• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

We’re a 501(c)3 public charity established in 2006. We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and run no advertisements. We exist solely by the generosity of small donors.

  • Donate
  • Our Team
    • Our Editorial Policy
    • Who We Are
    • How To Contact Us
    • Sainte Marie Bulletin Articles
  • Pew Resources
    • Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal
    • Jogues Illuminated Missal
    • KYRIALE • Saint Antoine Daniel
    • Campion Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Repository • “Spanish Music”
    • Ordinary Form Feasts (Sainte-Marie)
  • MUSICAL WEBSITES
    • René Goupil Gregorian Chant
    • Noël Chabanel Psalms
    • Nova Organi Harmonia (2,279 pages)
    • Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Father Enemond Massé Manuscripts
    • Lalemant Polyphonic
  • Miscellaneous
    • Site Map
    • Secrets of the Conscientious Choirmaster
    • “Wedding March” for lazy organists
    • Emporium Kevin Allen
    • Saint Jean de Lalande Library
    • Sacred Music Symposium 2023
    • The Eight Gregorian Modes
    • Gradual by Pothier’s Protégé
    • Seven (7) Considerations
Views from the Choir Loft

Four (4) Shimmery Hymns for Lent & Passiontide

Jeff Ostrowski · March 23, 2023

ARRATIVES. True or false, right or wrong, transparent or subtle—Americans love narratives. And once a narrative gets rolling, it’s difficult to reverse. A good example is the WATERGATE affair in the 1970s. The narrative goes something like this: “Watergate proved that even the president must obey the laws of the land.” And yet the true story is quite different. For instance, the “narrative” tells us that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein “proved that the American justice system must prevail against those who break the law.” And yet, their source (whom, incidentally, they betrayed) flagrantly broke numerous federal laws by leaking secret information. But Woodward and Bernstein are fine with those laws being broken! Indeed, Woodward recently published a book using thousands of secret documents removed illegally from the White House by Alexander Butterfield (assistant to President Nixon’s chief of staff). So it would seem “some laws are more equal than others.” But nobody wants to hear this, because it goes against the narrative.

Another False Narrative • A very common narrative deals with hymnody. It is said: “Protestants have all the good hymns, and Catholics have none.” My friends, this is false. The legendary Father Fortescue (d. 1923) explains the true state of things:

“There is not and there is never likely to be any religious poetry in the world worthy to be compared with the hymns of the Latin office. […] Our old Latin hymns are immeasurably more beautiful than any others ever composed. Other religious bodies take all their best hymns in translations from us. It would be a disgrace if we Catholics were the only people who did not appreciate what is our property.”

The Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal—which contains about 800 hymns—provides marvelous translations for the ancient Catholic hymns by priests and bishops such as Fitzpatrick, Knox, Popplewell, Caswall, Saint Thomas More, Saint Philip Howard, Saint Robert Southwell, Husenbeth, Bagshawe, and many others. Below, I provide several live recordings of Brébeuf hymns our volunteer choir has sung recently.

Brébeuf Hymn #532
Vexilla Regis Prodeunt
(“The King’s bright banner gleams above”)
For Lent + Passiontide:

M To access this hymn’s media in the Brébeuf Portal, click here.

Father Adrian Fortescue (d. 1923) calls Vexilla Regis Prodeunt “perhaps the greatest of all hymns.” It was written by the legendary Venantius Fortunatus, Bishop of Poitiers (who died circa 600AD). Bishop Fortunatus wrote many famous hymns: Pange Lingua Gloriosi, Salve Festa Dies, Quem Terra Pontus Sidera, and so forth. Traditionally, it was sung at Vespers in Passion-tide and at the procession with the SANCTISSIMUM on Good Friday morning. The translation comes from page 191 of Vespers Book for the Use of the Laity (1841), by Rev. Frederick C. Husenbeth, a Catholic priest, who also edited The Roman Missal for the Use of the Laity (1848). The melody is attributed to Frederick A. G. Ouseley (d. 1889), a professor of music at Oxford. The first few notes of the melody sound similar to “God Save the King.”

Brébeuf Hymn #688
“O Come And Mourn With Me Awhile”
(Father Frederick William Faber)
For Lent + Passiontide:

M To access this hymn’s media in the Brébeuf Portal, click here.

Father Frederick William Faber (d. 1863) was a Roman Catholic priest known for his preaching, publications, and hymn texts. A disciple of Cardinal Newman, he founded the London Oratory. The Brébeuf Hymnal took the melody from page 53 of the New Westminster Hymnal (1939), which was primarily the work of Monsignor Ronald Knox (d. 1957) and Dom Gregory Murray (d. 1992). The text was included in the Catholic Hymn Book (London Oratory, 1998) on page 105.

Brébeuf Hymn #54
Ad Preces Nostras Deitatis (“God, of thy pity, unto us thy children”)
For the holy season of Lent:

Alan Gordon McDougall (d. 1965) wrote: “This hymn has now been superseded by O Sol Salútis Íntimis. It’s loss is much to be regretted, as it is one of the most beautiful examples of mediaeval hymnody.” Some sources list it as “Aures ad nostras deitatis preces” while others call it “Ad preces nostras deitatis aures.” The source of the text is page 19 of Pange Lingua: Breviary Hymns of Old Uses (1916). It is also found on page 45 of the New Westminster Hymnal (1939). The melody was included on page 416 in the London Oratory’s Catholic Hymn Book (1998). It can also be found on page 221 of the Worship II Hymnal (GIA, 1975). The melody seems to have originated in a VESPERALE (Poitiers, 1746). Organists who desire harmonies for the “final verses” should consult #106 of Richard Lloyd’s collection (1993) #106 or #168 of Noel Rawsthorne’s collection (2011). The text can also be found on page 225 pf the LIBER HYMNARIUS (Solesmes, 1983). Many great composers have set this text, such as Father Guillaume Du Fay (d. 1474) and Father Tomás Luis de Victoria (d. 1611). Pages 50-51 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal contain the only known literal translation to English.

Brébeuf Hymn #484
“Stabat Mater” from a 1687AD Catholic Hymnal:

M To access this hymn’s media in the Brébeuf Portal, click here.

This breathtaking translation of the STABAT MATER was allowed to be printed in London since it appeared during the reign of James II of England, a Catholic. He had converted from Anglicanism secretly in 1667, and refused to take a mandatory oath (1673 “Test Act”) denouncing the doctrine of Transubstantiation, instead choosing to relinquish the post of Lord High Admiral. A devout man, he once said: “If occasion were, I hope God would give me his grace to suffer death for the true Catholic religion as well as banishment.” His brother, who reigned as King of England until 1685, became a Catholic on his deathbed. Monsignor Hugh T. Henry has pointed out that some hymnals corrupted the hymn’s true title, which the Brébeuf Hymnal correctly prints as: “Under the world-redeeming Rood.” These other hymnals erroneously printed the words as: “Under the world’s redeeming wood.” In an attempt to guess who created this elegant translation of the Stabat Mater, Monsignor Henry wrote: “It is not improbable that Dryden was its author, for his conversion to Catholicity took place in 1686—one year before the translation appeared—and he is known to have translated some of the old Latin hymns of the Divine Office. Certainly the unction, the poetic diction, the powerful rhythms, the close antitheses, of this exquisite poem are worthy of his pen.” The melody in the Brébeuf Hymnal is based on “O Mensch, sieh wie hie auf Erdreich.” The source of the text is: “The Office of the B. V. Mary in English, to which is added the Vespers in Latin and English, as it is sung in the Catholic Church upon all Sundays and principal Holy-days throughout the whole Year” (London: Printed by Henry Hills, Printer to the King’s Most Excellent Majesty for his Household and Chappel; And are to be sold at his Printing-house on the Ditch-side in Black-Fryers, 1687) p. 393.

Why Only Hymns? • I often share various hymns that we have sung; but perhaps I should do a better job of sharing the other music we do each Sunday. In an effort to atone for my shortcomings, here are a few excerpts from last Sunday’s Mass:

*  Mp3 Excerpt • MEDIEVAL AGNUS DEI
—During Lent we have been singing a medieval version based on Agnus XV.

*  Mp3 Excerpt • “JUSTORUM ANIMAE”
—This comes from “Matri Divinæ Gratiæ,” a collection by composer Kevin Allen.

*  Mp3 Excerpt • KYRIE ELEYSON
—The piece is by Lassus, based on the Ave Maris Stella.

*  Descant Hymn • (since “Lætare Sunday” has organ)
—You can learn more about this hymn if you click here.

*  Introit • “Plainsong accompanied by organ”
—The girl who cantors has been with us less than a year!.

*  Mp3 Excerpt • Credo Mixture
—We sing the Creed with (unaccompanied) plainsong + polyphony.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: Hymns for Passiontide, Rare Hymns for Lent, STABAT MATER DOLOROSA, Vexilla Regis Prodeunt, Worship II Hymnal GIA Last Updated: March 23, 2023

Subscribe

It greatly helps us if you subscribe to our mailing list!

* indicates required

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).

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    PDF Download • “Polyphonic Extension” (Kevin Allen) for Gloria III
    EVIN ALLEN was commissioned by Sacred Music Symposium 2025 to compose a polyphonic ‘middle section’ for the GLORIA from Mass III, often denoted by its trope name: Missa Kyrie Deus sempiterne. This year, I’m traveling from Singapore to serve on the symposium faculty. I will be conducting Palestrina’s ‘Ave Maria’ as well as teaching plainsong to the men. A few days ago, I was asked to record rehearsal videos for this beautiful polyphonic extension. (See below.) This polyphonic composition fits ‘inside’ GLORIA III. That is, the congregation sings for the beginning and end, but the choir alone adds polyphony to the middle. The easiest way to understand how everything fits together is by examining this congregational insert. Feel free to download the score, generously made available to the whole world—free of charge—by CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED:
    *  PDF Download • Gloria III ‘Middle Section’ (Kevin Allen)
    Free rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #24366. Related News • My colleague, Jeff Ostrowski, composed an organ accompaniment for this same GLORIA a few months ago. Obviously, the organist should drop out when the polyphony is being sung.
    —Corrinne May
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Yahweh” in church songs?
    My pastor asked me to write a weekly column for our parish bulletin. The one scheduled to run on 22 June 2025 is called “Three Words in a Psalm” and speaks of translating the TETRAGRAMMATON. You can read the article at this column repository. All of them are quite brief because I was asked to keep within a certain word limit.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    When to Sit, Stand and Kneel like it’s 1962
    There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass, but I couldn’t find one which matched our local Latin Mass, so I made this one: sit-stand-kneel-crop
    —Veronica Brandt
    The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum
    Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.
    —Daniel Tucker

Random Quote

“The Church has always kept, and wishes still to maintain everywhere, the language of her Liturgy; and, before the sad and violent changes of the 16th century, this eloquent and effective symbol of unity of faith and communion of the faithful was, as you know, cherished in England not less than elsewhere. But this has never been regarded by the Holy See as incompatible with the use of popular hymns in the language of each country.”

— Pope Leo XIII (1898)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “Polyphonic Extension” (Kevin Allen) for Gloria III
  • “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
  • PDF Download • “Text by Saint Francis of Assisi” (choral setting w/ organ: Soprano & Alto)
  • “Yahweh” in church songs?
  • “Music List” • Pentecost Sunday

Subscribe

Subscribe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2025 Corpus Christi Watershed · Isaac Jogues on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

The election of Pope Leo XIV has been exciting, and we’re filled with hope for our apostolate’s future!

But we’re under pressure to transfer our website to a “subscription model.”

We don’t want to do that. We believe our website should remain free to all.

Our president has written the following letter:

President’s Message (dated 30 May 2025)

Are you able to support us?

clock.png

Time's up