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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • “What Makes A Good Hymn?”

Jeff Ostrowski · February 6, 2020

EOPLE are making a big deal about a scandalous song by GIA Publications, written for the LA Religious Education Congress later this month. Having listened to an excerpt of the song, I agree with those who insist such “beat music” should never be sung during the Holy Mass. Why an organization called The Gregorian Institute of America would promote that song is a mystery to me. But rather than “attack,” we should provide positive alternatives—beautiful and dignified melodies—such as those found in the Brébeuf hymnal, which the New Liturgical Movement (6/10/2019) called “hands down, the best Catholic hymnal ever published.”

What Makes A Good Hymn Tune?

An excellent article was published in 1912 by the choirmaster of Westminster Cathedral (which is Roman Catholic, whereas Westminster Abbey is currently Protestant):

*  PDF Download • “What Makes A Good Hymn?”
—A fascinating article by Sir Richard Runciman Terry (d. 1938).

In 1885, a Jesuit priest named Father Dreves published a melody which I consider to be excellent:


This famous melody is paired with numerous texts in the Brébeuf hymnal.  For example:


The tune itself is called various names: Vom Himmel Hoch, Erfurt, Altona, and so on.  It was once associated with Christmas, but lost this association a century ago (except in German-speaking countries). Below are examples with non-Christmas texts:

*  PDF Download • “Vom Himmel Hoch” for Eastertide
—An example of “ALTONA” not being used for Christmas.

*  PDF Download • “Vom Himmel Hoch” for General Use
—An example of “ALTONA” not being used for Christmas.

*  PDF Download • “Vom Himmel Hoch” for St. Peter’s Day
—An example of “ALTONA” not being used for Christmas.

*  PDF Download • “Vom Himmel Hoch” for Psalm 114
—An example of “ALTONA” not being used for Christmas.

*  PDF Download • “Vom Himmel Hoch” for Pentecost
—An example of “ALTONA” not being used for Christmas.

An example (same tune) from the Brébeuf hymnal for the Holy Name:


An example (same tune) for Epiphany:


An ancient Catholic text suitable for Holy Communion (same tune):


An example for Christmas (same tune):


The beautiful harmonization (from the Brébeuf Choral Supplement) sounds interesting with the bass line removed—don’t you agree?

*  Mp3 Download • “Altona” without the Bass
—This file has the Bass Line removed.

P.S.

Regarding the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, I see the keynote speaker this year is Bishop Danny Flores. He was on the faculty of a high school where I taught for three years, and (once upon a time) served as the personal driver for Bishop René Gracida, who flew 39 bombing runs in Germany during World War II. Bishop Gracida told me that wherever they drove together—including very long road trips—he forced Bishop Flores (at that time, he was “Father”) to listen to Glenn Gould playing the Goldberg Variations. Awesome choice! Too bad the absolute best recording was not available in those days. [The best recording is a 1959 “live” version of Glenn Gould recorded in Salzburg.]

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

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Jean de Brebeuf Hymnal, Roman Catholic Hymnals, Sir Richard Runciman Terry Last Updated: September 4, 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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Quick Thoughts

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
15 February 2021 • To Capitalize…?

In the Introit for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, there is a question regarding whether to capitalize the word “christi.” The Vulgata does not, because Psalm 27 is not specifically referring to Our Lord, but rather to God’s “anointed one.” However, Missals tend to capitalize it, such as the official 1962 Missal and also a book from 1777 called Missel de Paris. Something tells me Monsignor Knox would not capitalize it.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • “Sung vs. Spoken”

We have spoken quite a bit about “sung vs. spoken” antiphons. We have also noted that the texts of the Graduale Romanum sometimes don’t match the Missal texts (in the Extraordinary Form) because the Mass Propers are older than Saint Jerome’s Vulgate, and sometimes came from the ITALA versions of Sacred Scripture. On occasion, the Missal itself doesn’t match the Vulgate—cf. the Introit “Esto Mihi.” The Vulgate has: “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in domum refúgii…” but the Missal and Graduale Romanum use “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in locum refúgii…” The 1970s “spoken propers” use the traditional version, as you can see.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Except the psalms or canonical Scriptures of the new and old Testaments, nothing composed poetically shall be sung in church, as the holy canons command.”

— ‘Council of Braga, 563AD’

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