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Views from the Choir Loft

Can’t Decide Which Hymn Tune To Use?

Jeff Ostrowski · May 14, 2020

OWERFUL INNOVATION will always conjure critics. For example, when the Editio Vaticana was released—because it was so “newfangled”—it was the recipient of brazen attacks by people who knew little about authentic plainsong. It was, therefore, not surprising that efforts were made (by various cadres) to attack the Brébeuf hymnal when it appeared. Some didn’t understand the various options provided for important texts—and those people should read this article, paying special attention to the examples.

The Brébeuf hymnal also came under attack for supposedly using the “wrong” tune for a particular hymn. The attackers didn’t realize there is no “correct” tune for many hymns. 1

The Graduale de Tempore et de Sanctis (1871) found an interesting solution for the Good Friday Pange Lingua—mixing two hymn tunes together!


What That Graduale Did:

For the “verses,” they took the melody from Pange Lingua by Saint Thomas Aquinas:


For the “refrain,” they took the melody for the Pange Lingua by Bishop Fortunatus:

Sigh…there’s so much to learn at the Saint Jean Lalande Online Library.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   When some people say the “correct” tune, they really mean “the one I know”—and that’s quite a different thing. Hymn texts frequently have multiple “correct” melodies to which they can be married. It’s similar to the word mean. That word has multiple definitions: (1) “signify” [flashing lights mean the road is blocked]; (2) “intend” [Susie didn’t mean to hurt you]; (3) “unkind” [you’re being mean to me]; (4) “lowly” [in spite of their mean origins]; (4) “average” [the year’s mean temperature]; (5) a particular tuning system [referring to mean-tone temperament]; and so forth. To sum it up, mean can mean a bunch of stuff! Only a fool would claim there’s only one “correct” meaning for that word.

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 Last Updated: May 14, 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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5 April 2021 • When Girls *SING*

Covid restrictions here in California are still extremely severe—switching “two weeks to flatten the curve” into “two years to flatten the curve.” Since 2020, we’ve had police breaking into our church to check if everyone is wearing a mask…even when only 5-6 people are present! But we were allowed to have a small percentage of our singers back on Easter Sunday, and here is their live recording of the ancient Catholic hymn for Eastertide: Ad Cenam Agni Providi. The girls were so very excited to sing again—you can hear it in their voices!

—Jeff Ostrowski
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“E.S.” in North Dakota writes: “I just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for all the hard work you have put—and continue to put—into your wonderful website. In the past two years, my parish has moved from a little house basement into a brand new church and gone from a few families receiving Low Masses twice a month to several families (and many individuals) receiving Mass every Sunday, two Saturdays a month, and every Holy Day. Our priest has been incorporating more and more High Masses and various ceremonies into our lives, which has made my job as a huge newbie choir master very trying and complicated. CCWatershed has been an invaluable resource in helping me get on my feet and know what to do!!! Thank you more than I can express! May God bless you abundantly and assist you in your work and daily lives!”

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29 March 2021 • Condemned?

On Palm Sunday, the Passion was read. Immediately after mention is made of the betrayal by Judas, the Holy Eucharist is introduced. Is this not a condemnation of “Christians” who deny the Church teaching on the SANCTISSIMUM? Here is Matthew 26: And Judas that betrayed him, answering, said: “Is it I, Rabbi?” He saith to him: “Thou hast said it.” And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is my body.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“There are no hymns, in this sense, till the fourth century; they were not admitted to the Roman office till the twelfth. No Eastern rite to this day knows this kind of hymn. Indeed, in our Roman rite we still have the archaic offices of the last days of Holy Week and of the Easter octave, which—just because they are archaic—have no hymns.”

— Adrian Fortescue (25 March 1916)

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