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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

PDF Download • “Hymns Ancient & Modern”

Jeff Ostrowski · August 7, 2017

OOGLE HAS UPLOADED a complete copy of HYMNS ANCIENT & MODERN, and I’ve included the PDF (41MB) toward the end of this article. HYMNS A&M is a famous Anglican hymn book containing many praiseworthy melodies and texts later adopted by Catholic hymnals. Number 145, for example, is an English translation of “Rex Sempiterne Coelitum,” a Roman Catholic hymn. (Orby Shipley has reminded us that the majority of Anglican hymns are ancient Catholic hymns translated into English.) I’m part of a team creating the St. Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal, and the marvelous hymns we’ve uncovered along the way are bewildering—to say nothing of the many contemporary works we’ve commissioned.

We love exploring hymns sung in two parts, for choirs who struggle with SATB. 1 Here is a glorious example:

    * *  PDF Download • “Rex Sempiterne” (English & Latin)

REHEARSAL VIDEOS for each individual voice await you at #4736.

That link (#4736) also contains a version totally in English—in case your choir is scared of seeing Latin!

EARLIER, I MADE REFERENCE to Number 145 in HYMNS A&M, which uses a translation by the compilers beginning with “O Christ the Heaven’s Eternal King.” There’s nothing wrong with that translation; indeed, about fifteen other translations might have been chosen. My choice, however—as shown above—was the excellent English translation by Fr. Fitzpatrick. Make sure to download Google’s scan of HYMNS A&M (1904 edition). The 1972 edition is also worth obtaining, but isn’t available online.

The hymn above (“Rex Sempiterne”) is actually a Renaissance revision of the ancient hymn “Rex Aeterne Domine.” This hymn can be sung at any time during the liturgical year. Indeed, we have made a special effort in the St. Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal to include pieces suitable for use throughout the year. We believe many hymnals fall short in this area, yet provide abundant choices for Advent, Christmas, Easter, and so on. Those hymnals would be adequate if church musicians only worked on major feasts—but the reality is, choirmasters must choose music throughout the entire year.

Consider two literal translations of this hymn:

    * *  PDF Download • REX AETERNE DOMINE (Two Literal Translations)

Do you know a more beautiful hymn? I do not.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Unfortunately, many choirs—both Catholic and Protestant—feel they are “good enough” to sing SATB, but the results are unsatisfactory. SATB singing is supposed to sound good. If it’s not sounding good, the choirmaster should switch back to unison or 2-voice.

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download 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

14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book

If there is a more beautiful book than Abbat Pothier’s 1888 Processionale Monasticum, I don’t know what it might be. This gorgeous tome was today added to the Saint John Lalande Online Library. I wish I owned a physical copy.

—Jeff Ostrowski
Sound Familiar?

1 June 1579: “The chapter passes a rule that anyone ascending to the new organ without official permission shall be fined a month’s pay.”

26 October 1579: “The altar boys remain always separate and distinct from choirboys—the one group learning only plainchant and assisting at the altar, the other living with the chapel-master and studying counterpoint and polyphony as well. Father Francisco Guerrero postpones his departure for Rome and instead spends the entire year in Seville making ready for the trip. In the meantime he neglects his choirboys. On 16 November, after considerable complaint against their unruliness and ignorance, he engages an assistant, Bartolomé Farfán.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The choir shall henceforth sing or say no anthems of our Lady or other Saints, but only of our Lord, and then not in Latin; but choosing out the best and most sounding to Christian religion they shall turn the same into English, setting thereunto a plain and distinct note for every syllable one: they shall sing them and none other.”

— 1548 Edict of King Edward VI (a heretic) for Lincoln Cathedral

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