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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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The Saint John de Brébeuf Hymnal

The Saint John de Brébeuf Hymnal

INE ASSOCIATES of Corpus Christi Watershed were chosen to help produce the Brébeuf Hymnal, which (according to one of the main authors for the CHURCH MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) “has no parallel and not even any close competitor.” A member of the CATHOLIC ORGANIST GROUP wrote: “I have never encountered such a prolific and astoundingly interesting hymnal; I just read it for an hour and I’ve barely scratched the surface. I’m hanging on every word. It could easily stand as a primary text to a course, and is almost overkill as a pew aid.” The Brébeuf Hymnal contains three times as many hymns as its competitors. The Brébeuf series—sold exclusively by SOPHIA INSTITUTE PRESS—was designed by and for priests and musicians serving in real parishes across the globe.

*  Pew Edition • Purchase the Pew Edition (932 pages)
—Contact SOPHIA INSTITUTE PRESS for bulk discount rates.
*  CHORAL SUPPLEMENT • Purchase Link (1,192 pages)
—Must be used in conjunction with the pew edition.
*  ORGAN ACCOMPANIMENT • Three Volumes (1,292 pages)
—Sold by SOPHIA INSTITUTE PRESS; Spiral-Bound; extremely opaque paper.

The Brébeuf Portal:

* SEARCH THE HYMN PORTAL

This powerful and innovative portal can be searched for numerous hymn items. For example, search the portal for “EUCHARIST” and tons of Eucharistic hymns come up—as this result shows. You can also search for all instances of a particular melody found in the Brébeuf Hymnal. For example, when you search for the melody called “MELCOMBE,” the portal instantly pulls up these results. For tunes used no more than once in the Brébeuf Hymnal, the results reflect that. For example, if you search for the beautiful tune called “WHITEHEAD,” you get just one result (because that melody is only used once in the Brébeuf Hymnal). If you search for the ancient Latin hymn “Ad Cenam Agni Providi,” the results are splendid. Searching by liturgical season is highly recommended. For example, if you search for “ADVENT,” you get excellent results.

Access any hymn with ease! Simply type digits into the URL address shown below. (For example, #802 would be: https://www.ccwatershed.org/brebeuf/page/802/.)

(Brébeuf Hymnal) • Sample Pages
You can immediately download fifty-seven sample pages completely free of charge. Included are pages from the choral supplement & organ accompaniment volumes. In some ways, viewing these sample pages is the quickest way to learn about this exciting new book.

(Brébeuf Hymnal) • Complete Indices
You can download the complete index for the Brébeuf Hymnal. Mrs. Veronica Moreno has also uploaded a handy “seasonal index” that can be downloaded here.

(Brébeuf Hymnal) • No More Stacked Lyrics!
Lyric “stacking” has a number of major disadvantages. (If you’re confused about what “lyric stacking” is click here.) For example, when the keyboard player simultaneously serves as CANTOR, it’s virtually impossible to play all the notes correctly while attempting to sing “stacked” lyrics—especially if the hymn is unfamiliar, once you get past the first few verses. The Brébeuf Hymnal has solved this problem once and for all as you can see.

(Brébeuf Hymnal) • Additional Questions?
We’ve compiled thirty-five articles about the Brébeuf Hymnal published in various media outlets to help answer all your questions. We have included third-party reviews.

“Are These Hymn Titles in Latin or English?”
A very important thing to grasp!
Natalia explains in this video:

Here’s the direct URL link.

Free Rehearsal Videos
More than 1,000 and counting!
Natalia describes them in this video:

Here’s the direct URL link.

Alphabetizing Hymnals
Does it make sense?
Natalia answers in this video:

Here’s the direct URL link.

Notating Every Verse?
The least we can do for singers!
Natalia explains in this video:

Here’s the direct URL link.

Why Name a Hymnal After Father Brébeuf?
Who Was This Saint?
Natalia explains in this video:

Here’s the direct URL link.

What Are Its Two Sections?
Truly crucial information!
Natalia explains in this video:

Here’s the direct URL link.

Stations of the Cross by Fulton J. Sheen?
Plus Cardinal Ratzinger & Saint Alphonsus Liguori.
Natalia explains in this video:

Here’s the direct URL link.

Common Hymn Melodies
(a.k.a. “Shared Tunes”)
Natalia explains in this video:

Here’s the direct URL link.

The Father Brébeuf Hymnal is distributed exclusively by SOPHIA INSTITUTE PRESS, and has been featured in their Annual Report. Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity. In the interest of full disclosure, any artists who contributed to the Brébeuf hymnal—texts, melodies, harmonizations, artwork, and so forth—receive standard royalties. Please contact Sophia Institute Press with questions about the Brébeuf Hymnal: liturgy.sophiainstitute.com. Beautiful and powerful images of Saint Jean de Brébeuf—one North America’s patron saints—can be downloaded by clicking here.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Kids’ Choir Sings Thomas Aquinas
    Last Sunday, a children’s choir I’m teaching sang with us for the very first time at Sunday Mass. Females from our main choir sang along with them. If you’re curious to hear how they sounded, you can listen to a ‘live’ recording. That’s an English version of TANTUM ERGO by Saint Thomas Aquinas. That haunting melody is called GAUFESTRE and was employed for this 2-Voice Arrangement of a special hymn for 9 November (“Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome”) which replaces a Sunday this year.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Reminder” — Month of September (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Liberalism in religion is the doctrine that there is no positive truth in religion, but that one creed is as good as another… It teaches that all are to be tolerated, for all are matters of opinion. Revealed religion is not a truth, but a sentiment and a taste; not an objective fact, not miraculous; and it is the right of each individual to make it say just what strikes his fancy. […] Men may go to Protestant Churches and to Catholic, may get good from both and belong to neither.”

— Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman (May of 1879)

Recent Posts

  • “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
  • Involving Women in the Communion?
  • “Toward a More Sacred Style With Pastoral Charity” • Guest Article by Dr. Myrna Keough
  • “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Kids’ Choir Sings Thomas Aquinas

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.