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Corpus Christi Watershed

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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • “Hymn for the Feast of All Saints” (Released for the First Time in History!)

Jeff Ostrowski · October 26, 2023

HE PREËMINENT SCHOLAR of the English-speaking world during the early 20th century was probably Father Adrian Fortescue (d. 1923). He earned three doctorates (!) at the same time, and this was so rare that the Emperor Franz Joseph personally awarded him a special prize. At the time of his death, Fortescue was professor of church history at Saint Edmund’s College, Ware (the oldest Catholic school in England) just north of London. A footnote in the newest edition of the SAINT EDMUND CAMPION MISSAL mentions how Monsignor Ronald Knox, Dr. Fortescue, and Fulton J. Sheen all taught at Saint Edmund’s around the same time. [More on that below.] Due to his exceptional musical talent, Fortescue had served as organist while studying at the Scots’ College in Rome. About hymnody, Father Fortescue wrote:

In nothing are English Catholics so poor as in vernacular hymns. The real badness of most of our popular hymns, endeared, unfortunately, to the people by association, surpasses anything that could otherwise be imagined. […] Whereas our liturgical hymns are the finest in the world, our popular ones are easily the worst. […] 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. […] Nor shall we find a better expression of Catholic piety than these words, hallowed by centuries of Catholic use, fragrant with the memory of the saints who wrote them in that golden age when practically all Christendom was Catholic.

Released Today! • Today, we release a musical setting of an ancient hymn for the Feast of All Saints (1 November) called “Ad Honórem Salvatóris.” A marvelous English translation was sent to me on the feast day of Father Brébeuf (19 October), and I’ve included it alongside the musical notation. As far as I can tell, this is the first time a musical score has been made available for this venerable text:

*  PDF Download • Hymn for All Saints (SATB)
—“Ad Honórem Salvatóris” with English Translation by Father Seraphim.

How It Sounds • I believe the sentiments expressed are powerful. I hope you’ll meditate upon each verse. To hear how the melody sounds—including rehearsal videos for each individual voice—listen to the following. In other words, the following tune is identical to the Latin score above:

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

Fulton J. Sheen • As a young priest, Father Fulton J. Sheen knew and admired Monsignor Ronald Knox (d. 1957). In his autobiography, Sheen tells some fascinating stories about Knox:

*  PDF Download • Excerpt from Sheen’s Autobiography

Toward the end of his life, Fulton J. Sheen said that “anything he had ever said of significance was taken from either Knox or Chesterton.”

Random Addendum • Bishop Sheen, in his autobiography, claims he would sometimes reject deacons. That is to say, when they presented themselves for priestly ordination, as bishop of Rochester, Sheen would reject them (based upon his experiences with them and other factors). I doubt that happens these days. Because of the vocations crisis, something tells me deacons are never rejected. I’m not advocating for or against what Sheen did. On the other hand, I do know that many universities have reached a point where “you pay the money, you get the degree” regardless of qualifications—and that situation seems rather undesirable.

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Ad Honorem Salvatoris SEQUENCE, Bishop Fulton J Sheen, Monsignor Ronald Knox Traditional Mass, Rev Fr Adrian Fortescue Liturgy, Saint Edmund College Ware Last Updated: October 27, 2023

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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

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “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

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 Latin language, “far from being held in little regard, is certainly worthy of being vigorously defended.”

— Pope Saint Paul VI (15 August 1966)

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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.

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