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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Accompaniment • “Jesu Redemptor Omnium”

Jeff Ostrowski · December 30, 2019

HOSE WHO ATTENDED the very first Sacred Music Symposium will remember how the entire thing was based upon a particular hymn melody. These days, the melody (“Jesu Redemptor Omnium”) is normally associated with the Christmas season. However, anyone who has studied the color pages section of the Brébeuf hymnal will realize the actual history of this hymn tune is more complicated. Indeed, the plainsong melody was used for the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity (in Guerrero’s time), as well as for Christmas, Epiphany, the Feast of All Saints (November 1st), and several other feasts. Click here to see the melody used for Salutis Aeterne Dator. Or, you can see how it looks when this melody is used for Exsultet Orbis Gaudiis. We sang this hymn for Vespers yesterday—the entire congregation—and it was marvelous. Nonetheless, I wasn’t quite happy with the NOH harmonization, so I took the liberty of creating my own:

    * *  PDF Download • “Jesu Redemptor” (Organ Accompaniment)

You can compare my accompaniment to that found in the NOH:

80485-jesu-redemptor-omnium


You can also compare it to an accompaniment by Achille P. Bragers:

80487-Jesu-Redemptor-Omnium


You can also compare it to an accompaniment by the famous Gregorianist, Dr. Peter Wagner, who studied with Father Michael Hermesdorff at the Cathedral school in Trier:

80484-Peter-Wagner


Let’s do one more. This is from the “Laudate Catholic Hymnal,” published in Kansas in the 1940s:

80483 Laudate Catholic Hymns


The Brébeuf hymnal contains more information about this ancient Catholic hymn (“Jesu Redemptor Omnium”) than any other hymnal—so much info!  For more information, cf. pages 278-279 of the Brébeuf pew edition.

Bonus Question:

Can you see what Bragers did here?

80478 CONTRAFACTUM BRAGERS


(Those familiar with “common melodies” in the Brébeuf hymnal will not be surprised by this!)

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Last Updated: January 17, 2020

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Jeff Ostrowski

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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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

4 March 2021 • Can you spare 15 seconds?

Due to Covid-19, California has basically been under “lock down” for 11 months, and these restrictions have had quite a detrimental effect on our choral programs. We are frequently limited to just 2-3 singers, on account of regulations by the government and our Archdiocese. However, although the number of singers is quite small, I was struck by the beauty of the singing last Sunday. Listen to this 15-second live excerpt and see if you agree?

—Jeff Ostrowski
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According to Monsignor Frederick R. McManus, there were “policemen” serving the Sanhedrin in the time of Our Blessed Lord. Look at this awful translation in the 1966 “Saint Andrew Bible Missal” from 1966. Yuck!

—Jeff Ostrowski
Surprising Popularity!

One of our most popular downloads has proven to be the organ accompaniment to “The Monastery Hymnal” (131 pages). This book was compiled, arranged, and edited by Achille P. Bragers, who studied at the Lemmensinstituut (Belgium) about thirty years before that school produced the NOH. Bragers might be considered an example of Belgium “Stile Antico” whereas Flor Peeters and Jules Van Nuffel represented Belgium “Prima Pratica.” You can download the hymnal by Bragers at this link.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“What will be the results of this innovation? The results expected, or rather desired, are that the faithful will participate in the liturgical mystery with more understanding, in a more practical, a more enjoyable and a more sanctifying way.” [Enjoyable?]

— Pope Paul VI (26 Nov 1969)

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