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Hymn Text for Advent 2 - Critique, Help, and Invitation

November 29, 2010, 5:48 pm
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[UPDATE 11/2013 -- See below in thread for final version of text and a PDF of it set to CONDITOR ALME]


From ancient roots, a shoot will rise,
Full-blooming Wisdom of our God;
With perfect judgement in His eyes,
and perfect justice from His rod.

Abundant peace, like streams, shall flow,
Til stars and moon fall from the sky;
And all the lands and peoples know,
the Name of God, the Lord Most High.

A voice shall sing, "Prepare the Way,
Repent, and make His pathways clear!"
We dare not rest, dare not delay,
Salvation by our God is near.

The axe, as yet, awaits the tree,
The threshing floor awaits the fan.
Before His justice, none can flee;
Beneath His judgement, none can stand.

Prepare then well, and swiftly too,
For swifter still is God's own grace.
Prepare your heart to be made new,
Prepare your eyes to see His face.
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Of the Father's Love Begotten [tune: Corde Natus] (Charles H. Giffen)

November 14, 2013, 12:22 am
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Here is Of the Father's Love Begotten set to my hymn tune CORDE NATUS, slightly revised, with two descants.

In the accompanying simulated performance, Descant 2 is sung in stanzas 2 & 4, while Descant 1 is sung in stanzas 3 & 4. In addition the recording has a short one-line introduction.

Edit: Updated score uploaded (2013-11-14) to include final stanza ending, as reflected in the sound file.
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St. Osmund (Healey Willan Hymn Tune)

June 4, 2012, 12:50 pm
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Does anyone have the score for Healey Willan's hymn tune, used for "Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendor"?

I have transcribed it from a recording, but my transcription may contain mistakes, and I would like to see the score.
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Harmony and Counterpoint

December 5, 2013, 9:53 pm
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Presentation of the Lord

December 16, 2013, 6:47 pm
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Does anyone know a good hymn that works for the Ecce Dominus antiphon? I know this is not the ideal, but it is what I have to work with.
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Public domain metrical Psalm 130

December 21, 2013, 7:47 am
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I'm looking for a good metricization of Psalm 130 (Out of the Depths) in the public domain. Any ideas?
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Jan. 1, Veni Creator Spiritus!

December 31, 2013, 10:40 pm
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It seems fitting to invoke the Holy Spirit at the start of a new calendar year.
This is the first time I've heard that there is a plenary indulgence attached to the recitation of the hymn "Veni Creator Spiritus" on Jan. 1. How thrilling! I'm sure people have interesting tidbits to share about this.
At any rate, keep singing!
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Hymn Text Analysis

December 30, 2013, 9:07 am
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On another thread I was asked to analyze a hymn text that I feel is badly written. I took a little time writing it, so just to keep it in view for a little while, I thought I'd begin a new thread with it.

Assuming this text http://www.hymnary.org/hymn/ANH1921/page/349

-Verses 3 and 5 are ok, although each has an inexact rhyme.

Every other verse, and the chorus, (and actually verse 5 but not as egregiously), has some quite unacceptable inversion of word order.

Word order in modern languages is exacting; it's part of the reason we can get away without inflecting our nouns and adjectives. The place where a noun falls in a sentence tells you whether it's a subject or object.

A man fell onto the dog


is different from

The dog fell onto a man.


One of the chief difficulties of writing rhymed verse in English is English's rhyme-poverty. Unlike Latin, Spanish, or Italian, where rhymes are easily found, English rhymes are very hard to find. That's especially so, in English, when some of the rhymes are feminine (2-syllable end rhymes), as half of those in this hymn are. It's almost necessary to use verbs at the ends of lines--but ordinarily in English, verbs come earlier in a sentence.

A compromise that many hymn writers make is inversion of word order. Put the verb last "Benedictions on us shed" or the adjective last "Here we meet with hearts sincere."

This isn't the only fault here. Verse 2 is nearly unintelligible. But it's a glaring problem.

I like to think of hymn writing as a craft or skill, like woodworking. When a master craftsman makes something, even something as simple as a wooden chest, for example, the seams are finished. If there were knots in the wood, or if the grain is faulty, or if there is any other problem with the basic equipment, a master is able to finesse the problem so that it comes out finished. Or think of a beautiful piece of lace or embroidery. It has a finished quality. If there have been compromises, they have been handled in a masterful way so that the seams don't show. In this hymn, they show.

Consider the following hymn, by the master Charles Wesley. Here he often ends a line with a verb, but the entire line has been arranged so that this is natural English word order, as straightforward and robust as natural spoken speech. In addition to a polished, finished handfeel, the hymn also seems to ring with inspiration. We all know singers who are able to ring out the feeling behind a song--Mahaliah Jackson could always do this brilliantly, even without knowing all the words! A well-written hymn is in some way able to communicate the religious impulse that inspired the hymn to those who sing it.

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say; Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply: Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O Death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Dying once He all doth save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O Grave? Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids Him rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened Paradise, Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
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"At the Dawning of Creation" set to CORDE NATUS

September 8, 2011, 3:22 pm
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Kathy Pluth has graciously agreed to the setting of her eloquent pro-life hymn text At the Dawning of Creation to my harmonized hymn tune CORDE NATUS (87. 87. D). This hymn tune of mine was originally composed for Of the Father's Love Begotten and included a descant for the final stanza, but the traditional DIVINUM MYSTERIUM tune for this hymn seems destined to preclude CORDE NATUS ever gaining much traction as an alternative. From the moment I first read Kathy's striking text, I felt that it and my hymn tune would be a good pairing.

For this new setting, I have composed a second descant. This new descant may be used for stanzas 2 and 6, and the original descant may be used for stanzas 4 and 7. Then both descants may be used simultaneously for the final stanza. The two descants will be found on pages 3 and 4 of the enclosed PDF file. Shortly, I will post at CPDL this hymn and a synthesized MP3 recording that includes these two descants. As an aside, those who attended this year's Colloquium XXI might remember that similar "double descants" of mine for Come down, O Love Divine were used in the recessional hymn at the first Mass.

At this time when we recall the tenth anniversary of the insane loss of life of September 11, 2001, it is also important for us to remain aware of and to be ever vigilant for the tragic loss of life of countless unborn children. Take Kathy's words to heart ... and if my tune helps this cause in some small way, then I will be forever grateful.

Edit: Corrected PDF uploaded now
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Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys Hymn

January 6, 2014, 10:05 am
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Hello everybody!
My parish of Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys is anxiously anticipating our patronal feast this Sunday. While choosing the hymnody that will be sung for the Sunday liturgies, I recalled some sort of hymn to Saint Marguerite being sung on previous years. Name that tune, anybody?

All I remember is the refrain goes something like this:
"Sing out her glory,
holiness and joy complete.
All of us today acclaim her,
O Saint Marguerite."

Or in the original French (from what I can remember--I don't know any French...):
"O Marguerite,
c'est l'universe entiers
[I don't remember the third line]
et ta santate."

Does anybody know about this hymn/song/tune/whatever? Are there any settings of it that anybody knows of? I vaguely recall when it was sung in past years that it was accompanied by guitars--are there any more traditional settings (e.g. for organ)?
Thanks everybody!
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Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology

January 20, 2014, 5:54 am
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The "Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology" is a new online (subscription) resource for students of Christian hymnology in all its forms. It's basically a completely new replacement for "Julian" - that big old book some of us have on our shelves! It has been a very long time in the making ... I see there are going to be some launch events in the USA this year; and you can find out more about the Dictionary on its website. I haven't yet subscribed, but it looks very interesting indeed.
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Ave Virgo gratiosa

January 20, 2014, 12:58 pm
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Just out of idle curiosity, does anyone recognise these lines?

Ave Virgo gratiosa
Paradisi alma rosa
Inter spinas lilium

They are carved in a tablet next to a statue of the Virgin and Child, just by where you get off the waterbus when you visit Torcello from Venice. I understand that this little shrine was put up only about five years ago, to mark the resolution of a dispute between the commune of Torcello and the Venetian city council regarding flood defences! Italian municipal piety is a wonderful thing. The statue and the inscription are modern, but the text sounds like a bit of a medieval Sequence. Is it?
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Status of PBEH (Parish Book of English Hymns)?

January 29, 2014, 2:34 pm
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Can anyone give an update on the status of the PBEH?
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Hymn: Sing praise to God in heaven above (Charles H. Giffen)

February 14, 2014, 7:14 pm
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For the Vatican II Hymnal, I wrote a harmonization of GENEVA, used with the hymn "Sing praise to God in heaven above" (no. 210, I think). I have just published at CPDL a reworking of this setting. The setting includes an alternate harmonization with optional descant for the third stanza. Attached here is the PDF score.

EDIT (2014-02-17, 7:21 am CST): I just uploaded another revision of the score. The corresponding revised sound file will be found further down this thread with "Nun lobet Gott im hohen Thron" (the music is the same).
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"Jam Surgit Hora Tertia"

June 28, 2012, 9:28 am
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While the Kathleen's away, the mice will play. :)

I'm probably not the first one to notice that this hymn by St. Ambrose is like two hymns in one. The patristics folks think this is a didactic hymn that tackles, in an oblique fashion, several heresies that were going around.

Anyway, they used to sing it at Terce, beween Easter and Pentecost. There's a nice YouTube version from the folks in Milan. Didn't see any translations online, so here's mine. It's not super-literal, alas.

Jam surgit hora tertia,
Qua Christus ascendit crucem,
Nil insolens mens cogitet,
Intendat affectum precis.

Now, in the third hour of the day,
Christ took His Cross, as Mark did say.
So think no thought of mocking pride;
But pray to Him, the Crucified.

Qui corde Christum suscipit,
Innoxium sensum gerit:
Votisque praestat sedulis,
Sanctum mereri Spiritum.

He who receives Christ will be kind
And carry Him in heart and mind;
And with attentive offered prayer,
Will soon the Holy Spirit share.

Haec hora qua finem dedit
Diri veterno criminis,
Mortisque regnum diluit,
Culpamque ab aevo sustulit.

This hour at which He ends our time
Of stupor from that first bad crime,
Destroys the world's guilt with His blood;
Washed out death's kingdom with its flood.

Hinc jam beata tempora
Coepere Christi gratia:
Fide replevit veritas
Totum per orbem Ecclesias.

Then at this blessed hour of day,
The grace of Christ came into play
And Truth made faith complete and full
In all His churches, pole to pole.

Celso triumphi vertice,
Matri loquebatur suae:
En filius, mater, tuus;
Apostole, en mater tua.

Then on His Cross, His triumph's peak,
To His dear mother, hear Him speak:
"O Mother, now behold your son.
"Behold your mother," He told John.

Praetenta nuptae foedera
Alto docens mysterio;
Ne virginis partus sacer
Matris pudorem laederet.

The bridal covenant's veiled to hide
Deep mystery that's taught inside;
For otherwise the sacred Child
Might shame the virgin mother mild.

Cui fidem coelestibus
Jesus dedit miraculis:
Nec credidit plebs impia;
Qui credidit, salvus erit.

Both times by signs celestial,
Jesus gave faith by miracle
Hardhearted folk would not believe.
They will be saved who did believe.

Nos credimus natum Deum,
Partumque Virginis sacrae,
Peccata qui mundi tulit,
Ad dexteram sedens Patris.

So we believe that God was born;
His Virgin Birth we do not scorn.
Sin of the world He took away;
He's at the Father's right, today.

Deo Patri sit gloria,
eiusque soli Filio,
cum Spiritu Paraclito!
in sempiterna saecula. Amen.

To God the Father, glory be,
And glory to His only Son,
And to the Spirit Paraclete,
The One in Three and Three in One.
Amen.
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Is this a goofy idea?

February 28, 2014, 11:15 am
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During Lent I'm planning on singing the first few verses of "At the Cross Her Station Keeping" as the Recessional. This parish is named for the Blessed Virgin Mary, so I always try to schedule a Marian hymn as the recessional year round. During Lent I thought this would be appropriate. Also, very few here attend Stations, so this might be the only time they hear it. Is this really out in left field?
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Hymn Tune: St. Thomas - descants and harmonization

March 1, 2014, 11:16 pm
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As mentioned in another thread, I had composed a descant for the traditional (Novello) harmonization of the hymn tune St. Thomas and also composed an alternate harmonization which has two descants. In preparing the score, I added a second descant to the traditional harmonization, as well.

The attached PDF file contains the scores, with double descants, of both the traditional harmonization and my own harmonization.

Two sound files are attached, one for each harmonization. In each case, the tune is played four times: once with no descant, once with Descant 2 only, once with Descant 1 only, and finally with both Descants 1 and 2 simultaneously.

I plan to use these in settings of "Urbs beata Jerusalem" and "Pange lingua gloriosi" in the near future.

Edit: As pointed out below, the melody for "St. Thomas" given here differs in the final two measures from the one found in most Catholic hymnals but is the one that is found in Anglican/Episcopal hymnals. In a posting below, I have remedied this by providing versions that employ the "Catholic" melody.
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150 Indispensable Catholic Hymns?

December 20, 2010, 4:19 pm
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Cross-posted at the Chant Café. This is a very casual post. No desire to create a "white-list" repertoire, et cetera. I would really love to hear thoughts from the collective wisdom of this forum!

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A Chant Café poll:

Imagine that you are in a parish that is slowly and gradually transitioning from "4-hymn sandwich" liturgy to singing the proper antiphons of the Mass. You are doing catechesis on the nature of the proper antiphons as being integral to the liturgy, and are helping your parishioners understand that singing hymns in place of these proper texts is ultimately a substitution for something that is a substantial part of the liturgy. You realize that hymns will not likely disappear from your parish's liturgical celebrations any time soon and you need a small collection of congregational hymns that can serve you through this process of transition, and can serve as supplemental congregational material for liturgical and devotional use even after the propers have been restored to their rightful place.

Which 150 hymns do you want to have in the pews of your parish? Based upon consistency with Catholic doctrine and Church teaching, sound tradition, beauty, dignity, effectiveness, and so on and so forth, which hymns should every Catholic be familiar with and be comfortable singing?

Here is my current working list at my parish. What is missing? What should be removed? Why? Please share your thoughts!

(all chant hymns listed by their Latin title presume a singing translation in English in addition to the Latin text)

  • A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing
  • Adoro Te Devote (chant)
  • All Creatures of Our God and King
  • All Glory, Laud and Honor
  • All People Who on Earth Do Dwell
  • All Praise to Thee, My God This Night
  • All You Who Seek a Comfort Sure
  • Alleluia, Alleluia
  • Alleluia, Sing to Jesus
  • Alma Redemptoris Mater
  • Angels From the Realms of Glory
  • Angels We Have Heard on High
  • As With Gladness Men of Old
  • At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing
  • At the Name of Jesus (Vaughan Williams tune)
  • Attende Domine (chant)
  • Ave Maria (chant)
  • Ave Maris Stella (chant)
  • Ave Regina Caelorum (chant)
  • Ave Verum Corpus (chant)
  • Away in a Manger (not Luther Tune)
  • Be Thou My Vision
  • Beautiful Savior
  • Christ the Lord is Risen Today
  • Christus Vincit (chant)
  • Come Down, O Love Divine
  • Come With Us, O Blessed Jesus
  • Come, Holy Ghost
  • Come, Thou Almighty King
  • Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
  • Creator of the Stars of Night
  • Crown Him With Many Crowns
  • Crux Fidelis (chant)
  • Faith of Our Fathers
  • For All the Saints
  • For the Beauty of the Earth
  • Forty Days and Forty Nights
  • Go Make of All Disciples
  • God, We Praise You
  • Hail the Day that Sees Him Rise
  • Hail to the Lord's Annointed
  • Hail, Holy Queen Enthroned Above
  • Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
  • Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
  • Holy, Holy, Holy
  • I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
  • I Know That My Redeemer Lives
  • I Sing the Mighty Power of God
  • Immaculate Mary
  • In Dulci Jubilo
  • In Paradisum (chant)
  • Jesu Dulcis Memoria (chant)
  • Jesus Christ is Risen Today
  • Joy to the World
  • Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
  • Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
  • Lift High the Cross
  • Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
  • Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
  • Lord of All Hopefulness
  • Lord, Who at Thy First Eucharist
  • Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days
  • Lord, You Give the Great Commission
  • Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
  • May Choirs of Angels Lead You
  • Merciful Savior
  • Now Thank We All Our God
  • O Breathe on Me, O Breath of God
  • O Come, All Ye Faithful/Adeste Fideles
  • O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
  • O God, Beyond All Praising
  • O Holy Spirit, by Whose Breath
  • O Lord, I Am Not Worthy
  • O Sacred Head, Surrounded
  • O Salutaris Hostia (chant)
  • O Salutaris Hostia (Werner)
  • O Sanctissima
  • Of the Father's Love Begotten (chant)
  • On Jordan's Bank
  • Once in Royal David's City
  • Pange Lingua (chant)
  • Panis Angelicus (chant)
  • Panis Angelicus (Lambilotte)
  • Parce Domine (chant)
  • Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
  • Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
  • Regina Caeli (chant)
  • Salve Regina (chant)
  • Savior of the Nations, Come
  • Silent Night
  • Sing With All the Saints in Glory
  • Songs of Thankfulness and Praise
  • Soul of My Savior
  • Stabat Mater (chant)
  • Tantum Ergo (chant)
  • Tantum Ergo (St. Thomas)
  • The Church's One Foundation
  • The First Nowell
  • The Glory of these Forty Days (Old Hundreth)
  • The King of Love My Shepherd Is
  • The Strife is O'er
  • To Jesus Christ, Our Sovereign King
  • Ubi Caritas (chant)
  • Veni Creator Spiritus (chant)
  • We Three Kings of Orent Are
  • What Child is This
  • Ye Sons and Daughters
  • Ye Watches and Ye Holy Ones


(list updated)
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Princeton Theological Seminary Library - Digitized Hymnals

March 10, 2014, 10:21 pm
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This is a great site for digitized hymnals. I've only been studying some of the Catholic hymnals published in the USA around the turn of the twentieth century. It's interesting to see what was in congregational hymnals 100 years ago.

I found A. Edmonds Tozer's 1905 Catholic Church Hymnal interesting in the fact that he composed 66 of the 238 hymn tunes, and not a single one seems to have survived the past 100 years. Rather humbling.

This URL will lead you to 11 Catholic hymnals. But there is so much more.

http://commons.ptsem.edu/?keywords=Catholic,+hymnal&x=14&y=12&submit=true&scope=title
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Hymn Tune: Beaudry, 87. 87. 87 (Charles H. Giffen), set to "Jesus, Lord of Life Eternal"

March 16, 2014, 5:31 pm
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Last night I finished my hymn tune BEAUDRY (87. 87. 87) and set it to the text, "Jesus, Lord of Life Eternal" - a translation, by John Mason Neale from the Greek, of Ode IV from the Canon for Ascension Day, by Joseph of the Studium. This is an excellent text that has gone largely forgotten.

There are three harmonizations, one rather straighforward, one a small elaboration on the first, and a third more striking harmonization that also has an accompanying descant.

The PDF file has these three harmonizations, plus two melody only scores, one with the descant and one without the descant (also printed more narrowly for use as an insert).

The MP3 sound file plays the first harmonization on organ alone, then with voices and full organ, then the second harmonization with voices and less than full organ, then the third harmonization with voices and full organ but no descant, and finally the third harmonization with voices, descant, and full organ.

Edit: New PDF uploaded (typo corrected), 10:50pm CDT, 16th March
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