HINGS WILL NEVER AGAIN be the same for Catholic church musicians: the Brébeuf organ accompaniments can be ordered as of today! To purchase immediately, scroll to the bottom of the Brébeuf website. They are surprisingly affordable. For example, all three volumes cost about half of what GIA charges for the WORSHIP IV HYMNAL accompaniment!
* * PDF • SAMPLE PAGES (Organ Accomp.)
This revolutionary technique allows organists to instantly play hymns at sight, while simultaneously serving as cantor—without wrong notes, without slowing down, without stress! It’s astounding this has never been done before; especially considering hymn typesetting moved in this direction a long time ago.
The accompaniments correspond to the Pew Edition:
The Brébeuf accompaniments are large, but not too bulky:
Thanks to unbelievable typesetting, all 1,292 pages have been placed in three volumes, just like other collections:
Stop having a “panic attack” when your cantor doesn’t show up! Sing and play simultaneously without stress:
ET’S TAKE A MOMENT to reflect upon how we got here. Centuries ago, organists and singers relied heavily upon memorization. With the invention of the printing press, it became easier to keep a written record—but paper was still quite expensive and rare. When choirs sang in parts, they often sang directly from the text and memorized the notes. The “English School” still maintains this tradition:
* * PDF Download • “English” method of notation
But their method has serious disadvantages, 1 especially for lengthier hymns. People searched for ways to place the lyrics underneath the notes, but when the organist functions as cantor, such methods cause difficulty—unless the organist already has the words memorized:
At last someone has “turned the page” to something convenient and powerful: The Brébeuf accompaniments write out every verse!
NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:
1 The English still prefer their way, adopting the “American method” with reluctance.