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Views from the Choir Loft

A B C D F etc. — An Ancient “Alphabetical” Hymn

Jeff Ostrowski · May 11, 2020

VERY FEW DAYS, it seems more rehearsal videos are added to the Brébeuf website. Each hymn has a “story,” and highlights are included in the Brébeuf footnotes at the bottom of each page. For example, this hymn by Caelius Sedulius (a Christian Poet from the 5th century) was translated into English by Dr. John Wallace, a secular Catholic priest who later became a Benedictine, taking the name “Wilfrid.” Each verse of the hymn begins with a successive letter of the alphabet, and various sections have been “ripped out” for different Breviary hymns: A Solis Ortus Cardine, Hostis Herodes Impie, and so forth.

With beautiful effect, the singers added several pauses:


Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #007.

As far as I know, the Brébeuf hymnal is the only book which provides a literal English translation of the complete hymn by Sedulius—created by an FSSP priest who knows Latin very well. That’s pretty astonishing when we consider the important Breviary hymns which come from this poem. Here’s a screenshot of the Brébeuf pew edition:

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Every serious Catholic needs a copy of the Brébeuf hymnal. The book contains treasure after treasure.

 


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

*   Several famous hymnals contain is a melody called “SEDULIUS.” For example, number 323 of Dr. Theodore Marier’s hymnal uses that tune for a text by the Venerable Bede: “The Great Forerunner Of The Morn.” Number 156 of the New Westminster Hymnal uses that tune for a text about St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Number 57 of Hymns Ancient and Modern uses that tune for the same text as the Brébeuf hymnal, except the translation they chose was not by a Catholic—which makes sense, since HA&M is a Protestant hymnal, whereas the Brébeuf hymnal is Catholic. Sorting out hymn tune names is sometimes frustrating.

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, The Names Of Hymn Tunes Last Updated: May 14, 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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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

“Now we are aware of the fact that during recent years some artists, gravely offending against Christian piety, have dared to bring into churches works devoid of any religious inspiration and completely at variance with the right rules of art.”

— Ven. Pope Pius XII (25 December 1955)

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