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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

Video • “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”

Jeff Ostrowski · December 24, 2019

E HAVE OFTEN STRESSED something important about the Brébeuf hymnal. Just because it is a fully Catholic book, that doesn’t mean every single Protestant hymn was excluded. A good example is Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Many other Catholic hymnals have included this beautiful hymn for a long time. For example, “Worship IV Hymnal” (GIA, 2011) places it for #414. The “Saint Michael Hymnal” (2011 edition) places it for #558. The “New Catholic Hymnal” (Patrick Russill, 1998)—published by the London Oratory—places it for #21. The “Adoremus Hymnal” (Ignatius Press, 2011) places it for #325.

In the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal, it is #663:

You can hear the individual tracks if you visit the Brébeuf website and scroll to #663.

Sometimes, older Catholic hymnals did funny things with this melody.

Look at this example from the “Notre Dame Hymnal Book” (Birtchnell & Brown, 1905):

80523 MENDELSSOHN 1905 NOTRE DAME HYMN BOOK (Birtchnell & Brown)


Consider, too, this example from “Saint Mark’s Roman Catholic Hymnal” (1910):

80522 MENDELSSOHN 1910 HARK THE HERALD - Ad Regias - 1910 Saint Mark Hymnal copy


That’s the text for Ad Regias Agni Dapes !!!

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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Quick Thoughts

Alabama Assessment!

We received this evaluation of Symposium 2022 from an Alabama participant:

“Oh, how the Symposium echoed the words of Cardinal Merry Del Val: …choosing only what is most conformed to Thy glory, which is my final aim. In one short and fast paced week, the faculty and attendees showed me the hand of God and our Lady working in our lives. The wide range of education—from Gregorian Chant, jazz modes in organ improvisation, to ‘staying sane’ while leading a choir—were certainly first-class knowledge from the best teachers of the art. However, the most powerful lesson was learning how to pray as a choir. The sacrifice of putting songs together, taking time to learn the sacred text, meditating on the church teaching through the chants, and gaining the virtues required to persevere in these duties were not only qualities of a choir but of a saint. The sanctification of the lives of the attendees was a beautiful outcome of this event … and that in itself is worth more than a beautifully-sung Solesmes style chant!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
PDF Download • Trinity Sunday (22 pages)

Feel free to download this Organ Accompaniment Booklet for Trinity Sunday (Second Vespers). Notice how the modes progress by number. Psalm 1 is mode 1; Psalm 2 is mode 2; Psalm 3 is mode 3; Psalm 4 is mode 4; Psalm 5 is mode 5. I am told by an expert that other feasts (such as Corpus Christi) are likewise organized by mode, and it’s called a “numerical office.”

—Jeff Ostrowski
10 June 2022 • “Official” rhythm of plainsong

I continue to search for the most beautiful way to present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores. (Technically, the “pure” rhythm of the official edition is what everyone is supposed to use.) You can download my latest attempt, which is the Introit for this coming Sunday: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Because this is not an ancient feast, the Introit had to be adapted (perhaps around 750AD). Prior Johner says the adaptation is “not an entirely happy one.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Chants closely related to the readings should, of course, be appropriately transferred for use with these readings. For pastoral reasons also there is an option regarding the chants for the Proper of Seasons: namely, as circumstances suggest, to replace the text proper to a day with another text belonging to the same season.”

— Ordo Cantus Missae (1971)

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