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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

Review • A Catholic Book of Hymns

Veronica Brandt · May 24, 2022

Noel Jones has published a rather solid hymnbook at a very competitive price. Drawing on the wealth of freely available public domain hymns, he has assembled a great collection in a compact paperback or hardback pew book with matching editions for choir and organist.

I don’t want to say that the price of the hymnal should be the chief determining factor. Buying the cheapest hymnal can be hazardous, as I’m sure many readers will agree. In my local parish, there is a misconception that the cheaper approved hymnals are more down to earth, practical and accessible. I say this is a misconception as the music contained in these little books is synthetic, mass manufactured imitation pop music which contributes to the absence of reverence for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. There are cheap hymnals which contain ideas like termites eating away at any residual Catholic devotion in the hearts of the faithful. However, A Catholic Book of Hymns sticks to tried and true, old hymns which are also clear of copyright restrictions.

But, on a practical level, price is a factor when choosing a hymnbook for your parish.

A Catholic
Book of Hymns
Adoremus
Hymnal
Gather
4th ed
Brebeuf
Hymnal
Pew Book$14.95$18.95$20$29.99
Choir Book$24.95$24.95$32$29.99
Organ Book$24.95$29.95$140$149.99

But even with this comparison, the amazing thing with A Catholic Book of Hymns is that you can buy the PDF and it is cleared for printing to your heart’s content. A $5 PDF could be all you need!

If, on the other hand, your parish prefers more durable, hardback pew books, these are also available ($18.95).

In most respects this is a fairly normal hymnbook. The hymns are arranged alphabetically. There are three indices in the pew book: by first lines, by tune name and by meter. The Choir Director’s edition adds three more indices: liturgical, topical and scriptural. If these were not enough, they have also reproduced the indices online for easy searching. The one index they lack is one by author, translator or composer.

A really interesting feature is the Simple Organ edition, which reduces the usual four parts down to three. Generally this is based on deleting the tenor line with some alterations. Repeated notes are often elided to simplify the rhythm. It has opened up many more tunes for me. Sometimes I have struggled with playing the full SATB tune, turned to the simplified three part version, then returned to the full version. Amazing things happen when you practise.

I’ve mentioned a few of the different editions here. The complete list as of writing this article is:

  • Pew paperback
  • Pew hardback
  • Organ edition
  • Simple organ edition
  • Choral edition
  • Organist and Choir Director
  • Chords (simple organ + chord names above the staff)
  • Prayer Book of Hymns without Music
  • Organ Preludes – Noel Jones’ arrangements

Browsing the Catholic Book of Hymns Webpage, you can find a few different sample PDF documents. Here is a link to the basic one:

** 61 page sample PDF


A couple of years ago Views from the Choir Loft ran a series on “Comparison” • 15 Traditional Catholic Hymnals which criticised some hymnbooks for preferring Protestant hymns and translators.

I’m reminded of certain people who give to the poor items they no longer have any use for: “Here’s something I don’t want, so you can have it.” Can’t we do better than ‘leftovers’ from Protestantism?

The article doesn’t say we should never use Protestant hymns, but rather that a Catholic hymnbook should somehow reorient the reader from the prevailing mindset towards one informed by the older patrimony of hymns from the golden age of Chant. The main drawback with this approach is that the history of English speaking countries has favored Protestants, so as English speaking people we are immersed in references to these famous Protestant hymns. And there are some great tunes there.

If the Adoremus 50 lists were to add in a column for A Catholic Book of Hymns, this is how it would look:

  • Alleluia! Sing to Jesus – Protestant
  • All Glory, Laud, and Honor – Catholic text, Protestant translation
  • All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name – Protestant
  • All People That on Earth Do Dwell – Protestant
  • All You Who Seek a Comfort Sure – Catholic
  • Angels We Have Heard on High – Catholic
  • As With Gladness Men of Old – Protestant
  • At the Cross Her Station Keeping – Catholic
  • At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing – Catholic
  • Away in a Manger – Protestant

So, A Catholic Book of Hymns would probably be classed as another Adoremus 50 hymnbook. I would argue that this is not necessarily a bad thing.

The Latin hymns are few and far between, but they are there, including:

  • Panis Angelicus
  • Tantum Ergo (2 tunes)
  • O Salutaris Hostia (2 tunes)
  • O Sanctissima

A parish might look into other books for Gregorian chant resources.

There are some unusual and very Catholic titles in the list:

  • Long live the Pope!
  • O Queen of the Holy Rosary
  • O Godhead Hid, Devoutly I Adore Thee (The Gerard Manley Hopkins translation “Godhead here in hiding” is not included)
  • Michael, Prince of Highest Heaven

Many much-loved Catholic authors are included: Fr Faber, Fr Caswall, Fr Ronald Knox, and Blessed Cardinal Newman.

Right now the current threats to Church music do not come from hymns like All People That On Earth Do Dwell but rather new music like Let Us Break Bread Together on Our Knees, and All Are Welcome. The more robust, triumphal hymns of Westminster Abbey would be a welcome change from the dribble in some hymnbooks.

Some hymnbooks take the liberty of “updating” the texts. This book, however, faithfully sticks to the earliest versions, including in the music.

Many parishes use financial strain as an excuse to invest in substandard music. Noel Jones’ book, especially the PDF availability, undercuts them all. There is no excuse now to fall back on cheap folk music. There’s even a chord edition for the guitarists and autochord keyboardists.

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

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Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: May 31, 2022

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About Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    New Bulletin Article • “21 September 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 21 September 2025) discusses some theological items—supported by certain verses in ancient Catholic hymns—and ends by explaining why certain folks become delirious with jealousy when they observe feats by Monsignor Ronald Knox.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!
    It’s always amusing to see old diocesan newspapers—in huge capital letters—advertising the Cheapest Catholic Paper in the United States. The correspondent who sent this to me added: “I can think of certain composers, published by large companies in our own day, who could truthfully brag about the most tawdry compositions in the world!” I wonder what she could have meant by such a cryptic comment…
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • Dom Murray Harmonies
    Along with so many others, I have deep respect for Dom Gregory Gregory Murray, who produced this clever harmonization (PDF) of “O SANCTISSIMA.” It’s always amazed me that Dom Gregory—a truly inspired composer—was so confused when it came to GREGORIAN CHANT. Throughout his life, he published contradictory statements, veering back-and-forth like a weather vane. Toward the end of his life, he declared: “I see clearly that the need for reform in liturgical music arose, not in the 18th and 19th centuries, but a thousand years earlier—in the 8th and 9th centuries, or even before that. The abuses began, not with Mozart and Haydn, but with those over-enthusiastic medieval musicians who developed the elaborate and flamboyant Gregorian Chant.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Karl Keating • “Canonization Questions”
    We were sent an internet statement (screenshot) that’s garnered significant attention, in which KARL KEATING (founder of Catholic Answers) speaks about whether canonizations are infallible. Mr. Keating seems unaware that canonizations are—in the final analysis—a theological opinion. They are not infallible, as explained in this 2014 article by a priest (with a doctorate in theology) who worked for multiple popes. Mr. Keating says: “I’m unaware of such claims arising from any quarter until several recent popes disliked by these Traditionalists were canonized, including John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II. Usually Paul VI receives the most opprobrium.” Mr. Keating is incorrect; e.g. Father John Vianney, several centuries ago, taught clearly that canonizations are not infallible. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen would be another example, although clearly much more recent than Saint John Vianney.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Vatican II Changed Wedding Propers?
    It’s often claimed that the wedding propers were changed after Vatican II. As a matter of fact, that is a false claim. The EDITIO VATICANA propers (Introit: Deus Israel) remained the same after Vatican II. However, a new set of propers (Introit: Ecce Deus) was provided for optional use. The same holds true for the feast of Pope Saint Gregory the Great on 3 September: the 1943 propers (Introit: Si díligis me) were provided for optional use, but the traditional PROPRIA MISSAE (Introit: Sacerdótes Dei) were retained; they weren’t gotten rid of. The Ordo Cantus Missae (1970) makes this crystal clear, as does the Missal itself. There was an effort made in the post-conciliar years to eliminate so-called “Neo-Gregorian” chants, but (contrary to popular belief) most were retained: cf. the feast of Christ the King, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and so forth.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“We must strip from our Catholic prayers and from the Catholic liturgy everything which can be the shadow of a stumbling block for our separated brethren—that is, for the Protestants.”

— Monsignor Annibale Bugnini (March, 1965) in L’Osservatore Romano

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