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Views from the Choir Loft

Eucharistic Hymn With Gorgeous Tenor Line

Jeff Ostrowski · January 26, 2024

HE DIRECTOR of music at Saint Paul’s Catholic Church wrote to us on 24 January 2024: “Are there SATB harmonizations for the hymns in the Brébeuf hymnal?” Her name is WENDY Q. and she has a master’s degree in music. (In order to preserve privacy, we usually don’t reveal the full names of correspondents.) Let me say to Wendy: “The answer to your question is an enthusiastic yes.” Moreover, both the keyboard accompaniment volumes and the choral supplement were done in response to a worldwide movement among organists: viz. No More Stacked Lyrics.

“No More Stacked Lyrics” • Lyric stacking has major disadvantages. (If you’re confused about what lyric “stacking” is click here.) For example, when the keyboard player simultaneously serves as CANTOR, it’s virtually impossible to play all the notes correctly while attempting to sing “stacked” lyrics—especially if the hymn is unfamiliar, once you get past the first few verses. The Brébeuf Hymnal has solved this problem once and for all as you can see.

Photo For Wendy • Wendy, below is a photograph showing the interior of the choral supplement (which is 1,192 pages long):

*  Sample Page • CHORAL SUPPLEMENT

Gorgeous Tenor line • I’m not sure a more gorgeous, haunting, thrilling tenor line exists than #741 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal. The text was composed by the founder of the Anglican Ordinariate:

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

Jeff Feels Sad • Believe it or not, rehearsal videos for each individual voice are available at that URL link (provided above) inside the hymn portal. Those videos require hours to create, but most readers won’t click on them—and that makes me disconsolate.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: Anglican Ordinariate, Brebeuf SATB Harmonies, Eucharistic Hymn SATB, Keyboard Accompaniment Brebeuf Hymnal, SATB voice parts Last Updated: January 29, 2024

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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

[on Latin] “No change in Mass: people have missals and can read. More vernacular can be useful in the Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Extreme Unction, Matrimony.”

— Cardinal Spellman (one of the Vatican II fathers)

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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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