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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

“Breathtaking Beauty” • Hymn for Christ the King

Jeff Ostrowski · October 26, 2021

HEN DID IT BECOME fashionable to tamper with the sacred liturgy? Contrary to what certain authors claim, Vatican II was not the first instance of this. Some point to the manufactured feast of Christ the King in 1925 as typical of liturgical tampering. Here are some reasons why: (1) It was manufactured, meaning the Propria Missae and hymns for the Divine Office are modern creations; (2) It disturbs the two traditional times honoring Christ the King, viz. the Epiphany and Palm Sunday; (3) It replaces a Sunday rather than being fixed to a date on the calendar; (4) It added a PREFACE, and after Vatican II hundreds more would be added, contrary to the traditional praxis. 1

Jeff Is Unqualified: I am not qualified to decide whether the feast of Christ the King should have been added in 1925. As a choirmaster, I simply deal with reality: It was added. Where can we find excellent hymns in honor of Christ the King? Without question, the best source is the Brébeuf hymnal. For example, page 758 has a beautiful text by Father Percival Jones set to the BRETON melody. At the bottom of the page, the Brébeuf hymnal includes a marvelous “text only version,” allowing melodic flexibility.

Mixing Things Up: Whenever the choirmaster selects a lesser-known hymn, it’s important to also include some “favorites.” Therefore, on the same Sunday we sang that hymn to Christ the King, we also sang the following (as a recessional):

Holy Communion Hymn: When it comes to Holy Communion, an excellent choice is “Pange Lingua” by Saint Thomas Aquinas. The following version is #366 in the Brébeuf hymnal, with an English translation by Robert Campbell, a Scottish attorney who published Hymns and Anthems for Use in the Holy Service of the Church (1850). He converted to the Catholic Church in 1852, but was never a priest—despite the erroneous claim made on page 251 of the American Catholic Hymnal according to the Motu Proprio of His Holiness Pope Pius X (1913).

Former Slave Holder? I have mentioned before that anyone who carefully examines the Brébeuf hymnal will find a few texts by people who were not Catholic. An example would be #860, which is by John Newton (d. 1807), who had an “interesting” life. He was captain of slave ships, and later became an investor in the slave trade. (England got rid of slavery about forty years before the United States did.) John Newton was captured, and became a slave himself (in Africa). He subsequently became an abolitionist and Anglican clergyman. One of the songs he wrote is “Amazing Grace.”

If you read everything I’ve written, you deserve a wonderful reward—and here it is:

*  PDF Download • Image of Christ the King
—Grandes Heures d’Anne de Bretagne circa 1500AD.

More hymns for Christ the King can be found at this link.


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   For about 1,000 years, the Roman Rite only had about ten prefaces. Following Vatican II, they wrote or “adapted” hundreds of new ones. Indeed, the USCCB even manufactured a Preface for the 4th of July!

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

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Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: Christ the King, Hymn for Christ the King, Jean de Brebeuf Hymnal Last Updated: November 1, 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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President’s Corner

    “Equal Voices” Choir Pieces
    My colleague, CORRINNE MAY, has posted some delightful compositions for equal voices: that is, choirs consisting of all men or all women. Included there are settings of the “Ave Maria” and “Tantum Ergo.” They strike me as relatively simple and not excessively lengthy. (In other words, within reach of volunteer singers.) Even better, all the scores have been made available as instant PDF downloads, completely free of charge. Bravo!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
    The 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM was a transitional missal. It was on its way to becoming the 1970 version, but wasn’t there yet. It eliminated certain duplications, downplayed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, expanded the role of laymen, minimized the Last Gospel, made many items optional, and so forth. Father Valentine Young spotted many typos in the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, especially incorrect accents. The Offertory Antiphon for this coming Sunday (OF kalendar) contains an error, citing the wrong verse from Psalm 118. It should be 118:107b, not 118:154. If you read verse 154, you’ll understand how that error crept in. [In this particular case, the error pre-dates the 1962 Missal, since the 1940s hand-missal by Father Lasance also gets it wrong.]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 26 October 2025, which is the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the top-notch feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Victoria not only made his professional debut as church organist: he also continued active on the organ bench until the very eve of his death. Indeed, during his last seven years at Madrid (1604-1611) he occupied no other musical post but that of convent organist.”

— Dr. Robert Stevenson (1961)

Recent Posts

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  • “Equal Voices” Choir Pieces
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  • PDF Downloads • Four (4) Simple Pieces in Harmony for Men’s Choirs
  • Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)

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