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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • Organ Accompaniments (Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament)

Jeff Ostrowski · May 16, 2020

HE MOST FAMOUS proponent of the Solesmes school of accompaniment—even more than Dom Jean Hébert Desrocquettes and Henri Potiron—was a man named Achille P. Bragers. Born in Belgium, Bragers studied at the Lemmens Institute, which 30+ years later would produce the magnificent NOH. Bragers was the one who produced the “Chant Service Book” (208 pages)—which we recently scanned—in which he uses “seasonal” Benediction chants. For example: During Advent, he sets “O Salutaris Hostia” to the Creator Alme Siderum melody; during Christmastide, he sets “O Salutaris Hostia” to the Jesu Redemptor Omnium melody; and so forth.

We use “seasonal” melodies at my parish, and here’s the Easter melody:

*  PDF Download • “O Salutaris Hostia” (Eastertide)
—“O Saving Victim Opening Wide” Accompaniment with EASTERTIDE melody.

You can hear how Eastertide sounds played on a toy organ.

*  PDF Download • “O Salutaris Hostia” (Pentecost)
—“O Saving Victim Opening Wide” Accompaniment with PENTECOST melody.

Page 522 of the Brébeuf hymnal allows you to sing any melody, as well as providing the English translation—but we must remember that “O Salutaris Hostia” is taken from Verbum Supérnum Pródiens (a hymn by Saint Thomas Aquinas):

Father Adrian Fortescue’s 1913 Hymnal also presents the “O Salutaris” as part of the Verbum Supérnum Pródiens by Saint Thomas Aquinas:

(When speaking of Verbum Supérnum Pródiens, it’s important to specify it being written by Saint Thomas Aquinas, since a completely different hymn has the same title.)

The Brébeuf hymnal provides a literal English translation, in addition to a “poetic” (i.e. “rhyming”) translation set to several beautiful tunes. Monsignor Ronald Knox created a powerful rhyming translation published in the New Westminster Hymnal. For the record, Achille P. Bragers even employs an Ascensiontide melody for “O Salutaris Hostia” using the Jesu Nostra Redémptio melody (a.k.a. Salútis Humánæ Sator):

I wouldn’t use the melody Bragers chose for the Ascension; it’s too difficult. But our parish knows the Easter melody, because we sing it all the time:

*  PDF Download • “Ad Regias Agni Dapes”
—Also given as “Ad Cenam Agni Providi,” which is the original version.

If you want a melody for the “Tantum Ergo” that nobody knows, try SAINT LEONARD, with a melody taken from #318 in the Brébeuf Hymnal.

More Possibilities :

To the “Whitehall” tune:

*  PDF Download • “O SALUTARIS HOSTIA”
—Demonstrating a “seasonal” melody for Benediction.

Combined with a Rossini motet:

*  PDF Download • “O SALUTARIS HOSTIA”
—Demonstrating a “seasonal” melody for Benediction.

To the “Breslau” tune:

*  PDF Download • “O SALUTARIS HOSTIA”
—Here is the ORGAN ACCOMPANIMENT.

To the “Vexilla Christus Inclyta” tune:

*  PDF Download • “O SALUTARIS HOSTIA”
—Demonstrating a “seasonal” melody for Benediction.

NORMAL BENEDICTION MELODIES:

Of course, you can also use the “normal” melodies during Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament:

*  PDF • “O Salutaris Hostia” (Organ Accompaniment)
—DUGUET is the “normal” melody for O Salutaris Hostia at Benediction.

*  PDF • “Tantum Ergo” (Organ Accompaniment)
—ST THOMAS is the “normal” melody for Tantum Ergo Sacramentum (“Down in Adoration Falling”).

These accompaniments were taken from the Brébeuf hymnal, which carefully lays out each verse of every hymn in the most magnificent way.

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

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Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Gregorian Chant Accompaniments, Jean de Brebeuf Hymnal Last Updated: June 6, 2021

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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 Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“The argument moves from the existence of the thing to the correctness of the thing: what is, ought to be. Or, a popular variant: if a thing is, it doesn’t make any difference whether it ought to be—the correct response is to adjust, to learn to live with the thing.”

— ‘L. Brent Bozell, Jr.’

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