Quantcast
Channel: Hymnody - MusicaSacra Church Music Forum
Viewing all 705 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Core Hymnody - What do we need?

June 14, 2014, 8:05 am
$
0
0
Kathy recently authored a post calling for the best hymns for core hymnody. This is not an atypical post here, and neither was the response atypical. Everyone is chiming in with what their personal favorite hymns are, usually with a few Anglican tunes to sound knowledgeable, and demanding that "every parish needs to sing CROOKED BOWTIE!" I find these "core hymnody" discussions therefore quite useless.

However, the concept of a "core hymnody" IS very important; I think there ought to be a small number of hymns which EVERYONE should know, which any congregation will sing confidently and which any visitor will be able to join in. So rather than figure out what those hymns are, I propose that we use this thread to think about what a universal core repertoire should be on an ontological level.

How big should a universal core repertoire be? What determines what hymns are in? What do we NEED in it? Are we speaking prescriptively (These hymns need to be in every hymnal) or descriptively (these are hymns which most everyone knows)?

Only being conscientious of the goals of such a list can we finally embark on creating it.
↧
Search

"Hymn of the Day"?

June 24, 2014, 10:19 am
$
0
0
The Herman Stuempfle thread reminded me of something over which I have been puzzling.
When did "hymn of the day" become a guiding principle in compiling Catholic hymnals?
Until a few years ago I'd never encountered the concept except in protestant churches.
I guess a similar concept exists in Eastern Liturgies, but not in Roman ones, so far as I know, until publishers starting talking about them as if they were already an established part of the Mass's music program.

And, why not thread drift from the start? is it also true, (I've heard it second hand,) that taking their cue from MCW, and its notion that "benediction hymns are not suitable" for Mass, publishers of the Catholic hymnals in its most immediate aftermath deliberately decided to leave most benediction hymns out of hymnals entirely, as if their hymnals shouldn't also be useful for Exposition or Adoration?

[quick edit,
"Does any one know why?!" is usually not about having that discussion, but is just a not-very-passive aggressive way of stating one's disapproval for the practice
not my intetnion here, genuine question about history]

(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
↧
↧

Can anyone identify this "Regina Coeli"?

June 25, 2014, 2:57 pm
$
0
0
At a parish where I sometimes attend Mass, the choir has been singing this setting of "Regina Coeli" longer than anyone remembers. The only sheet music for it was hand-written by a former choir director who I believe worked there from about the 1910's to the 1960's. There is no written accompaniment; the organist just harmonizes it using D, G, and A chords. In the score, which will hopefully be attached to this post, some of the note lengths are incorrect, but the pitches are all accurate. I can't find this melody in any of my old hymnals. Any ideas about where it's from? This was originally a French-speaking parish, and the current organist described it to me as "an old French chant".
↧

What hymnals should I review?

June 27, 2014, 5:21 am
$
0
0
I have recently become DM at a parish that desires to move in a musical direction more in keeping with the musical heritage of the Church. We do not offer the extraordinary form, but are looking to strengthen the music of the ordinary form, and need a repertoire of hymnody for the year, and chant in English and Latin (seeking to realistically stretch and slowly build upon the vernacular tradition already in place).

I have reviewed the St. Michael Hymnal and am aware of the following, which I hope to review:

- Pope Francis Hymn Book (CC Watershed)
- Isaac Jogues (CC Watershed)
- Adoremus (Ignatius)
- Illuminare (which one of these?)

It would be wonderful to have a hymnal with the readings for Sunday Mass as well, although I know this isn't always possible.

Can you suggest others that should be up for consideration? I know that I am not aware of everything out there.
↧

Two instructive articles on the histories of Patriotic Hymns

July 6, 2014, 6:53 am
$
0
0
...which can no doubt be applied, ceteris paribus, to religious and sacred hymnody.

Commentator Mark Steyn writes on America the Beautiful:
http://www.steynonline.com/3454/america-the-beautiful

Excerpt:
The marriage of words and music is a peculiar business. Nouns and verbs can sit on this or that combination of notes and function efficiently enough. But the right combination of the two elements is transformative. Ira Gershwin liked to cite the old Encyclopedia Britannica definition:

SONG is the joint art of words and music, two arts under emotional pressure coalescing into a third.


The New York Times features an article on the history of The Star-Spangled Banner, including images of the original score:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/29/arts/music/the-star-spangled-banner-has-changed-a-lot-in-200-years.html

Excerpt:
There was nothing obligatory about the early history of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Behind Key’s words lay a melody — the so-called Anacreontic Song — endlessly adaptable to the causes of its day, from the French Revolution to abolition to temperance and women’s rights. Only in the last century has the anthem’s tune become inextricably connected to Key’s lyrics, and the lyrics to the sturdy patriotism of baseball and flag raising.
↧
↧

Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross

July 6, 2014, 2:30 pm
$
0
0
I stumbled onto this video of my arrangement of "Near the Cross" ... one of Fanny J. Crosby's best-known texts/hymns ... sung by a Czech choir, too! The score is attached.

↧

New comprehensive "Hymnal for the Hours" available

July 16, 2014, 1:06 pm
$
0
0
Dear Chant-loving Friends,

Anyone who has ever wished they could find good English plainchant hymns for the Divine Office/LOTH need look no further: Fr. Samuel Weber has published, in one volume, 40+ years' worth of labors, organized according to the liturgical year in the modern Roman Rite.

An interview at NLM today goes into this project as well as several more forthcoming:

http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2014/07/celebrating-liturgy-worthily.html
↧

Hymn of Thanksgiving

July 24, 2014, 8:43 pm
$
0
0
I've been instructed to use a "hymn of thanksgiving" in addition to the Communion proper. In the past, I have tried to use something Eucharistic here, but with Worship III, I feel like I'm kind of limited in terms of not using the same ones over and over. Maybe I'm not being creative enough!

I could also set some other hymns (not in WIII) in Finale and provide those to the congregation.

What works well for you and contributes to the ethos that we're trying to promote?

Thanks, everyone :-)
↧
Search

Spanish Hymnal, Repertoire

July 28, 2014, 10:25 am
$
0
0
For Spanish-language music books and repertoire, many parishes (I think) default to Flor y Canto and Oregon Catholic Press. I understand that GIA has come out with Oramos Cantando -- We Pray in Song as a bi-lingual offering, and that CC Watershed has a project in the works.

What would be good, solid reasons for eschewing Flor y Canto and going with Oramos Cantando instead? I'm especially interested in opinions and experiences from people who have worked with these books. I've hardly used either of them myself, and I would like to be better educated in this area.

Does anything like LCSG or SEP exist for Spanish-language propers? Is anything like this in the works?
↧
↧

2015 Advent Calendar of Hymn Tune Introits

July 14, 2014, 4:57 am
↧

Polish Hymnal with organist accompaniment

June 30, 2014, 10:16 am
$
0
0
I saw that many are looking for Polish hymns and accompaniments. There is a Polish hymnal that contains Polish hymns, along with the English hymns that translate the meanings... It is published by the National United Choirs. If you go to this website, you will find the information about 1/3 down the page.
http://www.pncc.org/?page_id=18
Wendy Blotzer
↧

Looking for Standard Hymns in Tenor-Tune Format

July 19, 2014, 12:10 pm
$
0
0
Odd (and long and rambly) question:

Since we am no longer allowed to chant much of the ordinary (Sanctus and Agnus only) or any of the proper (mode vi Alleluia w/ Lectionary verse only), and are relegated to ye olde fore hymne sandwiche, I have been spending this summer (the first without regular rehearsals, though cut to every-other week, since I took over almost 9 years ago) pondering what we should do. When I took the post, the oldest members of the choir hadn't sung in parts for about 30 years; the newest (who had--at that time-- been there for about 25 years) had never sung in parts before, and so chant was a God-send: glorious music for unison voices. We have learned some good Unison anthems/motets, and have been branching out into two part anthems and a bunch of rounds and canons. It has definitely been a steep up-hill climb.

But I was thinking about the hymns - how to make the hymns more interesting for a choir that is still working on learning how to sing in parts, especially with tenors/baritones/basses who have only sung melody their entire lives. Unison hymn-singing (with an occasional descant) is fine if the hymns are there more or lesse as 'filler' after the propers have been sung, and the choir needs to spend it's time learning the propers and anthems, but if hymns are the 'daily bread' what to do? Then it hit me while reading Appendix 2 in New Oxford Book of Carols (English West Gallery Music/American Primitive Tradition): Tenor-tunes. The Basses can learn the Bass part; the Tenors & Baritones who (for right now) can only do melody can sing the Tune; and the Trebles can divide between the Tune an octave up, and a Treble part (like a descant); and BINGO, we're singing in parts! (If only I could get some 'clarionetts', serpents and 'bass viols' for a Gallery Band)

The problem is: Where to find good Tenor-Tune settings of some of the Standard Hymns? I know they exist, since Treble-tune settings didn't come into vogue in many places until the mid-19th C.; and I vaguely remember seeing an English Catholic tune-book with 'Holy God, we praise Thy Name' (GROSSER GOTT) in Tenor-Tune. Some are readily available like OLD HUNDREDTH, and some actually adapt well this simply by swapping the Tune and Tenor around, but I don't really want to have to invent new harmonizations all the time.

So basically, in a nut-shell (or 'case'): Does anyone know of any such resources off-hand? I am sure many are on IMSLP, but I haven't the vaguest idea how to go about searching for them.

Sorry for the long winded-ness. Thanks.
↧

Hymns: Repertoire and Frequency

July 18, 2014, 12:14 pm
$
0
0
Two questions for everyone:

1. What is the total number of hymns that your parish uses in a year?

2. How much repetition does each hymn get throughout the year?

For my purposes, a "hymn" is anything listed in a hymnal; even Taize antiphons like Eat This Bread.

We use a three-hymn sandwich, so I have one fewer slot to program hymns. Last year, 2013, I used 134 different ones through the year, with 3 hymns per mass, most of the time, with no more than 3 repeats for any hymn. Is this large? Small? Average? My pastor would like more repetition and less innovation, and this year (2014) I've only used about 100 different hymns so far, and I'm going to have to reuse hymns to keep the number lower.

There's a difference, of course, between once-a-year hymns (O Come All Ye Faithful) or once/twice a season hymns (People Look East), but I am generally concerned with Ordinary Time. On that count, last year I used 90 hymns in OT, and this year so far I've used 50. There have already been a few that I've used 2 or 3 times, and I want to get the right balance between familiar and not-boring.

Does anyone else keep records like this? Is anyone willing to compare notes with me?
↧
↧

Hymn Tune: UNION SEMINARY ... need organ score of the hymn

July 28, 2014, 5:11 am
$
0
0

Does anyone have a PDF copy of the four part organ score for the actual hymn tune UNION SEMINARY? I don't have any resources here in the Philippines, and I have not had any luck online. Thank you!
↧

Hymns for Protesting?

July 28, 2014, 7:37 pm
$
0
0
I need suggestions for hymns to use for a protest of an upcoming event. Ecumenical, preferably. Since the details of the event are touchy, please PM me and I'll fill you in on them.
↧
Search

Recessional hymns

July 20, 2014, 8:38 am
$
0
0
I realize that this topic has come up often in Catholic music circles. I'm not seeking to spark a debate about the pros and cons thereof. True, there is no "need" for a hymn at the end of Mass. However, my church is one of many with the four-hymn sandwich and I'm not in a position to up-end that tradition at this time. I wish we could use propers and reduce the use of hymns. However, I would politely request that this thread not be turned into a discussion of "for or against."

My concern is principally with the applause that a number of congregants are breaking into, in increasing numbers, at the end of the recessional hymn. This has been happening more frequently over the past few months. I do not know what has caused this. The same cantor and I have been working together for several years and only relatively recently has this become a problem. I understand and am flattered that people want to express their appreciation for the music, but I also don't want them to think of the recessional hymn as a performance for their entertainment, or a piece of music that requires their obvious show of gratitude every week. Loud clapping takes away from the atmosphere of prayer that I'm trying to maintain after Mass.

Do you have suggestions of ways I can express, charitably, to the community that this behavior is not exactly appropriate for the liturgy? Thank you.
↧

HOUSTON (“I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light”)

May 1, 2009, 10:24 pm
$
0
0
Hi everyone,

What do folks here think of this melody?

I myself have always found it clumsily hard to teach untrained singers to sing confidently.
↧
↧

Hymn harmonisations for 3 voices?

August 1, 2014, 10:23 pm
$
0
0
Are there any standard hymn harmonisations for 3 voices? It would be useful for some groups I am working with.
↧

Hymn to St. Anne

August 4, 2014, 9:45 am
$
0
0
We are planning a September 9 pilgrimage to the Chapel of St. Anne (in WI), and I am searching for the music for J.C. Selner's "Hymn To St. Anne." I only have the text of the first verse, and music notation which is so small that it is barely legible. Selner's text of that first verse is the same as that of "To Kneel at Thine Altar" (St. Basil Hymnal), but the melody is different. Can anybody help me? The composer, Rev. J.C. Selner (S.S.) is the same one referred to in this previous thread:
http://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/2724/selner-responsorial-psalm-antiphons/p1

The St. Basil Hymnal copy of "To Kneel at Thine Altar" (same tune as "Immaculate Mary") has 5 verses listed. I had read that there are 7. Does anyone have a copy of those 7?
↧

Summit Choirbook

November 18, 2008, 11:43 am
$
0
0
Hey, does anyone know anything about the Summit Choirbook? It's published by the Dominican Sisters of Summit, New Jersey. Seems interesting.

"Distinguished from other hymnals by its quality of text and quality of tune, its selections offer a breadth of classic sacred music, ranging from Gregorian chant to Eastern plainchants (Ukrainian, Russian, Polish), from translations of ancient texts to 20th Century compositions, and include as well ancient and modern poetry and folk carols."
↧
Viewing all 705 articles
Browse latest View live
Search