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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

Update (25 April) • “Forthcoming Spanish Hymnal”

Jeff Ostrowski · April 25, 2024

HE FOREMOST scholar of the early 20th century was FATHER ADRIAN FORTESCUE—England’s “PPP” (Peerless Polyglottic Polymath). Fortescue died in 1923, the same year as Abbat Joseph Pothier, the greatest Gregorianist since Guido d’Arezzo. When it comes to the subject of vernacular hymnody, it’s said that Abbat Pothier was shocked and dismayed when shown the doggerel found in some American hymnals. For his part, Father Fortescue wrote on 25 March 1916: “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. When our people have the courage to break resolutely with a bad tradition, there are unworked mines of religious poetry in the old hymns that we can use in translations. If we do, there will be an end of the present odd anomaly, that, whereas our liturgical hymns are the finest in the world, our popular ones are easily the worst.” And Father Francis Brunner 1 wrote something similar in 1953: “Catholics in America have been the heirs of a sentimental and subjective hymn tradition that, for some reason or other, has taken a deep and fast hold on the fancy of the average person. And no one has yet had the courage to do anything about the problem that is thus created.”

New Spanish Hymnal (1 of 3) • When the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal appeared, the problem of good hymns in English was solved—once and for all. One of the main authors for the Church Music Association of America Blog declared (6/10/2022) that the Brébeuf Hymnal “has no parallel and not even any close competitor.” But what about good hymns in Spanish?

New Spanish Hymnal (2 of 3) • We believe that Latino Catholics have been treated—broadly speaking—with contempt by the Catholic Church. They have been given “garbage” music with shoddy lyrics and uninspired, tedious, syncopated melodies. Indeed, many Spanish songs used in Catholic churches mindlessly repeat the same words over and over again.

New Spanish Hymnal (3 of 3) • Recently, we revealed details vis-à-vis a new Spanish hymnal. I won’t repeat everything that has already been said. As of this moment, the collection has not been given a title. Nor has any “date of publication” been announced—but exciting progress is being made each day. Indeed, this Spanish hymnody project has been decades in the making!

Consider this example, recorded yesterday morning:

Here’s the direct URL link.

English Translation for that Hymn:

1. Eternal king of the blessed,
creator of all things and the Father’s
co-equal Son from all eternity,
when the world was at its beginning

2. You created Adam and gave him
the image of Your own likeness,
joining a soul of noble destiny
with slime of the earth.

3. But when an envious, deceitful enemy
had covered mankind with the filth of sin,
You clothed Yourself in man’s flesh
and, a creator once again, gave man back
the beauty he had lost.

4. Once You were born of a virgin.
Now from from the tomb,
You command us, buried in sin,
to rise with You from the dead.

5. As our eternal shepherd
You wash Your flock in the
waters of baptism, where souls
are cleansed and sins are buried.

6. And as our redeemer, fastened to the
cross that we ought to have suffered,
You gave Your blood to the last drop
as the price of our salvation.

7. That You, O Jesus, may be
the unending paschal joy of their minds,
from the dreadful death of misdeeds
free those reborn to life.

8. To God the Father be glory,
and to the Son who from the dead
arose, and to the Paraclete,
unto everlasting ages.

Archbishop Bagshawe • One of the translators featured in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal was an Oratorian priest who became a bishop: viz. Edward Bagshawe (d. 1915). Verse six is particularly beautiful, and here’s how it was rendered by Bagshawe:

Thou—though to us the Cross was due—
Wast nailed upon its sacred wood,
And for salvation’s price didst give,
Unsparingly Thy Precious Blood.

1 Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. was Professor of Theology at Saint Joseph’s College in Kirkwood, Missouri. This priest-musician is remembered primarily for his English translation of Father Josef A. Jungmann’s enormously lengthy Missarum Sollemnia. Ten years ago, CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED scanned that book and made it available as a free PDF file.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Archbishop Bagshawe Roman Catholic Bishop of Nottingham, Carmen Gregorianum, Josef A Jungmann Missarum Sollemnia, Missarum Sollemnia, Rev Fr Adrian Fortescue Liturgy, Spanish Hymnal for Catholics Last Updated: April 17, 2025

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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

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 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 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ with regard to 1960s switch to vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“In condemning us, you condemn all your own ancestors—all the ancient priests, bishops and kings—all that was once the glory of England, the island of saints and the most devoted child of the See of Peter. For what have we taught, however you may qualify it with the odious name of treason, that they did not uniformly teach?”

— Father Edmund Campion (to the Anglicans about to murder him)

Recent Posts

  • New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
  • “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
  • “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
  • Involving Women in the Communion?
  • “Toward a More Sacred Style With Pastoral Charity” • Guest Article by Dr. Myrna Keough

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