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Views from the Choir Loft

“Outer Space Hymn” (1966) • In A Catholic Hymnal

Jeff Ostrowski · May 16, 2018

ERY SOON, the St. Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal will be sent to print, and this collection is truly unique. Our international committee has examined hundreds of hymnals, taking only that which is excellent—and discarding the rest. Magnificent new texts and melodies have also been commissioned.

It goes without saying we won’t select any of the “goofy” stuff found in too many American churches since Vatican II. For example, we will not be using the following text—printed by the progressive Collegeville Abbey 1—which has an IMPRIMATUR from 1966:

“And as we float along through outer space,
Past galaxies aglow in dark’s embrace,
Toward other worlds where brothers may await,
Do care for us now in our weightless state.”

88989 Roman Catholic “Outer Space Hymn” 1966

The “outer space hymn” reminds me a verse by Marty Haugen (a non-Catholic):

Not in the dark of buildings confining,
Not in some heaven, light-years away,
But here in this place, the new light is shining,
Now is the Kingdom, now is the day.

Those heretical lyrics were included in major Catholic hymnals for decades, such as the Worship Hymnal from GIA Publications. (And here’s a photograph to prove it.)

Our settings, however, are taken from the authentic liturgy, such as the Breviary hymns. (More on this later.) Many “traditional” hymnals consist almost exclusively of protestant hymnody, and we have avoided this pitfall in a marvelous way—after tremendous consultation and research.

BUT CREATING A GOOD HYMNAL involves much more than simply digging through old Catholic hymnals. Indeed, many of these hymnals contained melodies of a extremely low quality. Consider the type of music used in a Roman Catholic hymnal from 1878 (Hymnal and Vesperal for the Seasons and Principal Festivals of the Ecclesiastical Year):

88984 ROMAN CATHOLIC HYMNAL 1878

Here are some pages from a 1906 hymnal that was quite popular in America:

88988 St Basil Hymnal

American bishops saw nothing wrong with this type of music:

* *  PDF • Catholic bishops who supported this 1906 Hymnal

Those who serve on the committee to produce the Brébeuf hymnal do not feel melodies such as those possess the dignity (or artistic excellence) required for use at Holy Mass.

 


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Whereas some orders have reformed since the 1960s, becoming more orthodox, the monks at Collegeville have gone the opposite direction. Not long ago, a seminary professor at Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville publicly described the traditional practice of preventing Eucharistic particles from falling on the floor as a “fetish”—yet he was not censured, and still continues to teach.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: Heretical GIA Hymns Last Updated: July 7, 2021

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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

    Hymn by Cardinal Newman
    During the season of Septuagesima, we will be using this hymn by Cardinal Newman, which employs both Latin and English. (Readers probably know that Cardinal Newman was one of the world's experts when it comes to Lingua Latina.) The final verse contains a beautiful soprano descant. Father Louis Bouyer—famous theologian, close friend of Pope Paul VI, and architect of post-conciliar reforms—wrote thus vis-à-vis the elimination of Septuagesima: “I prefer to say nothing, or very little, about the new calendar, the handiwork of a trio of maniacs who suppressed (with no good reason) Septuagesima and the Octave of Pentecost and who scattered three quarters of the Saints higgledy-piddledy, all based on notions of their own devising!”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Introit • Candlemas (2 February)
    “Candlemas” • Our choir sang on February 2nd, and here's a live recording of the beautiful INTROIT: Suscépimus Deus. We had very little time to rehearse, but I think it has some very nice moments. I promise that by the 8th Sunday after Pentecost it will be perfect! (That Introit is repeated on the 8th Sunday after Pentecost.) We still need to improve, but we're definitely on the right track!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplified Antiphons • “Candlemas”
    Anyone who desires simplified antiphons (“psalm tone versions”) for 2 February, the Feast of the Purification—which is also known as “Candlemas” or the Feast of the Presentation—may freely download them. The texts of the antiphons are quite beautiful. From “Lumen Ad Revelatiónem Géntium” you can hear a live excerpt (Mp3). I'm not a fan of chant in octaves, but we had such limited time to rehearse, it seemed the best choice. After all, everyone should have an opportunity to learn “Lumen Ad Revelatiónem Géntium,” which summarizes Candlemas.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Gregorian chant is the sacred chant, proper and principal of the Roman Church. Therefore, not only can it be used in all liturgical actions, but unless there are mitigating circumstances, it is preferable to use it instead of other kinds of sacred music.”

— §16, De Musica Sacra (1958)

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