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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

Any Hope For Modern Catholic Hymnody? Yes!

Jeff Ostrowski · December 9, 2014

591 Hymnal Catholic HEN ATTENDING a musical concert, some people wait until the following morning—when newspaper reviews appear—to decide whether they enjoyed the concert. A similar phenomenon exists with regard to hymns. Some people require the “dates” (i.e. when a composer lived) to decide whether they like a given hymn, whereas I argue the inherent qualities of the hymn are what should matter. Some are determined to sing “modern” hymns … no matter what!

While most Catholic hymns do not contain formal heresy, a surprising number of lyrics push the envelope. Consider a famous verse by Marty Haugen (a non-Catholic):

Not in the dark of buildings confining, / Not in some heaven, light-years away,
But here in this place, the new light is shining, / Now is the Kingdom, now is the day.

This song has been included in major Catholic hymnals for decades. If you don’t believe me, here’s proof from the Worship Hymnal (GIA Publications). 1

Leaving aside the issue of heresy, I find the poetic quality of much modern Catholic hymnody deplorable. It often sounds like the poet used a rhyming dictionary to “force” each verse, with predictable rhymes similar to this children’s video.

Can the term PREDICTABLE be defined? It’s not easy, but when I open up my copy of GIA’s Worship Hymnal I find verses like:

You are called to set the table, / Blessing bread as Jesus bless’d,
Then to come with thirst and hunger, / Needing care like all the rest.   (source)

The melodies, too, are frequently predictable. When I open up GIA’s Gather Hymnal, I find a Pentecost song which sounds like this. (I have no idea whether the accompaniment by Marty Haugen referenced at the bottom improves this song.) Indeed, my major criticism of today’s Responsorial Psalms is their predictability. Just yesterday, I heard one sounding like this. How different are such concoctions from Gregorian chant, whose melodies sound mysterious & fresh, even in a simple mode 7 psalm tone.

I’m not trying to pick on GIA’s Worship Hymnal—I could easily have chosen any of the “big” Catholic publications—but this hymnal just happens to be sitting on my desk. Consider number 737 in GIA’s Worship (here’s proof):

If life is like a wedding feast / And we are cast as guests,
Then it is limiting to list / The ones we like the most

Is this drivel why we got rid of the ancient, furiously powerful, dignified Gregorian melodies? To replace them with goofy, weak, poorly-constructed poetry? Were the Mass Propers, which mostly came from Scripture, so terrible by comparison? Is it because none of the Mass Propers warned against “limiting”—but, rather, spoke of sin, judgment, and eternity? Progressive liturgists extol “inculturation, creativity, diversity, and local control”—but when we see what it actually looks like, who could defend it?

This does not even touch the issue of accuracy in translating ancient texts. Consider the translation chosen by Fr. Anthony Ruff in his recent GIA publication Canticum Novum :

Original Latin:
Bone pastor, panis vere,
Jesu, nostri miserere.

Ruff/Canticum Novum:
Noble Shepherd, bread nutritious,
Jesus, hear our cry for mercy.

Others can argue about whether “vere” means nutritious, but here’s my question: Doesn’t singing the word “nutritious” sound weird during the public worship of Almighty God? Or am I crazy? Consider one final example from GIA Worship Hymnal (here’s proof):

And yet, God has supplied / Enough goods to divide
If we turn from our fear, hate, and greed.
We can answer a prayer / With our love, grace, and care,
And through us God can meet ev’ry need.

Leave aside the issue of singing songs about “our” grace: Such poetry strikes me as goofy and effeminate. Moreover, I’ve not even broached the topic of approval (required by the GIRM) for hymns replacing Mass Propers. For example, over the last four decades, every Catholic hymnal has placed on its first page this notice: PUBLISHED WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE BISHOP’S COMMITTEE ON THE LITURGY.  But practically no one realized that this approval had absolutely nothing to do with approving any hymns contained in the book. 2

I SOUND LIKE A “NEGATIVE NANCY,” and you probably want me to explain how to fix the problem. I would suggest the following:

FIRST ITEM

It is not impossible to find good poets in today’s world. Our own Veronica Brandt recently posted this hymn text by Fr. Dominic Popplewell, a young FSSP priest. Written in honor of Mary MacKillop (Australia’s first canonized saint) his poem contains some excellent verses which avoid sounding “forced” like the ones we mentioned above. Our job is to locate more fine poets like Fr. Popplewell.

SECOND ITEM

Thanks to recent publications—the Jogues Missal, Simple English Propers, Lalemant Propers, and so forth—parishes need not be held hostage by books lacking Propers. However, as these parishes begin to implement Propers, they should continue to use fine hymnody, and a number of adequate hymnals have become available.

THIRD ITEM

Consider how beautiful hymnody can be! For example, in the Campion Missal & Hymnal, we took the poetry of English Martrys—St. Thomas More, St. Philip Howard, etc.—and set it to beautiful melodies. Several of the melodies were commissioned from composer Kevin Allen, 3 and many of the hymn texts are by St. Robert Southwell, a Jesuit martyr whose poetry was admired by William Shakespeare.

I will share with you a few verses from the Campion Hymnal, but it hurts me, because I find them so beautiful. It’s hard to refrain from tears. Here’s an excerpt from Southwell about the Holy Eucharist:

What God, as author, made, He alter may;
No change so hard as making all of nought;
If Adam fashion’d were of slime and clay,
Bread may to Christ’s most sacred flesh be wrought:
He may do this, that made, with mighty hand,
Of water wine, a snake of Moses’ wand.

Notice how, just like Fr. Popplewell’s hymn, each ending is rhymed (very difficult to accomplish). Consider this excerpt from Southwell’s hymn about the Immaculate Conception:

Four only wights bred without fault are named,
And all the rest conceivèd were in sin;
Without both man and wife was Adam framed.
Of man, but not of wife, did Eve begin;
Wife without touch of man Christ’s mother was,
Of man and wife this babe was bred in grace.

See how glorious Catholic hymnody can be? Are you in tears? You should be!

To see a superb ancient hymn, try this one:

      * *  PDF Download: Pange Lingua (6th century hymn)

Did you notice it doesn’t rhyme? The ancient Latin poems almost never rhyme. For the record, those pages are excerpted from the Jogues Illuminated Missal, which tried to use fancy letters for all the prayers, signaling to the congregation their depth & dignity.

I HAVE BEEN APPOINTED project leader of a new hymnal. It is called “The St. Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal” and will be released in 2018.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   I’m told some newer hymnals (after 2011) have begun removing this verse, but that does little to repair the damage done over a period of decades.

2   Much could be said about this subject, but the time is not now.

3   To get a sense of Mr. Allen’s amazing skill at setting English, please go here and click on the Cardinal Newman video, or hear an actual setting he composed for the Campion Hymnal.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: GIA Worship IV Hymnal, Heretical GIA Hymns Last Updated: March 24, 2021

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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

“Partly on account of these alterations, and partly because I have been unable to ascertain the authorship of many compositions—which have come to me either in manuscript or through other collections—I have thought it right to publish the volume without appending the names of writers to their works. This, however, I confess to be a defect…”

— Benjamin Hall Kennedy (1863)

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