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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

Eucharistic Hymn by the Archbishop of Canterbury

Jeff Ostrowski · September 13, 2023

ONEST. Be honest when I ask you this question: “How many of your parishioners could recite from memory even a simple prayer like Tantum Ergo in English?” Can you? Here is my attempt (without looking at any book): “Bowing low, therefore, let us adore so great a Sacrament. The old law yields to the new rite. And if our human understanding is deficient, a lively faith will make up for what’s lacking.” How did I do? I hope I was basically correct. You can compare my attempt to this literal translation by Monsignor Charles E. Spence.1

Combating Heresy • Floating around even today is the false notion that we should not adore JESUS CHRIST at Mass. As a matter of fact, adoration is hugely important at Mass. From what I can tell, the heresy began in the post-conciliar years. For example, the AMERICAN CATHOLIC HYMNBOOK (1992) included injunctions such as (direct quotations):

(1) “Hymns directed to the Trinity as such or to each person successively should not be used”;
(2) “The Mass is not primarily a time for silence and adoration of Christ”;
(3) “Holy Father is a good Communion hymn precisely because it is not in adoration of Christ.”

The editors brag that their “translation” of ADÓRO TE DEVÓTE completely changes the meaning of the original. Indeed, on page 655, the editors say Tantum Ergo should never (!) be used at Mass! In the post-conciliar years, some also emphasized the “banquet” aspect of Mass while downplaying (or even denying) the reality that Mass is primarily a sacrifice.

Archbishop of Canterbury • Before England fell away in 1534AD, it had a vigorous and vibrant intellectual life which supported the Holy Catholic Faith. John Peckham (d. 1292) was a Franciscan friar and Archbishop of Canterbury starting in 1279AD. He was such a powerful philosopher and theologian that he actually beat Saint Thomas Aquinas in a Paris debate (at least according to one priest I spoke to). The Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal provided—for the first time in history—a literal English translation of Archbishop Peckham’s magnificent and lengthy hymn to the Holy Eucharist. The Brébeuf Hymnal also provides numerous musical settings for it, as well as various “singable” translations by Catholic priests and bishops. Here is a short excerpt of what is without question one of the Church’s mightiest treatises on the SANCTISSIMUM:

*  PDF Download • EXCERPT (Archbishop Peckham’s Eucharistic Hymn)
—The entire hymn is translated in The Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal.

Last Sunday, our volunteer choir attempted the “singable” translation created by Monsignor Ronald Knox:

To access this hymn’s media in the Brébeuf Portal, click here.

Theodore Marier • The tune is wonderful, and was used at least three times by Dr. Theodore Marier in his hymnal: Pages 310, 401, and 217. Our choir will eventually sing that piece in Latin, but it’s still needs a little work. We use that same tune when we sing the “Ave Maris Stella” in English:

To access this hymn’s media in the Brébeuf Portal, click here.

Indeed, the Brébeuf Hymnal includes several other texts with that same melody, as you can discover by doing a search on the HYMN PORTAL for “Ave Virgo Virginum.”

Still Learning • Another hymn we’re learning is REGENT SQUARE. At present, we’re singing that melody in unison with organ accompaniment (see below) but we plan on learning the SATB harmonies found in the Brébeuf Hymnal, which are particularly resplendent.

To access this hymn’s media in the Brébeuf Portal, click here.

Music Is Crucial • To be completely honest, I don’t know whether I could have successfully completed the “challenge” presented at the beginning of this article were it not for music. Singing things over and over again helps me remember and understand them. The whole idea behind the Brébeuf Hymnal is to imitate Father John Brébeuf and his companions, who cleverly placed the various truths of the Faith into songs and rhymes (in the languages of the Native Americans). Anyone who has read about these holy Jesuit missionaries realizes how much they suffered in order to learn the native tongues. The Huron language was particularly difficult, because the sounds emanated from one’s stomach. For someone like Father Noël Chabanel, it was a particular cross not to be able to learn that language (without great difficulty) because he had been a college professor in France whose specialty was rhetoric and poetry.

1 A splendid literal translation into English can also be found on page 347 of the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal. Indeed, the entire prayer (“Pange Lingua”) by Saint Thomas Aquinas can we found there, as well as numerous musical versions and excellent “singable” (metrical and rhymed) translations by Catholic priests and Bishops.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, PDF Download Tagged With: Common Hymn Melodies, Monsignor Charles E Spence, Monsignor Ronald Knox Traditional Mass, Tantum Ergo Sacramentum Last Updated: September 13, 2023

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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

    Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
    Using “Ye” vs. “You” is rather tricky, because it depends upon which era one is trying to recreate—if that makes any sense. In other words, the rules haven’t always been the same for these two. Nevertheless, Father Philip George Caraman (the legendary Jesuit scholar) gives us a masterclass using Saint Luke’s Gospel. Father Caraman was close friends with Monsignor Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, and Sir Alec Guinness.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    My pastor asked me to write brief 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 most recent article speaks about the recent announcement by Pope Leo XIV, which does have an impact on church musicians. Scheduled for publication on 2025 08 10th, it’s called: “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
    All the chants for 3 August 2025—which is the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)—have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (from the book of Wisdom) is stunning. That feast website has been called “the best kept secret of Church music.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“The Humanists abominated the rhythmical poetry of the Middle Ages from an exaggerated enthusiasm for ancient classical forms and meters. Hymnody then received its death blow as, on the revision of the Breviary under Pope Urban VIII, the medieval rhythmical hymns were forced into more classical forms by means of so-called corrections.”

— ‘Father Clemens Blume, S.J.’

Recent Posts

  • Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
  • Installment #3 • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
  • “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
  • “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
  • “Corn” From Heaven?

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