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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

“Mister Eye” • Do You Mind Him?

Jeff Ostrowski · January 2, 2019

HE WAY WE PRONOUNCE English in 2019 does not always correspond to how English was pronounced in former centuries. In the days of Shakespeare, the word FLIES rhymed with ENEMIES. Certain types of poetry also tolerate what’s called an “eye rhyme”—when two words look the same but are pronounced differently: Sean+Bean; Cough+Bough; Food+Good; Death+Wreath; Love+Move; and so forth.

Whenever possible—and it was not always possible—the Brébeuf Hymnal avoided rhymes such as this one, found in the Cantate Omnes Hymnal (produced in 1952 by the Church Musicians’ Guild of Buffalo):

85761 Mister Eye

For the record, “call” and “festival” (verse 2) no longer rhyme; although they probably did in the 17th century, when Sir Walter Kirkham Blount wrote this translation for a Roman Catholic Missal. It was not always possible for the Brébeuf Hymnal to avoid such rhymes. Indeed, if you examine its 932 pages, you’ll notice several. However, we tried to avoid any that were especially prominent.

The following example by Father Faber is considered by some to be an eye rhyme, because they claim these two words no longer rhymed in the 19th century:

Most ancient of all mysteries,
Before Thy throne we lie;
Have mercy now, most merciful,
Most holy Trinity.

(Because of this hymn, a young child once asked his mother why it was okay to tell lies when we are before the Throne of God…)

Are you bothered by eye rhymes? Let us know in the combox on the CCW Facebook page.

PDF Download • 615 page book:

You can download the entire (marvelous!) Roman Catholic Holy Week book—“The Office of the Holy Week According to the Missall and Roman Breviary”—by Sir Walter Kirkham Blount, published in 1670AD:

*  PDF Download • Holy Week Book (1670AD)
—The Office of the Holy Week According to the Missall and Roman Breviary.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Affordable Hymnal for Catholic Parishes, Jean de Brebeuf Hymnal Last Updated: April 10, 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 Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“Pope Francis breaks Catholic traditions whenever he wants because he is free from disordered attachments. Our Church has indeed entered a new phase: with the advent of this first Jesuit pope, it is openly ruled by an individual rather than by the authority of Scripture alone or even its own dictates of tradition plus Scripture.”

— Fr. Thomas Rosica (31 July 2018)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “Jeff’s Mom Joins Our Fundraiser”
  • “Musicam Sacram” (5 March 1967) • Does It Apply?
  • “What Martin Luther Said…”
  • “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Worship the Lord in Holy Attire

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