My music director and I are going to undertake a new project: we are considering what should be the 10-12 songs that we think would be most beneficial to have the members of both parishes learn, and make their own, over the next year. The idea is that Mass is, like it or not, the best venue for doing some teaching and formation, and if there are pieces of music that should be part of our parishioners' repetoire, that will happen not by using a particular hymn one time, now and then.
So, what would you suggest? Of course, you don't know what my two parishes' members already know.
I'll start with "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence."
What would you add?
"Of the Father's Love Begotten"
ReplyDeleteO Lord I Am Not Worthy
ReplyDeleteJay:
ReplyDeleteYes! That's a great hymn, and the English translation is very good. Also very ancient, like "Let All Mortal Flesh Be Silent" -- I think we need to be broader. As I posted back in December or January, every line just smashes heresy.
Oh yes, use How Can I Keep from Singing!
ReplyDeleteGodhead Here in Hiding
ReplyDeleteFirmly I Believe and Truly
Holy God We Praise Thy Name
Alleluia! Sing to Jesus.
ReplyDeleteHumbly, I Adore Thee
Sing My Tongue, the Glorious Battle
Now My Tongue, the Mystery Telling
Love Divine All Loves Excelling
Sorry, I am not qualified to provide hymns to your list but I didn't want to say two quick things. One, thank you so much for reminding me of such a wonderful hymn. I pulled out my Hymn CD and am currently listening to Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence. Also, I would add to any interested, there is a Byzantine chant version of the same hymn which is *magnificent* at this link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.grkat.nfo.sk/eng/music.html
What Wondrous Love is This
ReplyDeleteLord of All Hopefullness
All Creatures of Our God and King
Marian hymns other than Immaculate Mary and Hail Holy Queen since those tend to be overdone. There are a couple other really good ones.
I love the other choices, especially Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent and Of the Father's Love Begotten.
I take it back. I do have two hymns to offer. "Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones" and "Hail, Holy Queen"
ReplyDeleteIndeed the mass is the most important venue for everything. I couldn't suggest any songs cause it seems I've seen they have been given already. Anyways, I just hope things will turn out fine.
ReplyDeleteSalve Regina
ReplyDeleteTrackback Pontifications
ReplyDeleteImmortal, Invisible
ReplyDeletePanis Angelicus
ReplyDeleteHosana Filio David
ReplyDeleteAdoramus Te Christe
Festival Canticle
Father.
ReplyDeleteI would be good to start them out on some of the simple Gregorian Chant Latin responses. Some of your older parishioners will probably remember them right away. If they sing them every week, they will remember quickly.
Then, as they master the easier ones, go on to others.
Another vote for Panis Angelicus.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely learning some of the Mass in Latin would be a good idea. I also once read that Abide with Me was Mother Teresa's favorite hymn, and it's definitely one of mine.
ReplyDeleteThree newer hymns (which I discovered in the Luthernan Church) that I think are beautiful, orthodox, and inspiring are "Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise," "This is the Feast", and "Earth and All Stars." An interesting list of the best of old and new is available at http://www.nplc.org/mag/downloads/100Songs.pdf
Fr. Martin,
ReplyDeleteA great hymn that is musically dynamic but singable in the key of D (or even E-flat) is "The Church's One Foundation," to the hymn tune "Aurelia."
It speaks of many things, including baptism, communion, and the mystical marriage of Christ and the church.
But you must avoid at all costs the version that starts,
The church's one foundation
is Jesus Christ our Lord:
We are his new creation
in water in the word...
written to eliminate the reference to the mystical marriage.
Worship III uses an entirely different text, "O Christ the great foundation on which your people stand," recognizing the absurdity of the bowdlerized version but trying nonetheless to eliminate the marital theme.
Still, I used it as closing music at the Mass at my wife's college (where she is advisor to the Catholic student association) and the response from the freshmen was very strong.
Lucy Carroll wrote a piece for the Adoremus site several years ago entitled "The Top Ten Catholic Hymns" which can be found at http://www.adoremus.org/0905Hymns.html. The Adoremus hymnal has a great selection of Catholic and the best Protestant hymns (there are still many more that could be included).
ReplyDeletePraise to the Lord (Stralsund)
ReplyDeleteNun Danket (Now Thank We All Our God)
Holy God We Praise Thy Name
Immaculate Mary
For All the Saints
Adoro Te (Chant)
Ave Maria (Chant)
Ave Verum (Chant)
Salve Regina (Chant)
Let All Mortal Flesh, btw, is nicely recorded for free download here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.songsandhymns.com/Brix?pageID=16828
Don’t overlook, too, that this melody can be used for singing the “Crux fidelis” hymn on Good Friday. (preces-latinae.org has a good English singing translation)
ENGELBERG has gone unmentioned here, but it is very worth learning. I prefer the text “All praise to Thee, for Thou, O King divine”, but you’ll often see it as “When In Our Music God is Glorified”.
CORONATION, using “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”, is another lesser-known fave of mine.
Lutherans use this one a lot: WACHET AUF, with whatever translation of the German is handy. Great Advent hymn.
Also for Advent, “Creator of the Stars of Night” (CONDITOR ALME SIDERUM).
I am of the thought that all of the following chant melodies should be common parlance for Catholics:
Ave maris stella
Pange lingua
Crux fidelis
Veni creator Spiritus
Salve regina
(maybe) Regina caeli
Also love “Lo, How a Rose” for Christmas.
Once you have your list, I think you should have "Congregation Practice" every so often. Stress that its for everyone not just people who can sing in key. Point out that the more familiar anyone is with a song, the better he or she will sing it - which is why people like to sing Christmas carols. Have desserts afterwards. Don't try to do too much in one session. Let us know how it goes - I've been thinking about suggesting it at my parish, but wouldn't have time to run it so I am waiting.
ReplyDeleteTantum Ergo..in Latin, of course :)
ReplyDeleteNot What My Hands Have Done
ReplyDeleteNot what my hands have done,
can save my guilty soul.
Not what my toiling flesh has borne
can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do
can give me peace with God.
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears
can bear my awful load.
Thy work alone, O Christ,
can ease this weight of sin.
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God,
not mine, O Lord, to Thee
Can rid me of this dark unrest
and set my spirit free.
I praise the God of grace;
I trust His truth and might.
He calls me his; I call him mine,
my God, my joy, my light.
’Tis He who saveth me,
and freely pardon gives.
I love because He first loved me;
I live because He lives.
Horatius Bonar
How about How Great Thou Art & A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. . .?
ReplyDeleteHad to smile at Anonymous' suggestion of "Congregation Practice" which at first brought images of people practicing to be a congregation.(In the image they all looked holy & ethereal, of course.)
When he got to the part about serving desserts afterwards it sounded like the wonderful old time (1980s) prairie "singing schools" that helped pioneers make it through the long hard winter. A rousing evening of hymn singing followed by some yummy foods and good fellowship was just the thing, way better than antidepressant drugs.
It could work today, too.
Immaculate Mary, Sing to Mary, Dies Irea
ReplyDeleteI Sing the Mighty Power of God
ReplyDeleteImmaculate Mary is a must.
ReplyDeleteShould hymns be sung at Mass? Shouldn't it be Psalms?
ReplyDeleteAre you talking about the Liturgy of the Hours or Rosary or Stations of the Cross?
O Come O Come Emmanuel
ReplyDeleteA lot of good suggestions here, thanks!
ReplyDeleteSomeone asked why "hymns" -- hymns aren't forbidden at Mass, they simply aren't preferred. Like it or not, hymns are going to be part of Catholic worship; let's at least have good hymns, and use them well.
"Immaculate Mary" and "O Come, O Come Immanuel" won't be on the list ...
Because the people at my two parishes already know them!
"Lo, He Comes" is a very powerful hymn about the Second Coming.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to these fine choices, I would strongly suggest "Holy, Holy, Holy," if your congregations don't know it.
ReplyDeleteThe “God we praise thee, God we bless thee, God we name thee sovereign Lord” one. I can’t find it on the internet but I believe it’s part of the Te Deum. Nothing beats that third verse, “Hell confronted face to face!” Pretty darn cool.
ReplyDeleteJesus Joy of Loving Hearts...very singable
ReplyDeleteI'd like to second "Festival Canticle"--it's a "new" piece with a timeless feel. You can't sing it without getting enthusiastic--the music makes it happen. And the lyrics are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteAlso, much of what dad29 listed.
Fr. Martin, you wrote:
ReplyDelete"Immaculate Mary" and "O Come, O Come Immanuel" won't be on the list ...
Because the people at my two parishes already know them!
ACK! Do you advocate overhauling the whole thing all at once? Perhaps I'm biased against that, because I've only experienced overhaul in a negative way. You know, the new liturgical director comes in and offers a totally new Mass, complete with hand-clapping, tambourine-playing, litugical-dancing, teeth-grinding ways. Isn't it best to go gently, building up a repetoire of songs people will know and love?
Catholic Wife:
ReplyDeleteSorry if I shocked you, and maybe I was unclear in what I said, that got this started:
What my music director and I are doing is coming up with 10-12 pieces of music that our parishioners don't know now, that would be the most important ones to become part of their repetoire.
"Immaculate Mary" and "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," happily, already are part of their repetoire.
I.e., my point is to expand the breadth of music my two parishes can sing, not replace good ones they already know.
The idea of 10-12 is that we would learn them, over the course of the next year.
Okay! Sorry for the misunderstanding. I get it now. . . and it sounds good.
ReplyDeleteDear Fr. Martin,
ReplyDeleteThe lyrics for "Of the Father's Love Begotten" are not Christmas specific. This hymn could be used more regularly than it is simply because of the lyrics. I highly recommend it for ordinary time as well as Christmastide.
“Of the Father’s Love” is, in fact, pretty Christmas-specific:
ReplyDeleteHe is found in human fashion, death and sorrow here to know,
That the race of Adam’s children doomed by law to endless woe,
May not henceforth die and perish
In the dreadful gulf below, evermore and evermore!
O that birth forever blessèd, when the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving, bare the Savior of our race;
And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face, evermore and evermore!
This is He Whom seers in old time chanted of with one accord;
Whom the voices of the prophets promised in their faithful word;
Now He shines, the long expected,
Let creation praise its Lord, evermore and evermore!
Dear Cantor,
ReplyDeleteI am not denying it's use at Christmastide. I am saying the verses are not strictly Christmastide only. They preach the redemption.
Bro. Andrew,
ReplyDeleteI am arguing that these verses are specific to Christmas, that they are not appropriate outside Christmastide.
Or, at least, singing extensively of the birth of Christ during Ordinary Time is awkward. We might as well sing “Sing We Now of Christmas”.
"On Eagle's Wings"
ReplyDeleteJust jidding! Just kidding!
Dear Cantor,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point about those specific verses. The link provided gives us nine verses, three of which are distinctly Christmastide in nature. The other six could be used in Ordinary Time.
Fr. Martin,
ReplyDeleteI believe some form of the "Te Deum" should be part of every Parish repertoire. We use "God, We Praise You" sung to the tune NETTLETON, but this year we are teaching the actual simple tone for the Te Deum in Latin and in English.
Bro. Andrew,
ReplyDeleteI guess it just seems weird to me to sing a Christmas hymn outside Christmas. Me, personally, I associate the melody with Christmas - though perhaps, as in the case of VENI EMMANUEL and “O sacred head”, that association is alien to the tune’s origin.
Haven't seen one of my favorites yet: Lauda Anima, "Praise, my soul, the King of heaven".
ReplyDeleteDear Cantor,
ReplyDeleteNo problem. I just needed to point out that it is not just appropriate at Christmastide.
When I pick out hymns for my communty's prayer, I do not limit myself merely to the "liturgical time" as I have both GIA and OCP hymnals at my disposal. I will look in the "Reconciliation" sections for Lent, etc.
This brings up a joke. In a former community, we were told just that: don't limit ourselves to the "Lent" section. We were then told not to pick something like "We Three Kings." Being young and silly, after dinner on Ash Wednesday, we pre-novices started singing "We Three Kings."
Father, don' forget "JESUS, MY LORD, MY GOD, MY ALL" by Father Frederick William Faber, especially at Friday' masses in reparation to the offenses to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed reading all these ideas. You've got me humming and singing some oldfavorties.
ReplyDeleteFather, I know you want more general-purpose hymns, but, as you mention your congregation already knows "O come oh come Immanuel," how about introducing the to the wonderful french advent song, "O Come Divine Messiah." http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/o_come_divine_messiah.htm
Since I moved to the US (from Canada) I've noticed that you folks seem to get short shrift when it comes to Advent hymns.
May I suggest O Sanctissima. It is my personal favorite, and when I used to teach catechism for the first communion class, I taught them that hymn in Latin, and they loved it. They would walk out the door to go home singing: "Ora Ora, pro nobis..."
ReplyDeleteThe pastor, an old monsignor who did not like latin asked the children if they knew what it meant. I had given the kids a sheet with the latin words, and the english translation on the side. One girl spoke up and said: "Monsignor, if you don't know what it means, the English is right here (and she smacked the paper)... DUH!!!" I couldn't stop laughing, he had no comment.
I completely agree with many of the offerings here. I too think everyone should know both the Tantum Ergo and O Salutaris Hostia (or even better the full versions from the Office of Corpus Christi). That said, if your parishes have a lot of little children, I really love the little "O Sacrament Most Holy" hymn...sounds great both a cappella or with very simple piano backing.
ReplyDeleteMozart's 'Ave Verum Corpus' is unsurpassed on all possible accounts.
ReplyDeleteAll you nations by Lucian Deiss, and his priestly people. great for liturgy, contemporary enough to satisfy the SVII croud, stately and orthodox.
ReplyDeleteHi, Fr. Martin,
ReplyDeleteI am especially fond of _Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken, Sion City of our God_, sung to the tune _Austria_, as well as others.
You will remember me as the "congenial Dominican" in D.C.
--Fr. Augustine Thompson O.P.
Tantum Ergo
ReplyDeleteO Salutaris Hostia
Ubi Caritas
O Sacred Head Surrounded
Oh Father, this is a great project!
Faith of Our Fathers. It always makes me think of what our ancestors went through for the faith.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've always loved Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee since my wife-to-be chose it for our wedding.
To Jesus Christ Our Soveriegn King is a classic.
ReplyDeleteO God, Our Help In Ages Past is also good, and although I somehow associate it with Anglicans, I don't think there's anything un-Catholic about it.
Well, you started with my favorite hymn of all time, so not far for me to go from there.
ReplyDeleteThough I generally do not care for hymns with the word "I" in them more than twice, tops, I do find "I Heard the Voice of Jesus" quite suitable for Mass.
Hmmm, I don't see "Lead, Kindly Light" on the list. I believe it was written by Cardinal John Newman, 19th Century.
ReplyDeleteMost importantly:
ReplyDeleteKyrie from Mass XVI
Gloria from Mass VIII
Credo III
Sanctus from Mass XVIII
Agnus Dei from Mass XVIII
(these are from the Missa 'Jubilate Deo': the bare minimum of Latin chants that the faithful should know
http://www.adoremus.org/VoluntatiObsequens.html
They are simple and CAN BE learned by average parishoner.
"Veni, veni Emmanuel" (everyone knows the tune, all they have to learn is the Latin words)
"Adeste, fideles" (same as above)
"Puer natus in Bethlehem" (simple song)
"Attende, Domine"
"Vexilla regis"
"Ubi Caritas"
"Pange Lingua"
"Stabat Mater"
"Veni Creator Spiritus"
"Adoro Te"
"Ave Verum Corpus Natum"
"O Salutaris"
"Salve Regina"
"Ave Regina Caelorum"
"Alma Redemptoris Mater"
"Regina Caeli Laetare"
"Tantum Ergo"
These are some basic Latin hymns that any Catholic of the Latin Rite should know, and they are also fitting songs for various times of the year.
I highly encourage Latin, because if you don't help introduce it, who else will?
These are hymns that many people either know or have heard some time in their lives.
Hymns: Choose really strong hymn tunes like Hyfrydol, Ellacombe, etc. Many of them have several different lyric settings and so if the congregation learns one tune, they can sing three or four hymns in different seasons.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite hymn this year: "O God Beyond All Praising/I Vow To Thee My Country", based on the Holst melody and with two great sets of lyrics.
Totally agree with respondents who urge introduction of chanted psalms and chanted Mass parts. We are adding the chanted "Our Father" this week and I hope it leads to more, more, more.
I don't see these above:
ReplyDeleteSongs of Thankfulness and Praise (for Epiphany)
Come, Ye Thankful People, Come (for weeks 3?-34, "the last things")
Virgin-Born, We Bow Before You
And one each for morning and night:
Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies
and
O Radiant Light, O Sun Divine
(Alternate for morning: When Morning Gilds the Skies)
Father,
ReplyDeleteI would recommend looking at the various hymns of the Divine Office for ideas as well. (Use the Liber Hymnarius or an older Antiphonale; the English breviaries contain a mishmash of music that is not all from the Office itself.) You can use the original Latin, or find a translation (there are many). You can use the original chant melody, or a more customary chorale.
In fact, many hymns out there, particularly in the Anglican hymnals, are developed from the Office hymns. If hymns are necessary in a given situation, than this seems to me to be the way to do them.
Best of luck!
Thanks for the continuing comments; I am checking this and noting the suggestions.
ReplyDeleteAbout chant, and Latin: I totally agree, and we are doing some of that already. We chant the Agnus Dei in Latin, per Missa VIII, fairly frequently, and I've used the Sanctus of the same setting at daily Mass, gradually acclamating folks to it. We chant the Our Father in English, and the Kyrie pretty frequently on Sunday. (These are what I do; I don't control what the parochial vicar and retired priest do, although they are cooperative.)
We do use some Latin hymns: "O Salutaris" and "Tantum Ergo" are very familiar to the daily Mass crowd, because we have perpetual exposition in our chapel, where we also have daily Mass; so at the end of Mass, when the Eucharist is re-exposed, we sing one of these hymns, varying between Latin and English.
Also, we have sung "O Sanctissima," but folks don't know it well; same with "Pange Lingua" which makes me suggest we do it beyond Holy Thursday. On Holy Thursday, the music director led the choir in singing "Pange Lingua" with alternating Latin and English verses, which seemed to work.
Finally, during Easter Season last, I introduced the "Regina Coeli" to the Wednesday evening Mass, which begins at 6, in place of the Angelus as called for.
Keep your suggestions coming; this is more than a one-year project...
If you really must sing vernacular hymns, I'd suggest "Light's Abode, Celestial Salem" sung to Regent Square.
ReplyDeleteI'd approach the Liber Hymnarius with a little care. An index in the back shows when they were written--and some say "novus," new. They're usually inferior and in any case not part of our heritage as such.
ReplyDeleteExcellent suggestions!
ReplyDelete- Holy, Holy, Holy
- Anything to Cwm Rhondda (Guide us now, O great Jehovah)
Once you get them interested, if you've got a heavy Irish-American contingient, teach them Be thou my vision and St. Patrick's Breastplate.
Another vote for teaching chants and plainsong, in Latin or English.
I'm a fan of the "Nashotah House" hymn. Yeah, yeah, it is the house hymn for an Anglican..er..ECUSA..er..TEC seminary, but it also appears in the _excellent_ St. Michael hymnal and uses a text from everyone's favorite ex-Anglican, John Henry Newman. The hymn tune is regal & singable and, heck, the lyrics are doctrinal and it even has a little Latin.
ReplyDeleteI picked up an mp3 (unfortunately rather low quality) from the Nashotah House web site: http://www.nashotah.edu/audio/Nashotah_Hymn24bit.mp3
Nashotah House Seminary Hymn
1. Firmly I believe and truly
God is three, and God is One;
And I next acknowledge duly
Manhood taken by the Son.
Refrain:
Sanctus fortis, Sanctus Deus,
de profundis oro te,
Miserere, judex meus,
parce mihi Domine.
2. And I trust and hope most fully
In that Manhood crucified;
And each thought and deed unruly
Do to death, as He has died.
3. Simply to His grace and wholly
Light and life and strength belong,
And I love, supremely, solely,
Him the holy, Him the strong.
4. And I hold in veneration,
For the love of Him alone,
Holy Church, as His creation,
And her teachings as His own.
5. Adoration ay be given,
With and through the angelic host,
To the God of earth and heaven,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Paraphrase of the Refrain:
Holy mighty, Holy God,
from the depths I beseech thee,
have mercy, O my judge,
spare me, O Lord.
Text from The Dream of Gerontius
John Henry Newman, 1801-1890
Tune composed by Canon Joseph A. Kucharski, Nashotah House
For Eastertide:
ReplyDeleteO Sons and Daughters Let Us Sing
O sons and daughters, let us sing!
The King of heaven, the glorious King,
Over death today rose triumphing.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
That Easter morn, at break of day,
The faithful women went their way
To seek the tomb where Jesus lay.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
An angel clad in white they see,
Who sat, and spake unto the three,
“Your Lord doth go to Galilee.”
Alleluia! Alleluia!
That night th’apostles met in fear;
Amidst them came their Lord most dear,
And said, “My peace be on all here.”
Alleluia! Alleluia!
When Thomas first the tidings heard,
How they had seen the risen Lord,
He doubted the disciples’ word.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
“My piercèd side, O Thomas, see;
My hands, My feet, I show to thee;
Not faithless but believing be.”
Alleluia! Alleluia!
No longer Thomas then denied;
He saw the feet, the hands, the side;
“Thou art my Lord and God,” he cried.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
How blessed are they who have not seen,
And yet whose faith has constant been;
For they eternal life shall win.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
On this most holy day of days
Our hearts and voices, Lord, we raise
To Thee, in jubilee and praise.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Will you be posting the final list of songs?
ReplyDeleteI would suggest these beautiful, Traditional hymns:
ReplyDelete"O Lord, With Wondrous Mystery" (This one may be hard to find, but the lyrics are excellent in conveying the reality of the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist.)
"Be Thou My Vision"
"Be Still My Soul"
"My God, My Father"
God bless your efforts!
"Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All"
ReplyDeleteJesus, my Lord, my God, my all,
How can I love Thee as I ought?
And how revere this wondrous gift
So far surpassing hope or thought?
Sweet Sacrament, we Thee adore!
O make us love Thee more and more.
O make us love Thee more and more.