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Corpus Christi Watershed

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

Hymnbooks

Jeff Ostrowski · June 19, 2021

Hymn Translations That Don’t Rhyme?

The Fulton J. Sheen Missal (1961) does something rather puzzling…

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Jeff Ostrowski · April 21, 2021

“The Fifteen Best Catholic Hymns” • Wait……

Church musicians: Is this what we’re doing wrong?

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Jeff Ostrowski · July 20, 2016

PDF Download • St. Cecilia Hymnal (1937)

Like all the books we release, this extremely rare hymnal was previously unavailable until we scanned and uploaded it.

Fr. David Friel · April 24, 2016

Instruction on Sacred Music by Bishop John Doerfler

Introducing a Five-Year Plan for the Future of Sacred Music in the Diocese of Marquette

Veronica Brandt · February 20, 2016

Recordings for A New Book of Old Hymns

A little book of Gregorian chant hymns for the every occasion, with a collection of recordings for those unfamiliar with chant notation. Now more than a decade since the first edition and still going strong.

Veronica Brandt · September 19, 2015

How many tunes should we use?

Including a brief survey of tunes for Benediction hymns from a few of the hymnbooks on my bookshelf.

Veronica Brandt · June 6, 2015

A hymnal in e-book format

100 pieces of Gregorian chant to carry around in your pocket, with English translations.

Veronica Brandt · March 14, 2015

Gems in Latin and English

Five books providing our treasured Latin hymns with English translations to help you sing with understanding.

Jeff Ostrowski · January 15, 2015

PDF Download: Standard Catholic Hymnal (1921)

This extremely rare Catholic hymn book is here made available for the first time ever as a PDF download.

Veronica Brandt · September 20, 2014

A New Book of Old Hymns 4th edition out now!

60 hymns, 92 pages. Get 25% off with code MATEY25 now through 22 September – good for all books on Lulu

Veronica Brandt · September 6, 2014

Richard Terry’s Hymnal in PDF and paperback

“There can be no doubt that it will conduce very much to the devotion and decorum of extra-liturgical worship and popular services to have one common manual of Hymns, which at once offers a suitable variety and prevents the undesirable introduction of amateur efforts and unedifying novelties.”

Veronica Brandt · March 15, 2014

Hymnal of St Pius X

Free download, a hymnbook from 1952, the organ edition, simplified Latin propers, English hymns, especially one for St Patrick for Monday!

Veronica Brandt · August 10, 2013

The Living Parish Hymn Book

Clearing up a mystery of childhood memories for certain Australians.

Veronica Brandt · April 26, 2013

Arundel hymns

Chosen and edited by Henry Duke of Norfolk and Charles T. Gatty, with Inroductory letter from Pope Leo XIII., Preface, etc. Complete in one volume (553 pages), price 6s. net.

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President’s Corner

    Music List • (4th Sunday of Lent)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 4th Sunday of Lent (15 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has sublime propers. It is most often referred to as “Lætare Sunday” owing to its INTROIT. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • Communion (4th Snd. Lent)
    The COMMUNION ANTIPHON for this coming Sunday, which is the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year A), is particularly beautiful. There’s something irresistible about this tone; it’s neither happy nor sad. As always, I encourage readers to visit the flourishing feasts website, where the complete Propria Missae may be downloaded free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Good Friday Flowers
    Good Friday has a series of prayers for various parties: the pope, catechumens, pagans, heretics, schismatics, and so forth. In the old liturgical books, there was no official ‘name’ for these prayers. (This wasn’t unusual as ‘headers’ and ‘titles’ for each section is a rather modern idea.) The Missal simply instructed the priest to go to the Epistle side and begin. In the SHERBORNE MISSAL, each prayer begins with a different—utterly spectacular—flower. This PDF file shows the first few prayers. Has anyone counted the ‘initial’ drop-cap flowers in the SHERBORNE MISSAL? Surely there are more than 1,000.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation
    It isn’t easy to determine what Alice King MacGilton hoped to accomplish with her very popular book—A Study of Latin Hymns (1918)—which continued to be reprinted in new editions for at least 34 years. This PDF file shows her attempt to translate the DIES IRAE “in the fewest words possible.” There’s a place for dynamic equivalency, but this is repugnant. In particular, look what she does to “Quærens me sedísti lassus.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”
    For vigil Masses on Saturday (a.k.a. “anticipated” Masses) we use this simpler setting of the “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989), a Belgian priest, organist, composer, and music educator who ultimately succeeded another ‘Jules’ (CANON JULES VAN NUFFEL) as director of the Lemmensinstituut in Belgium. Although I could be wrong, my understanding is that the LEMMENSINSTITUUT eventually merged with “Catholic University of Leuven” (originally founded in 1425). That’s the university Fulton J. Sheen attended.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Grotesque Pairing • “Passion Chorale”
    One of our rarest releases was undoubtably this PDF scan of the complete Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) by Father Joseph Roff, a student of Healey Willan. One of the scarcest titles in existence, this book was provided to us by Mr. Peter Meggison. Back in 2018, we scanned each page and uploaded it to our website, making it freely available to everyone. Readers are probably sick of hearing me say this, but just because we upload something that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wonderful or worthy of imitation. We upload many publications precisely because they are ‘grotesque’, interesting, or revealing. Whereas the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal had an editorial board that was careful and sensitive vis-à-vis pairing texts with tunes, the Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) seems to have been rather reckless in this regard. Please take a look at what they did with the PASSION CHORALE and see whether you agree.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“In the Latin Church the pipe organ is to be held in high esteem, for it is the traditional musical instrument which adds a wonderful splendor to the Church’s ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man’s mind to God and to higher things.”

— Vatican II Council

Recent Posts

  • Music List • (4th Sunday of Lent)
  • Consultor to the Vatican Council Enters the Fray • (Vis-à-vis Jeff’s Pipe Organ Assertion)
  • Palm Sunday • “Repertoire for Children’s Choir”
  • PDF Download • Communion (4th Snd. Lent)
  • Most “Congregational” Hymn • (In My Experience)

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