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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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Quick Thoughts

    Schola Director Posts ‘Live’ Recording
    As I explained in my article posted earlier today, Nun Komm Der Heiden Heiland is actually a Catholic tune (in spite of what some have claimed). The volunteer choir I direct sang that beautiful ADVENT melody last Sunday, and I invite you to listen to the live recording. It will get better the more we sing it.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Message from the Vice-President!
    The Vice-President of the Church Music Association of America, Dr. Horst Buchholz (who also serves as Director of Sacred Music for the Archdiocese of Detroit) sent us an email yesterday regarding the harmonizations (PDF) I composed for the Gregorian Chant psalm tones. Dr. Buchholz says: “Those settings are absolutely exquisite, as I'm used to when it comes from you. Bravo! Well done! Now, as a sequel, if you could write something for accompanying psalms in English that would be awesome.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Requesting Our Advent Eucharistic Hymn
    A young lady named Agnes wrote to us: “Dear Mr. Ostrowski, do you have the PDF score for Ave Corpus Domini set to the ADVENT melody? Last year, we sang the hymn tune “Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland” quite a bit using your contrafactum technique. My choir appreciates the Latin hymns and practice videos, especially in the ADVENT and CHRISTMAS seasons. Your recent article on Gregorian Psalm Tones is a great help to my organist brother, and reminds us of attending VESPERS years ago when we lived in California. Thank you so much for all the effort put into providing these wonderful resources!”   Agnes, if you are listening! Yes, the PDF file you desire can be downloaded for free at the Brébeuf Portal via this URL link. Thanks for writing to us!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

When the matter is thus regarded, an assertion which is being made today, not only by laymen but also at times by certain theologians and priests and spread about by them, ought to be rejected as an erroneous opinion: namely, that the offering of one Mass, at which a hundred priests assist with religious devotion, is the same as a hundred Masses celebrated by a hundred priests. That is not true.

— Pope Pius XII (2 November 1954)

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