UR DIVINE MASTER, Jesus Christ, said: “A woman in labor hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but the child being born, she remembers no more the anguish…” Nobody has been more eager for the Brébeuf Harmony Edition to appear than me; and I’ve been waiting five long years. But I was told today it is supposed to be available for purchase very soon—that is to say, within a few days.
Folks, I have seen a copy: IT. IS. FABULOUS.
I sat down at the organ and could not stop playing through it. I just couldn’t stop! I played through each hymn, singing all the verses to myself. The harmonizations are phenomenal. Since 2013, I’ve looked at probably 20,000 pages of hymn harmonizations—but I’ve never seen anything like the Brébeuf harmonies. They are simple, yet elegant. More importantly, they are within the range of singers! To be honest, there were some tunes I wasn’t 100% convinced of before; but when I hear them with the Brébeuf harmonies, I am blown away…and now I would die for these melodies. Yes, folks, they are that epic.
AS SOMEONE WHO CONTRIBUTED SEVERAL ORIGINAL HARMONIES TO THIS BOOK, I WILL BE NOTIFIED THE INSTANT IT BECOMES AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. AND I WILL LET YOU KNOW IMMEDIATELY.
Here is a sample:
* * PDF Download • Unauthorized Preview
There is a harmony for every single hymn! …and the Brébeuf Hymnal is 932 pages!
The harmony edition doesn’t make any sense without the Pew Hymnal. It is complementary. However, you will be hearing a lot more about this—and you will love it. It was designed to work with parishes; it is “practical” to a fault. More later.
I’m told they still need a few proofreaders to look over 1-2 sections one final time. If you’re interested, send an email to: liturgical.institute@gmail.com.
