuse” regarding hymns, saying whenever we sing hymns during Mass we should sing all the verses. This sounds like a powerful, self-evident truth—just like when somebody says “peace” and “piece” couldn’t possibly be pronounced the same way because they’re spelled differently.

Those who carefully study hymns know better. Consider Tantum Ergo; which is not the complete hymn. Consider O Salutaris, Hostis Herodes, A solis ortus, and Angularis fundamentum; none of which is the complete hymn. For that matter, look at the ancient verses of the Offertories, which omit and combine verses constantly. Indeed, sections are sometimes omitted from Sequences (e.g. Credendum est from “Victimae Paschali”). 1

I’m teaching a hymn to our children’s choir, but we only do four verses:

    * *  PDF Download • “Adoro te devote” (SATB)

The melody is very “nineteenth-century”—and I’ll be curious to read the Facebook comments regarding this tune. The children like it.

The SATB section begins at the 0:37 marker:

REHEARSAL VIDEOS for each individual voice—along with PDF score—await you at #5855. If you like them, please consider donating $5.00 per month.


The English translation is by Fr. Adrian Fortescue (d. 1923):

1. Humbly I adore Thee, hidden Godhead,
veiled truly under these figures.
All my heart I give to Thee,
for it all fails in contemplating Thee.

1. Adóro te devóte, látens Déitas,
Quae sub his figúris vére látitas:
Tíbi se cor méum tótum súbjicit,
Quia te contémplans tótum déficit.

2. Sight, touch and taste tell me nothing
of Thy presence; yet safely I trust what I hear.
I believe whatever the Son of God has said;
nothing can be more true than the word of Truth itself.

2. Vísus, táctus, gústus in te fállitur,
Sed audítu sólo túto créditur:
Crédo, quídquid díxit Déi Fílius:
Nil hoc vérbo Veritátis vérius.

3. On the cross Thy Godhead was hidden;
here is hidden Thy manhood too.
Yet I believe and confess both,
praying as prayed the good thief.

3. In crúce latébat sóla Déitas,
At hic látet símul et humánitas:
Ámbo támen crédens átque cónfitens,
Péto quod petívit látro paénitens.

4. I do not see Thy wounds like Thomas;
yet I confess Thee my God.
Grant that I may ever more and more
believe in Thee, hope in Thee, love Thee.

4. Plágas, sícut Thómas, non intúeor:
Déum támen méum te confíteor:
Fac me tíbi sémper mágis crédere,
In te spem habére, te dilígere.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   For the record, even melodies are sometimes added or torn out, which made a big difference in Gloria IX. This is simply what happens with a Faith as ancient as ours.

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

Filed Under: Articles 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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    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?
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    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?
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    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.
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