Y DAUGHTER really enjoys playing the simplified accompaniments which were created for the BRÉBEUF HYMNAL and we hope more will be forthcoming. (Ahem … hint hint.) The feast of All Saints is approaching on November 1st, and for this feast I consulted a ‘seasonal’ index I created a number of years ago for the BRÉBEUF HYMNAL, the creation of which so many of my colleagues contributed to. I was pleased to observe that my ‘unofficial’ seasonal index has been downloaded more than 4,000 times. The link can be found on the Brébeuf website, but here it is again for readers who don’t feel like heading over there:
* PDF Download • SEASONAL INDEX (for personal use)
Rookie Mistake • One has to be careful when it comes to a particular hymn for the feast of All Saints on November 1st. That’s because its ancient form shares the exact same name as an ancient Christmas hymn: CHRISTE REDEMPTOR OMNIUM. They are actually two completely different hymns, composed several centuries apart. Here’s what the Christmas version looks like:
Happy Memories • Along with several of my friends (Corrinne May, Iffy Edochie, and so many more) I was privileged to sing polyphony under the direction of Mr. Ostrowski when he lived in Los Angeles. One of the first polyphonic pieces we ever learned was called “Te Mane Laudum Carmine.” It was based on a piece by Father Francisco Guerrero, and I suspect its adaptation was done by Mr. Ostrowski. The polyphony is based on the ‘normal’ melody for the Christmas version, but this same chant tune was often used by our ancestors for the All Saints version as well. It can be found as #3473 under the title of: “Hymn to the Sacred Trinity.” I look back with fond memories upon those polyphonic days.
