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Views from the Choir Loft

“How Has Nobody Done This Before?” • First Installment

Jeff Ostrowski · June 29, 2022

HILDREN ARE TAUGHT about “discoveries” by people like Benjamin Franklin, Josef Hofmann, Alexander Graham Bell, and Thomas Edison. As we mature, we learn that a true invention is quite rare. In reality, most inventions refine, modify, or improve upon previous items. There’s a real question vis-à-vis whether composers can produce “completely original” compositions, since so much of what composers write is based upon musical ideas from other composers.

Never Been Done? For years, I wondered why nobody has ever created YouTube hymn videos with rehearsal videos for each individual voice part. In other words, why can’t you send your choir to a website where they can learn SATB parts for common hymns? Well, for several years, the Brébeuf hymnal has been filling this void! And since it’s the Brébeuf hymnal, you don’t need to worry about editors bowdlerizing (“tampering with”) the hymn lyrics. The goal is to create rehearsal videos for 700+ hymns (which would require 3,500 recordings). We are not finished … but many hundreds of rehearsal videos have been uploaded to this exciting project. (Scroll down to the section marked “rehearsal videos.”)

Example: EISENACH was released this morning:


M Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #172.

Gloomy News: Most readers won’t click on the individual voice parts—and that makes me sad. When we post a “scandalous” liturgical video, we get 40,000 views. I wish we could get as many views for the rehearsal videos … because it’s incumbent upon us to revive authentic sacred music!

HE POWERFUL new Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal is different than other (currently available) “Catholic” hymnals because it refused to mimic or “build upon” Protestant models. The Brébeuf is Catholic to its core. But that doesn’t mean that every single melody in the book had to be explicitly composed by a Catholic. (Needless to say, determining the “composer” of hymn tunes is often impossible, since many are plainsong melodies corrupted by Protestants.) It was sufficient for the Brébeuf editorial team to determine that other fine Catholic hymnals in the past ‘baptized’ a particular tune. Here are some examples of EISENACH being used by reputable Catholic editors:

*  PDF Download • NEW WESTMINSTER HYMNAL
—One of the many books consulted by the Brébeuf editorial team.

*  PDF Download • Father Irvin M. Udulutsch (1959)
—One of the many books consulted by the Brébeuf editorial team.

*  PDF Download • New Saint Basil Hymnal
—One of the many books consulted by the Brébeuf editorial team.

*  PDF Download • Dr. Theodore Marier Hymnal (A)
—One of the many books consulted by the Brébeuf editorial team.

*  PDF Download • “Hymnal of the Hours” (1989)
—This 1989 “Hymnal of the Hours” was edited by Father Samuel Weber and others.

*  PDF Download • London Oratory Hymn Book (1998)
—One of the many books consulted by the Brébeuf editorial team.

*  PDF Download • Father Selner’s Hymnal (1954)
—Rev. John C. Selner was choirmaster at Saint Mary’s Seminary (Baltimore).

Here’s a version supposedly by Johann Sebastian Bach. (When it comes to the Chorales, it’s important to remember the “authentic” harmonization—created by Bach himself—is not always available.)

*  PDF Download • Johann Sebastian Bach
—One of the many books consulted by the Brébeuf editorial team.

Repeating The First Section: Sometimes, editors decide to repeat the first half of the musical phrase. George Ratcliffe Woodward did that in Songs of Syon (Anglican). Sometimes Catholic editors do, too—e.g. consider this excerpt from Dr. Marier’s hymn book:

*  PDF Download • Dr. Theodore Marier Hymnal (B)
—One of the many books consulted by the Brébeuf editorial team.

Hopefully, these excerpts have demonstrated that the EISENACH hymn tune was ‘baptized’ by reputable Catholic editors.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: Eisenach Hymn, Father John C Selner, How Has Nobody Done This, Patrick Russill London Oratory, SATB hymn rehearsal videos Last Updated: July 18, 2022

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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

    26 January 2023 • FEEDBACK
    “Jeff, I wanted to personally thank you for your spiritual witness at the Symposium & often blogs that you write too. Praying that prayer in the mornings My God, my Father and my all (by Cardinal Merry Del Val), mentioning saints’ stories of Brébeuf, Jogues, John Vianney, monks who fought in WWII, their hard work in spite of terrible conditions, their relentless zeal for the faith, their genuine love for the laypeople they served, etc. Overall though—more than anything concrete I can point to that you did or said—it was your demeanor at the Symposium. I could tell you really absolutely love and believe the Catholic Faith. You don’t get that everywhere, even in Church circles. And your humility is what then makes that shine even brighter. It is super inspiring! God is working through you probably way more than you know.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Symposium Draft Schedule Released!
    Those who head over to the Symposium Website will notice the tentative schedule for 2023 has been released. This is all very exciting! Very soon, we will begin accepting applications, so please make sure you have subscribed to our mailing list. If you are subscribed, that means you'll hear announcements before anyone else. (It’s incredibly easy to subscribe to our mailing list; just scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.)
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Good Friday Polyphony by L. Senfl
    The editor of the Sacred Music Magazine recently made available to the public this splendid article by our own Charles Weaver. It includes an edition of polyphony for the GOOD FRIDAY “Reproaches.” Renaissance composers often set the various offices of Holy Week; e.g. readers will probably be familiar with the beautiful TENEBRAE setting by Father Tomás Luis de Victoria (d. 1611). From what I can tell, Ludwig Senfl (d. 1543) was originally a Catholic priest, but eventually was seduced by Luther and ended up abandoning the sacred priesthood.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Every experienced choirmaster’s work is founded on the following three axioms: (1) Few boys have a really good natural voice; (2) No boy is able to control his voice and produce good tone without training; (3) Most boys have a good ear, and considerable imitative capacity. It is on the last of these axioms that the choirmaster must begin his work.”

— Sir Richard Runciman Terry (1912)

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