Hymnography Unbound

On Hymn Translation

2012-01-27T21:18:00.005-05:00

I have an article on hymn translation in the January issue of Usus Antiquior. It was a bit difficult to write, until one evening, pulling into the Texaco station, I heard a radio announcer praising a great Doctor of the Church, St. Bernard of Clairvaux. This incident gave me the introduction, which sort of pulled everything together.

Cheers!

From The Incarnation by St. John of the Cross

2011-12-14T07:53:00.002-05:00

When the time had come
for Him to be born
He went forth like the bridegroom
from his bridal chamber,
embracing His bride,
holding her in His arms,
Whom the gracious Mother
laid in a manger
among some animals
that were there at that time.

Men sang songs
and angels melodies
celebrating the marriage
of Two such as these.

But God there in the manger
cried and moaned;
and those tears were jewels
the bride brought to the wedding.
The Mother gazed in sheer wonder
on such an exchange:
In God, man's weeping,
and in man, gladness;
to the one and the other
things usually so strange.

St. John of the Cross

An Advent Calendar of Hymn Tune Propers

2011-11-18T07:17:00.001-05:00

I hope that some parishes will find this Advent Calendar useful. It is designed for parishes that have little familiarity with the proper texts of the liturgy, and especially with chant.

The hymn-tune format allows Pastors and Music Directors to make an easy initial transition towards the singing of the propers. Anyone can sing these texts to already-established hymn tunes in Long Meter, such as Creator Alme Siderum (Creator of the Stars of Night), Old 100th (All People That on Earth Do Dwell), Duke Street (Jesus Shall Reign), or Jesu Dulcis Memoria (O Radiant Light, O Sun Divine).

I have found the proper texts of the Mass to be nourishing, and am happy to provide this for anyone's use.

Christmastide Hymn Tune Propers

2011-11-04T09:12:00.002-04:00

The Hymn Tune Propers project continues, this time with the Introits for the festivals of Christmas.

The Christmas Vigil and Christmas Midnight introits are in a shorter meter (6.6.8.6.) than the others (8.8.8.8.), in order to express anticipation.

Christmas Vigil

Today, you know the Lord
Will come to set us free.
And when the morning comes at last,
You shall His glory see.

Christmas Midnight

The Lord has said to me:
Today, you are my son.
Today I have begotten you.
I have begotten you.

Christmas Mass at Dawn

Light shines today; the Lord is born:
The wondrous God, the Prince of Peace,
The Father of all future times:
Dominion that shall never cease.

Christmas Mass during the Day

A Child is born for us today.
To us today is giv'n a Son.
Upon His shoulder, power rests,
The Counsellor, the Wondrous One.

Holy Family

The shepherds rose without delay
And speedily they made their way
To Mary, Joseph, and the Child
Who in a manger-cradle lay.

Mary, the Mother of God

O, Holy Mother, hail to you,
For you have brought our King to birth,
And He is King eternally,
Forever, over heav'n and earth.

Christmas 2 (often replaced by Epiphany)

When silence covered everything
When half its course the night had run
O Lord, Your Word, all-powerful
Leapt down from heaven's royal throne.

Epiphany Vigil

Arise, Jerusalem, arise.
Look to the East: your children come!
From sunrise, they are gathered in,
And to the setting of the sun.

Epiphany

Behold, the coming of the Lord
Who rules by universal right.
He grasps His kingship in His hand,
And His dominion, and His might.

Baptism

The Lord was baptized. Heav'n unfurled.
The Spirit came down like a dove.
"My Son, in whom I am well pleased,"
The Father said. "The one I love."

Hymn Tune Introits

2011-10-31T22:32:00.001-04:00

It occurs to me that there is a way to combine the joy of singing hymns, with the deeper riches that are gained by mining the proper texts of the Catholic liturgy--and in the process, to write something liturgically useful.

What if the entrance procession of Mass began with a single verse, an antiphon, set to a familiar hymn tune? The congregation could sing the antiphon just as easily as singing any hymn. After the antiphon, the choir would sing the first verse of a Psalm, set to a Psalm tone. Then back to the congregation for a repeat of the antiphon. This antiphony would continue throughout the procession, ending with a rousing Gloria Patri, set to the same hymn tune.

Here are some early drafts of Hymn Tune Introits for the Sundays of Advent, all in "Church meter" or Long Meter, 8.8.8.8. iambic.

Advent 1

To you, O Lord, I lift my soul
I trust in You, save me from shame.
Let not my foes boast over me.
Save those who trust in you from shame. -or- Protect the ones who trust your name.

Advent 2

Let Zion's people see the Lord
Who comes to set the nations free.
The Lord will sound His glorious voice.
Your heart will hear Him joyfully.

Advent 3

Rejoice at all times in the Lord.
Be glad, rejoice, I say again.
Let your unselfishness be seen.
Indeed, the Lord is near at hand.

Advent 4:

Let dew fall down from heav'n above.
O clouds, rain down the Righteous One.
And let the earth be opened up,
And let the longed-for Savior come.

BENEDICT XVI PRAISES THE MUSIC OF ANTON BRUCKNER

2011-10-24T08:54:00.000-04:00

VATICAN CITY, 22 OCT 2011 (VIS) - This evening in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, the Bavarian State Opera gave a concert in honour of Benedict XVI. The programme included the Ninth Symphony and the "Te Deum" by Anton Bruckner, played by the Bavarian State Orchestra and the "Audi Jugendchorakademie", conducted respectively by Kent Nagano and Martin Steidler.

At the end of the performance the Pope rose to thank the musicians. Listening to Bruckner's music, he said, "is like finding oneself in a great cathedral, surrounded by its imposing structures which arouse emotion and lift us to the heights. There is however an element that lies at the foundations of Bruckner's music, both the symphonic and the sacred: the simple, solid, genuine faith he conserved throughout his life".

"The great conductor Bruno Walter used to say that 'Mahler always sought after God, while Bruckner had found Him'. The symphony we have just heard has a very specific title: 'Dem lieben Gott' (To the Beloved God), almost as if he wished to dedicate and entrust the last and most mature fruit of his art to the One in Whom he had always believed, the One Who had become his only true interlocutor in the last stage of his life", the Holy Father said.

"Bruckner asked this beloved God to let him enter His mystery, ... to let him praise the Lord in heaven as he had on earth with his music. 'Te Deum laudamus, Te Dominum confitemur'; this great work we have just heard - written at one sitting then reworked over fifteen years as if reconsidering how better to thank and praise God - sums up the faith of this great musician", Pope Benedict concluded. "It is also a reminder for us to open our horizons and think of eternal life, not so as to escape the present, though burdened with problems and difficulties, but to experience it more intensely, bringing a little light, hope and love into the reality in which we live".

Vatican Information Service

Hymn for St. Teresa

2011-10-15T06:54:00.000-04:00

To the tune ISTE CONFESSOR: the hymn tune for Doctors of the Universal Church

This is the feast day of the Lord's true witness,
Lover of Jesus, leading others to Him,
Woman of wisdom, passionate and truthful,
Filled with God's favor.

God gave her grace like water from the heavens.
She drank it deeply, even as she suffered;
Perfectly docile, saint and holy teacher:
Light for the ages.

Mantle around us, Mary, flow'r of Carmel,
Pray to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
That They may give us, with the great Teresa,
Life everlasting.

Kathy Pluth, 2003

O Bread of Heaven

2011-10-10T09:22:00.004-04:00

I wrote here about the beautiful hymn sung as a Communion meditation at the Holy Father's Mass at Westminster Cathedral.

Someone has now made a video available. Enjoy!

A beautiful accomplishment

2011-10-09T07:07:00.002-04:00

The Blessed John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music

2011-09-15T21:42:00.000-04:00

I keep hearing the most wonderful things about Catholicism in the UK these days, and this is no exception. The Institute will provide parish-oriented formation for clergy and musicians in truly sacred music. The Birmingham Oratory is known for its fine liturgies, and will be well qualified to teach. Hymn fans like me will be glad to know that the Oratory's heritage includes the hymns of Frs. Faber, Caswell, and of course Newman.

Here is the plan for the first term:

•a practical instruction on singing the Mass;
•the theological and historical background to Church Music;
•the Celebration of the sung Blessed John Henry Newman Pilgrim Mass.

--with "evening sessions for the clergy, offering them the opportunity to know how to sing the different parts of the Mass in Latin and in English. Each of these sessions will be repeated to enable more priests and deacons to attend. There will also be a new choir for children at the Sunday 12 noon Mass for Families at the Oratory."

From the Inaugural Address:"This may well frighten some people. Music, they may say, is for the experts, for the choir or the music group, but not for the priest, deacon, lector, or even the entire congregation. Some may object that it is simply too difficult or too unfamiliar, but if you look closely at the Missal without prejudice, it is possible to see that the music written there is not designed to be sung by experts, but by anybody. It is designed to be an ordinary and familiar expression of the faith of the Church in action. It may seem unfamiliar at first, because we have long since grown to be unfamiliar with the idea of singing the Mass, as opposed to singing during the Mass. What the Church invites us to do in receiving the new translation is to learn to recognise it as something “beyond the prosaic” . Music, even very simple chants, help to achieve that end."

Sounds like a great plan! In the words of Monsignor Andrew Wadsworth, Executive Director of ICEL, the Institute represents "probably the most significant enterprise in liturgical music in the UK since the Council." Best wishes on this new beginning! Please export as soon as practicable.

Hymn to St. Anne

2011-07-25T09:28:00.000-04:00

The morning star is on the rise
And soon the dawn will fill the skies,
Foretelling of the coming Sun
Whose light will shine on everyone.

The Sun of justice, Christ, true Light,
And Mary, grace's dawning bright,
And Anna, reddening the sky,
Have caused the night of Law to fly.

O mother Anna, fruitful root,
From you came your salvation's shoot,
For you brought forth the flow'ring rod
That bore for us the Christ of God.

Christ's mother's mother, by the grace
Your daughter's birth brought to our race,
And by her merits and her prayer
May we her favors come to share.

O Jesus, Virgin-born, to You
All glory is forever due.
To Father and the Spirit, praise
Be sung through everlasting days.

Trans. c. 2009 Kathleen Pluth. All rights reserved.

Behold the Glories of the Lamb

2011-07-25T06:04:00.008-04:00

A young boy complains to his father that most of the church hymns are boring to him because they are so far behind the times. His father becomes angry and states that "the hymns are good enough for your grandfather and me, and they will serve you just as well." But the teenager says that not only are the tunes boring, but the words are meaningless ... the songs are just too old fashioned. Putting an end to the discussion, his father says to him, "Well, if you think you can write better hymns, then why don't you?" The son says that he will. He goes to his room and writes his first hymn.

The year was 1690, the teenager was Isaac Watts, and the hymn was "Behold the Glories of the Lamb." During the next few years he wrote other songs. "We're marching to Zion", "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross", and "Joy to the World" are among the almost 350 hymns he created. The lyrics were his own but sometimes the melodies were similar in origin to Luther's ... seized from the streets or from popular theatre.

Larry Norman
Liner Notes, In Another Land
ht/Becoming

Behold the glories of the Lamb
Amidst His Father’s throne.
Prepare new honors for His Name,
And songs before unknown.

Let elders worship at His feet,
The Church adore around,
With vials full of odors sweet,
And harps of sweeter sound.

Those are the prayers of the saints,
And these the hymns they raise;
Jesus is kind to our complaints,
He loves to hear our praise.

Eternal Father, who shall look
Into Thy secret will?
Who but the Son should take that Book
And open every seal?

He shall fulfill Thy great decrees,
The Son deserves it well;
Lo, in His hand the sovereign keys
Of Heav’n, and death, and hell!

Now to the Lamb that once was slain
Be endless blessings paid;
Salvation, glory, joy remain
Forever on Thy head.

Thou hast redeemed our souls with blood,
Hast set the prisoner free;
Hast made us kings and priests to God,
And we shall reign with Thee.

The worlds of nature and of grace
Are put beneath Thy power;
Then shorten these delaying days,
And bring the promised hour.

Appeal to Artists

2011-07-04T10:06:00.002-04:00

"I would like to renew a friendly and impassioned appeal to all artists", he said. "Never separate artistic creativity from truth and charity, never seek beauty distant from truth and charity, but with your genius and creative drive always seek courageously after truth and bear witness to charity. Make the truth shine forth in your works, ensuring that their beauty arouses in the eyes and hearts of the people who admire them the desire and the need to make life, each individual life, more beautiful and true, enriching it with that treasure which never runs out, which makes life a masterpiece and each man an extraordinary artist: charity, love. May the Holy Spirit, architect of all that is beautiful in the world, illuminate you and guide you towards the definitive and ultimate Beauty". --Pope Benedict XVI, today

Verses by a Country Curate Signing Himself H.

2011-06-30T11:10:00.004-04:00

A googlebook of hymn translations by John William Hewett.

Note that a navigation system runs as a bar across the bottom of the page.

Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity: Prayer to the Trinity

2011-06-18T18:55:00.000-04:00

O my God, Trinity whom I adore; help me to forget myself entirely that I may be established in You as still and as peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity. May nothing trouble my peace or make me leave You, O my Unchanging One, but may each minute carry me further into the depths of Your mystery. Give peace to my soul; make it Your heaven, Your beloved dwelling and Your resting place. May I never leave You there alone but be wholly present, my faith wholly vigilant, wholly adoring, and wholly surrendered to Your creative Action.

O my beloved Christ, crucified by love, I wish to be a bride for Your Heart; I wish to cover You with glory; I wish to love You...even unto death! But I feel my weakness, and I ask You to "clothe me with Yourself," to identify my soul with all the movements of Your Soul, to overwhelm me, to possess me, to substitute yourself for me that my life may be but a radiance of Your Life. Come into me as Adorer, as Restorer, as Savior.

O Eternal Word, Word of my God, I want to spend my life in listening to You, to become wholly teachable that I may learn all from You. Then, through all nights, all voids, all helplessness, I want to gaze on You always and remain in Your great light. O my beloved Star, so fascinate me that I may not withdraw from Your radiance.

O consuming Fire, Spirit of Love, "come upon me," and create in my soul a kind of incarnation of the Word: that I may be another humanity for Him in which He can renew His whole Mystery. And You, O Father, bend lovingly over Your poor little crature; "cover her with Your shadow," seeing in her only the "Beloved in whom You are well pleased."

O my Three, my All, my Beatitude, infinite Solitude, Immensity in which I lose myself, I surrender myself to You as Your prey. Bury Yourself in me that I may bury myself in You until I depart to contemplate in Your light the abyss of Your greatness.

St. Ephrem the Syrian

2011-06-09T07:26:00.004-04:00

Today is the feast of St. Ephrem the Syrian, my patron.

Here is what some folks are saying:

The Ignatius Press blog quotes the Holy Father's Wednesday Catechesis on St. Ephrem from Nov. 28, 2007
The Catholic News Agency offers a brief biography
Catholic Exchange says, "His unique and effective approach involved writing hymns against the heretics of the day; he would take popular songs of such groups and, using their melodies, compose very beautiful hymns expressing true doctrine."
And here is a very nice reflection by abitadeacon

Jacob Wrestles with the Angel

2011-05-25T10:52:00.008-04:00

Today in his Wednesday catechesis on prayer, Pope Benedict interpreted the story of Jacob's wrestling with an angel. He said, "The Church’s spiritual tradition has seen in this story a symbol of prayer as a faith-filled struggle which takes place at times in darkness, calls for perseverance, and is crowned by interior renewal and God’s blessing. This struggle demands our unremitting effort, yet ends by surrender to God’s mercy and gift."

I'm reminded of Charles Wesley's verse treatment of this same story, which reads the passage in a similar way. Of special interest are first of all the Christological dimension, and secondly, the recurrences of the word "nature." The wrestling is about the surrender of human nature to the divine nature. In Christian life, this dynamic is very interesting, because the human nature is not undone by its surrender. It is wounded by the encounter, but is not annihilated by it. The fear is that God's overwhelming strength will make an end of human nature, rather than saving it. But God loves what He has made. We see God face to face and live!

COME, O thou Traveller unknown,
Whom still I hold, but cannot see!
My company before is gone,
And I am left alone with thee;
With thee all night I mean to stay,
And wrestle till the break of day.

I need not tell thee who I am,
My misery and sin declare;
Thyself hast called me by my name,
Look on thy hands, and read it there;
But who, I ask thee, who art Thou?
Tell me Thy name, and tell me now.

In vain thou strugglest to get free,
I never will unloose my hold!
Art thou the Man that died for me?
The secret of thy love unfold;
Wrestling, I will not let thee go,
Till I thy name, thy nature know.

Wilt thou not yet to me reveal
Thy new, unutterable name?
Tell me, I still beseech thee, tell;
To know it now resolved I am;
Wrestling, I will not let thee go,
Till I thy name, thy nature know.

’Tis all in vain to hold thy tongue
Or touch the hollow of my thigh;
Though every sinew be unstrung,
Out of my arms thou shalt not fly;
Wrestling I will not let thee go
Till I thy name, thy nature know.

What though my shrinking flesh complain,
And murmur to contend so long?
I rise superior to my pain,
When I am weak, then I am strong
And when my all of strength shall fail,
I shall with the God-man prevail.

My strength is gone, my nature dies,
I sink beneath Thy weighty hand,
Faint to revive, and fall to rise;
I fall, and yet by faith I stand;
I stand and will not let Thee go
Till I Thy Name, Thy nature know.

Yield to me now, for I am weak,
But confident in self-despair;
Speak to my heart, in blessings speak,
Be conquered by my instant prayer;
Speak, or thou never hence shalt move,
And tell me if thy name is Love.

‘Tis Love! ’tis Love! thou diedst for me!
I hear thy whisper in my heart;
The morning breaks, the shadows flee,
Pure, universal love thou art;
To me, to all, thy bowels move;
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

My prayer hath power with God; the grace
Unspeakable I now receive;
Through faith I see thee face to face,
I see thee face to face, and live!
In vain I have not wept and strove;
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

I know thee, Saviour, who thou art.
Jesus, the feeble sinner’s friend;
Nor wilt thou with the night depart.
But stay and love me to the end,
Thy mercies never shall remove;
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

The Sun of righteousness on me
Hath rose with healing in his wings,
Withered my nature’s strength; from thee
My soul its life and succour brings;
My help is all laid up above;
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

Contented now upon my thigh
I halt, till life’s short journey end;
All helplessness, all weakness, I
On thee alone for strength depend,
Nor have I power from thee to move;
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

Lame as I am, I take the prey,
Hell, earth, and sin, with ease o’ercome;
I leap for joy, pursue my way,
And as a bounding hart fly home,
Through all eternity to prove
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

Charles Wesley

Universae ecclesiae

2011-05-13T13:55:00.006-04:00

On July 7, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI issued the Apostolic Letter “motu proprio” Summorum Pontificum. The Letter gave broad permission for priests and faithful to celebrate Mass according to an earlier form of the Roman Rite, according to the Missal of 1962. At the same time, the bishops of the world were asked to send to the Holy See, after three years, an account of their experiences of having both forms of the Roman Rite, the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary (1962) Form, in their dioceses. Today, taking into account the bishops’ input, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei issued a clarifying instruction, Universae Ecclesiae.

The instruction confirms the permission for the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the rite. The English translation of the Latin instruction may be found here:

http://press.catholica.va/news_services/bulletin/news/27407.php?index=27407&lang=en#TRADUZIONEINLINGUAINGLESE

The Instruction bases itself, first, on the principle of continuity that also underlay Summorum Pontificum, and which has been a hallmark of the current pontificate. Something that was sacred in the past cannot be suddenly harmful in the present. Secondly, there are serious pastoral concerns. Some of the faithful have requested this form of worship. If there is nothing harmful, if in fact it is a positive good, then they should have it.

Today’s clarification is technical. Rather than changing the norms of SP, it generally specifies their implementation. For example, it clarifies which priests should be presumed competent to say the older form. Priests should not only be able to pronounce Latin, but also understand its meaning. However, any priest who has said the Mass in the older form already can be presumed competent. Another example has to do with the groups of the faithful who can request the older form of the Mass. They might come from outside of the parish or diocese. Overall it is a mild document, not earth-shattering. It simply responds to the expressed concerns of bishops regarding sacraments and administration. Its strongest message is the confirmation it gives that this co-existence of the two forms is not going away anytime soon.

The Gothic Revolution

2011-05-12T08:56:00.000-04:00

Cardinal Burke's Lecture: "The Theo-Centric Character of the Catholic Liturgy"

2011-05-11T20:59:00.000-04:00

This afternoon I had the privilege of being among a small group of guests invited to hear Raymond Cardinal Burke lecture on The Theo-Centric Character of the Catholic Liturgy. The Cardinal spoke on liturgy from the unusual perspective of a canonist: he spoke about God’s right to our worship.

Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke from Province of Saint Joseph on Vimeo.

Fr. Jolly's Daydream

2011-05-09T22:04:00.004-04:00

Awake! Arise!

2011-04-23T08:43:00.002-04:00

Easter-Day

Thou, whose sad heart and weeping head lyes low,
Whose Cloudy brest cold damps invade,
Who never feel'st the Sun, nor smooth'st thy brow,
But sitt'st oppressed in the shade,
Awake, awake,
And in his Resurrection partake,
Who on this day (that thou might'st rise as he,)
Rose up, and cancell'd two deaths due to thee.

Awake, awake; and, like the Sun disperse
All mists that would usurp this day;
Where are thy Palmes, thy branches, and thy verse?
Hosanna! heark; why doest thou stay?
Arise, arise,
And with his healing bloud anoint thine Eys,
Thy inward Eys; his bloud will cure thy mind,
Whose spittle only could restore the blind.

~Henry Vaughan

Wearing White for Eastertide

2011-04-17T13:11:00.004-04:00

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.

2011-04-07T07:44:00.000-04:00

Nunc Tempus Acceptabile

2011-03-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

An Office hymn for Lent:

Today is the accepted time.
Christ’s healing light, the gift divine
Shines forth to save the penitent
To wake the world by means of Lent.

The light of Christ will show the way
That leads to God’s salvation day.
The rigor of this fasting mends
The hearts that hateful sinning rends.

Keep all our minds and bodies true
In sacrifice, O God, to You,
That we may join, when Lents have ceased,
The everlasting Paschal Feast.

Let all creation join to raise
Most gracious Trinity, Your praise.
And when your love has made us new,
May we sing new songs, Lord, to You.
Amen.

Translation copyright 2006 by Kathleen Pluth. May be copied freely for use during Lent 2011.

In Memoriam: Fr. Kurt Pritzl, OP

2011-02-24T21:17:00.002-05:00

2011-02-03T15:44:00.003-05:00

Here is my translation of Adorna, Sion, Thalamum, for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord:

Let Zion's bridal-room be clothed:
He comes, her Lord and her Betrothed.
Let man and woman, by faith's light,
A vigil keep throughout the night.

Saint Simeon, sent forth in joy,
Exults to see the baby Boy.
The Light through Whom all things are known
Is now to all the nations shown.

His parents to the temple bring
The Temple as an offering
The righteousness of law He chose
Though to the law He nothing owes.

So, Mary, bring this little one,
Yours and the Father's only Son
Through whom our offering is made
By whom our ransom price is paid.

And forward, queen of virgins, go
And let rejoicing overflow
With gifts bring forth your newborn Son
Who comes to rescue everyone.

Lord Jesus Christ, the Glory bright
Who guides the nations into light
Be praised, and for eternity
Be glorified, O Trinity. Amen.

Translation c. 2009 Kathleen Pluth. All rights reserved.

Agnes beatae virginis

2011-01-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

The blessed virgin Agnes flies
back to her home above the skies,
and she is born in heav'n above
because she gave her blood in love.

Mature enough to give her life,
though still too young to be a wife,
what joy she shows when death appears
that one would think: her bridegroom nears!

Her captors lead her to the fire
but she refuses their desire,
"For it is not such smold'ring brands
Christ's virgins take into their hands."

"This flaming fire of pagan rite
extinguishes all faith and light.
Then stab me here, so that the flood
may overcome this hearth in blood."

And she was stabbed, and she was brave,
and dying, further witness gave,
for as she fell on bended knee
she wrapped her robes in modesty.

O Virgin-born, all praises be
to You throughout eternity.
and unto everlasting days
to Father and the Spirit, praise.

Translation c. 2010 Kathleen Pluth. May be used only with permission.

The Thinking behind the Translating Project

2011-01-15T14:29:00.006-05:00

Fr. Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, of the Vox Clara Commission.

Blessed Pope John Paul the Great

2011-01-14T10:19:00.002-05:00

Staff of a shepherd for the faithful; heart of a father for the poor
Jesus was in him, and the Spirit, for the uplifting of the world
“Be not afraid!” a voice was calling, “Lay down your lives in sacrifice!”
“Be not afraid!” the sound re-echoes, “Open the doors to Jesus Christ!”

Long may his legacy of courage guide us in paths of good and right.
Angels of God, come forth to lead him into the mysteries of light.
There Mary reigns, the Queen of Heaven; there Lazarus is poor no more.
Be not afraid, O Holy Father! Enter the mercy of the Lord.

To the tune of Father, We Thank Thee Who Hast Planted (Rendez a Dieu)

Bishop Cupich on the New Translation of the Roman Missal

2010-12-08T21:57:00.001-05:00

From Sacramentary to Roman Missal, Part 1 from Diocese of St. Petersburg on Vimeo.

From Sacramentary to Roman Missal, Part 2 from Diocese of St. Petersburg on Vimeo.

From Sacramentary to Roman Missal, Part 3 from Diocese of St. Petersburg on Vimeo.

Aeterne rerum conditor

2010-12-06T10:39:00.003-05:00

One of the 4 universally-acknowledged Ambrosian hymns:

Eternal maker of all things
Of day and night the sov'reign King,
Refreshing mortals, You arrange
The rhythm of the seasons' change

The rooster sounds his morning cry
--Throughout the night he watched the sky--
For travelers, a guiding light
To tell the watches of the night.

The morning star that hears the cry
Dispels the darkness from the sky.
The demons, hearing the alarm
Abandon all their paths of harm.

The sailor hears and he is brave;
The sea becomes a gentle wave.
The rooster's call reached Peter's ears:
He washed away his sins in tears.

Our wav'ring hearts, Lord Jesus, see.
O look upon us, make us free,
For in Your gaze no fault can stay,
And sins by tears are washed away.

O Light, upon our senses shine.
Dispel our sleepiness of mind,
That we may sing Your morning praise,
Then, vows fulfilling, live our days.

Translation c. 2010 Kathleen Pluth

The Christ Has Died

2010-10-27T09:19:00.000-04:00

Unlike the other translations and unlike the Mortem Tuam, the Christ Has Died addresses no one.

The consecration has just occurred. The Lord is present anew, newly present, has been here all along but has just arrived in a new way--we come into His Presence in a new way, by the will of the Father and of the One who said, "With longing I have longed to eat this Pasch with you before I suffer." (Luke 22:15)

In response to the Lord's moment of sacrifice, to His high priesthood and His love, we can sing to Him, addressing Him, telling Him of our hope.

Or we can sing the Christ Has Died.

Discovering the Songs of Christmas

2010-10-16T10:25:00.003-04:00

Just in time for Christmas!

The hymn writer's useful mediocrity

2010-10-03T15:44:00.003-04:00

There is a style and manner suited to the composition of hymns, which may be more successfully, or at least more easily attained by a versifier, than by a poet. They should be Hymns, not Odes, if designed for public worship, and for the use of plain people. Perspicuity, simplicity and ease, should be chiefly attended to; and the imagery and coloring of poetry, if admitted at all, should be indulged very sparingly and with great judgment. The late Dr. Watts, many of whose hymns are admirable patterns in this species of writing, might, as a poet, have a right to say, That it cost him some labor to restrain his fire, and to accommodate himself to the capacities of common readers. But it would not become me to make such a declaration. It behoved me to do my best. But though I would not offend readers of taste by a wilful coarseness, and negligence, I do not write professedly for them. If the LORD whom I serve, has been pleased to favor me with that mediocrity of talent, which may qualify me for usefulness to the weak and the poor of his flock, without quite disgusting persons of superior discernment, I have reason to be satisfied.--John Newton, Olney Hymns

Need a liturgical pick-me-up? Visit the Chant Cafe!

2010-09-30T17:54:00.001-04:00

The moving hymn

2010-09-18T09:24:00.002-04:00

While singing this hymn of thanksgiving after Communion, many at the Holy Father's Mass this morning at Westminster Cathedral were visibly moved. It was sung to the tune St. Catherine, which we often use for Faith of Our Fathers.

"O Bread of Heaven, beneath this veil
Thou dost my very God conceal:
My Jesus, dearest treasure, hail!
I love Thee and, adoring, kneel;
Each loving soul by Thee is fed
With Thine own Self
in form of Bread.

O food of life, Thou Who dost give
The pledge of immortality;
I live, no ‘tis not I that live;
God gives me life, God lives in me:
He feeds my soul, He guides my ways,
And every grief with joy repays.

O Bond of love that dost unite
The servant to his living Lord ;
Could I dare live and not requite
Such love - then death were meet reward:
I cannot live unless to prove
Some love for such unmeasured love.

My dearest God! Who dost so bind
My heart with countless claims to Thee!
O Sweetest love, my soul shall find
In Thy dear bonds true liberty.
Thyself Thou hast bestowed on me;
Thine, Thine for ever I will be.

O Mighty Fire, Thou that dost burn
To kindle every mind and heart!
For Thee my frozen soul doth yearn;
Come, Lord of love, Thy warmth impart;
If thus to speak too bold appear,‘
Tis love like Thine has banished fear.

O Sweetest dart of love Divine!
If I have sinned, then vengeance take;
Come pierce this guilty heart of mine,
And let it die for His dear sake
Who once expired on Calvary,
His heart pierced through for love of me.

Beloved Lord, in Heaven above
There, Jesus, Thou awaitest me,
To gaze on Thee with endless love;
Yes, thus I hope, thus shall it be:
For how can He deny me Heaven,
Who here on earth Himself hath given?"

Music for a Rainy Sunday

2010-09-12T14:50:00.001-04:00

Today's Gospel was the 15th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, which includes the Parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son. The Psalm treated so beautiful below was the responsorial Psalm for today, the penitential 51st Psalm: Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness. In the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt, and cleanse me from my sin.

Gaude, mater Anna

2010-09-07T22:04:00.000-04:00

Rejoice, O mother Anne, rejoice!
O holy mother, lift your voice!
The daughter you have brought to birth
Is mother of our God on earth.

Ring out your joy, exult and pray:
The Virgin Queen is born today!
And celebrate with Joachim
This child who springs from you and him.

Behold, the blessings of her birth
Shall overturn the curse of earth.
What our first mother lost by sin
This newborn mother's Son will win.

St. Anna, hear our joyful cries,
And raise our banners to the skies,
Where you delight to see His face
Who cleanses us from sin by grace.

Hymn book

2010-08-25T08:12:00.002-04:00

Early Christian Latin Poets, by Carolinne White, surveys the earliest Latin-lanuage hymn writers of Christianity.

Apostolorum passio

2010-08-22T07:36:00.010-04:00

In honor of the liturgical leadership of our Holy Father Pope Benedict, here is my translation of this great Ambrosian hymn. Perhaps it could be nicely sung to the tune Deo gratias.

Apostolorum passio

Blest day by suff’ring sanctified:
Christ’s chosen high apostles died.
Today St. Peter wins renown.
Today St. Paul accepts the crown.

Together, equally, they bled:
Together: the victorious dead.
They followed God and sacrificed
And now their faith is crowned by Christ.

St. Peter holds the highest place,
Yet Paul is not the less by grace.
An equal faith was giv’n to Paul:
The chosen vessel of God’s call.

St. Peter, downward crucified—
To honor God in how he died—
Securely tied, he sees unfold
The death his Shepherd once foretold.

On such foundations Rome may claim
The highest service of God’s name.
His noble blood has dignified
The city where this prophet died.

Let all the world, then, run to Rome.
Let families of nations come!
The head of nations teaches there
Beside the nations’ teacher's chair.

O Lord, we ask that we may be
In their exalted company,
And with our princes sing Your praise
Forever, to unending days.

C. 2010 Kathleen Pluth. May be used only with permission.

"We are the Church of the Eucharist"

2010-08-21T13:14:00.003-04:00

Bishop Joseph McFadden: Inaugural Homily from Rocco Palmo on Vimeo.

via Whispers in the Loggia

New Missal Translation Finalized

2010-08-20T22:51:00.002-04:00

The new English translation of the Roman Missal has been approved, and will be in use in all Roman Catholic parishes beginning November 27, 2011.

Ave Maris Stella

2010-08-02T09:04:00.000-04:00

Ave, maris stella
Uploaded by Liturgies. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Stabat Mater, in the News

2010-07-29T23:49:00.002-04:00

Dominican nuns sang the Stabat Mater as a Sequnce in the late 13th century, much earlier than has been thought, according to this article.

h/t: the NLM

Top 10 Hymns

2010-07-26T09:25:00.001-04:00

Phillip Lopez, the Casey Kasem of Christian Colleges, writes to say he's listed the "Top 10 Christian Hymns of All-Time."

It's an interesting list and worth a look, but personally I'm not sure why Φως Ιλαρόν and Apostolorum passio are missing. What else belongs on this list?

"She thought He was the gardener"

2010-07-22T23:01:00.002-04:00

"She must arouse the voice of the cosmos"

2010-07-19T16:20:00.003-04:00

A Church which only makes use of “utility” music has fallen for what is, in fact, useless. . . . For her mission is a far higher one. As the Old Testament speaks of the Temple, the Church is to be the place of “glory,” and as such, too, the place where mankind’s cry of distress is brought to the ear of God. The Church must not settle down with what is merely comfortable and serviceable at the parish level, she must arouse the voice of the cosmos and, by glorifying the Creator, elicit the glory of the cosmos itself, making it also glorious, beautiful, habitable, and beloved.

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, “On the Theological Basis of Church Music,” in The Feast of Faith, pp. 113–126 (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1986), p. 124.

New blog: theological and pastoral reflections

2010-07-19T10:52:00.004-04:00

My grad school professor and noted Vatican II scholar Fr. Joseph Komonchak has a new blog.

I'm hoping to see frequent entries devoted to his elegant translations of St. Augustine, and tutuorials on John Henry Cardinal Newman, whom I have unfortunately been unable to study yet.

Glad to see this blog!

EWTN today

2010-07-10T09:11:00.001-04:00

A version of this video will be aired at 2 pm Eastern (11 am Pacific) on EWTN.

The Fourth of Four

2010-07-07T11:07:00.000-04:00

In classic 4-line hymnody, the third line is often the place for a tonal change. Pivoting on the fifth (e.g. the G chord in a C-major hymn), and incorporating the fifth of five (D in our example), the hymn flirts with a key change, going up the circle of fifths . (A clear example is Salzburg. In Nicaea, a remarkably thorough key change occurs on line 2.)

The effect of the shift is a certain opening-out, an exuberance and dare I say playfulness, which counterbalances the solemnity of the organ. At least that is what I hear.

Much of modern church music employs the fourth of four in abundance. I need not list examples, I hope.

The fourth of four squishes the sound, making it seem serious in a way I find somewhat deadening. That's what I hear, anyway. The question is, is it something new in music? In sacred music?

Is this the most provocative blog post title of all time?

2010-07-06T18:43:00.002-04:00

First Things asks for your opinion on the ten worst hymns of all time.

On the translation of collects: the "qui" clause

2010-06-30T16:04:00.000-04:00

When I hear the “qui” clause in a prayer I feel engaged with God. It acts on me like a preface does, or the Creed when I’m paying close attention. Instead of addressing a vague deity (just “God”), a collect with an appositive qui expresses that this God has a history with me. I realize the sentence construction is like nothing in common use, but the activity of expressing the historic reasons for mutual trust is a part of communication in all relationships. It can be as simple as “thanks for your kind words” or as complex as “you have been my best friend for thirty years.” It’s a kind of appreciation.

In a collect, the qui clause roots the petition of the prayer in the history of the relationship. To my ears, although it has a formal sound, it adds to the intimacy of the prayer because of its meaning.

If the qui clause is divided from the petition (as usual in the 1973), although a reference is made to the history, the causal connection between the history and the hoped-for answer to the petition is weakened.

Here is a lightly meant example of how a divided qui strikes my ear, and a contrasting, appositive qui:

Dear Dad, you have always been supportive of my education. Please send money.

-or-

Dear Dad, in light of your steadfast support of my education over the years, please send money.

The second is a more complex sentence but I feel it expresses a more engaged relationship.

Music Education

2010-05-01T09:38:00.001-04:00

"...Music is a "powerful 'gymnasium,' not only on the artistic and professional plane, but in the overall human profile..." Pope Benedict XVI

The Definitive English Text of the Third Edition of The Roman Missal

2010-04-30T13:16:00.003-04:00

30 April 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Bishops of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy [ICEL] join me in welcoming the announcement of the approval by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments of the definitive English text of the Third Edition of The Roman Missal. This news ushers in the final phase of preparation for the publication and implementation of the Missal in our eleven member Bishops’ Conferences and the many other territories where the sacred liturgy is habitually celebrated in English.

It also brings to a conclusion the long and complex process by which the translation has been prepared, a process in which the Bishops of the Commission and the Bishops of the English-speaking world, together with the members of the Roman Missal Editorial Committee, the ICEL Secretariat and the translators and consultants who are our closest collaborators have worked together with national conferences and the various organs of the Holy See to ensure that we have a text of the highest quality that can truly be called a work of the Church.

Upon receipt of the definitive text and in accordance with established procedures, the ICEL Secretariat will prepare the electronic files of the Missal, which will assist Conferences in the task of communicating the text to their publishers. ICEL has also produced an interactive DVD 'Become One Body, One Spirit, in Christ' [www.becomeonebodyonespiritinchrist.org], which will be of great assistance in the catechetical process that will accompany the reception of the new text. The date for the publication of The Roman Missal and its implementation in our territories is a matter to be determined by Bishops’ Conferences in conjunction with the Holy See.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have put their gifts at the service of the Church in the great endeavour of producing the new translation, men and women whose faith is matched by the refinement of their scholarship.

+Arthur Roche
Bishop of Leeds
Chairman

h/t The New Liturgical Movement

Sursum Corda: The Youth Classical Schola

2010-04-27T10:38:00.014-04:00

Last Saturday before the historic Pontifical Mass at the National Shrine, I had the honor of directing the children's schola which chanted during Bishop Slattery's vesting. The schola combined my own Alexandria, VA, St. Louis Church's Youth Classical Schola and the Chorus from St. Ann's Academy in DC. In the weeks leading up to the Mass, I spent a good deal of time on the road, rehearsing with St. Ann's, to produce a unified sound.

The children sang Veni, Creator Spiritus, Adoro Te devote, and Regina caeli. I think they sang their best--which, many say, is beautifully--and under challenging circumstances.

The event was marked with controversy and strife. The originally planned celebrant did not say the Mass, for reasons that have been widely publicized. From my perspective, the Mass had certain less-than-optimal earmarks of any inaugural event. There were little glitches here and there, and some problems communicating. My guess is the communication issues had most of all to do with everyone's relative uncertainty. It is difficult to do something complex and new, because there is no established routine. Meanwhile, everyone's goodwill and effort was evident, and the pleasure of collaboration can make little glitches seem unimportant. The second time will be much easier, and, God willing, under much less public pressure and scrutiny.

From the time when the discussions of my schola's involvement first began, the organizer who was my principle contact spoke of his strong sense that children's voices would be essential at this Mass. While I agreed, I had no idea at the time that his sense would turn out to be quite so prophetic and urgent. Given the publicity, and given the scale of the atrocity of crimes that have been committed against children, the sweet sound of children's singing, which always lifts my heart, can be a balm for all of us. Their pact with the Church, after all, is unbroken. They are safe, they serve, they learn. Our experience in working together has been not only positive but joyous, a microcosm of the excellent ecclesiology of Catholicism as it is played out in so many ways around the world.

I hope that joy was evident in their sound.

Why should liturgical music be excellent?

2010-04-25T09:18:00.002-04:00

...In monastic terms, the liturgy is the path towards an exalted “ecstasy”, a flight into the cloud of unknowing, the place where God is, and where the true contemplation of the creative stillness of God is possible.

And this is a reality which is beyond the ability of historians, theologians, linguists, biblical scholars or even pastoral liturgists to express. Their contributions may even hinder rather than help. The intensity and intangibility of this experience can only be expressed through the arts.

This is why music of quality is a critical element within the life of the Church. It is a necessity, not a luxury. It is neither a frivolous confection nor an elitist distraction from the real business of faith. Music of quality, in the context of worship, does not entertain or divert. It reveals...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article7106502.ece

Teaching chant

2010-04-19T06:59:00.000-04:00

Pontifical Mass April 24th

2010-04-16T08:55:00.001-04:00

The Pontifical Solemn Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine

April 24, 2010 at 1PM

Join us as Vatican prelate Dario Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos performs the first traditional mass held at the Basilica in 50 years in celebration of the fifth anniversary of Pope Benedict's innauguration.

Urbi et Orbi

2010-04-04T15:59:00.002-04:00

Hymns for Christian Prayer

2010-03-05T17:50:00.002-05:00

The current English editions of the Liturgy of the Hours contain hymn texts, but not hymn tunes. The result in some situations is that the hymns are read instead of sung, and other congregations simply use supplemental hymnals or sheet music.

Blogger "Jim" has done a great service to the LOH-praying world by making these resources available for people who would like to sing the hymns, which are an integral part of the Liturgy.

Requiem Aeternam Dona Eis, Domine

2010-02-21T14:58:00.001-05:00

Adoro Te Devote

2010-02-11T17:19:00.003-05:00

Here is my translation of St. Thomas Aquinas' great Eucharistic hymn, Adoro Te Devote.

With devotion I adore
You, O God concealed;
Hidden under figures here,
yet by faith revealed.
Even prayer is silent now.
All my heart bows low.
Deepest truth is present here,
More than minds can know.

Seeing, touching, tasting You--
Senses can deceive.
Hearing is the path of faith
This shall I believe.
Jesus said it; I believe.
True His words must be:
God the Son, the Word of truth,
must speak truthfully.

On the cross You only hid
Your divinity.
Here You also have concealed
Your humanity.
Yet I still believe in both,
and this faith I say,
And the prayer the good thief prayed,
this I also pray.

Thomas saw Your wounded hands
And your wounded side
Even though I do not see
I am satisfied
Jesus Christ, my Lord, my God,
Gladly I adore.
Make me trust you, hope in you,
Love you more and more.

O memorial of the death
of my living Lord,
Living Bread whose saving health
Human life restored.
Let me find my life in You,
Ever-living food.
Let me ever taste of You,
Knowing You are good.

Pelican, so full of love,
Jesus, gracious Lord,
Wash me, cleanse me of my sins
in Your blood outpoured.
All the sins in all the world
that have ever been--
Just one drop is blood enough:
all may be made clean.

Jesus, hidden from my eyes,
Bring me to that place
Where your saints in endless joy
See you face to face.
How I long to gaze on you
Through eternity.
Blest are they who trust in you
And your glory see. Amen.

Hymn for St. Paul: Excelsam Pauli Gloriam

2010-02-11T12:48:00.001-05:00

This is my translation of the Latin office hymn Excelsam Pauli Gloriam. It can be sung to many Long Meter (LM, or 8888) hymn tunes, such as Eisenach or Jesu Dulcis Memoria.

Let all the Church acclaim St. Paul

And sing the glories of his call
The Lord made an apostle be
From one who was his enemy

The name of Christ set Paul afire
Enkindling him with great desire;
And higher these same blazes reached
When of the love of Christ he preached.

His merits are forever praised
For to the heavens he was raised,
And there, the all-mysterious word,
That none dare speak, by Paul was heard.

The Word, like seed sown in a field
Producing an abundant yield
Fills heav’nly barns whose stores of grain
Are tilled and grown on earthly plains.

The shining of the lamplight gleams
And drenches earth with heaven's beams.
The dark of error's night is past;
The reign of truth has come at last.

To Christ all glory, and all praise
To Father and the Spirit raise,
Who for the nations’ saving call
Gave us the splendor of Saint Paul.

Translation © 2008 Kathleen Pluth. Permission was given for parish use June 28-29 2008 and January 24-25, 2009. All other rights reserved.

Stabat Mater Dolorosa

2010-02-11T12:01:00.000-05:00

Here is a translation I made of the sequence Stabat Mater Dolorosa, with transliteration help from The Ultimate Stabat Mater Website.

There are five sequences sung at Mass. The Stabat Mater is part of the Mass of the day for Our Lady of Sorrows, but most parishes use it during Lent, for Stations of the Cross.

The translation follows the rhyme scheme of the Latin, and is quite literal. Anyone may freely use this translation during Lent, 2010.

On the Cross her Son was dying.

Mary stood beneath Him crying,

Sharing in His saving cross.

As He hangs, her soul is grieving,

and a sword her heart is cleaving

and she weeps the bitter loss.

O, the sad, afflicted Mother

of the Son beyond all others:

only Son of God most high.

Full of grief, her heart is aching;

watching Him, her body, quaking,

trembles as her offspring dies.

Who would see Christ’s mother crying

at the bitter crucifying

without tears of sympathy?

Who could see her depth of feeling—

thoughts of many hearts revealing—

and not share her agony?

Pardon for our sins entreating,
She saw Him endure the beating.
All our guilt on Him was cast.
She stood by in contemplation
When her Son, in desolation
Breathed His spirit forth at last.

Font of love, O Blessed Mother,

lend me tears to mourn my Brother.

Never let my ardor dim.

Let my heart be burning freely,

Christ my God be pleased to see me

all on fire with love for Him.

This I ask, O Holy Mary,

that His wounds I too may carry:

fix them deeply in my heart.

Mine the burden He was bearing;

let me in His pain be sharing;

of His suffering take a part.

Let me join in your lamenting,

through my life weep unrelenting

tears for Jesus Crucified.

Let me stand and share your weeping,

all the day death's vigil keeping,

glad to stand close by your side.

Queen of all the virgin choir,

judge me not when I aspire

your pure tears to emulate.

Let me share in Christ's affliction—

death by bitter crucifixion—

and His wounds commemorate.

Let me taste the pains He offered,

drunk with love for Him who suffered.

May His wounds become my own.

On the day of Christ's returning

may my heart be lit and burning.

Virgin, aid me at His throne.

May His Cross be interceding

and His death my vict'ry pleading.

May He hold me in His grace.

When my flesh by death is taken,

may my soul to glory waken

and in heaven take a place. Amen.

Trans. Copyright 2005 Kathleen Pluth. I grant rights to use and copy during Lent 2010. All other rights reserved.

A Hymn for Candlemas: Adorna, Sion, Thalamum

2010-02-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

Here is my translation of Adorna, Sion, Thalamum, for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord:

Let Zion's bridal-room be clothed:
He comes, her Lord and her Betrothed.
Let man and woman, by faith's light,
A vigil keep throughout the night.

Saint Simeon, sent forth in joy,
Exults to see the baby Boy.
The Light through Whom all things are known

Is now to all the nations shown.

His parents to the temple bring
The Temple as an offering
The righteousness of law He chose
Though to the law He nothing owes.

So, Mary, bring this little one,
Yours and the Father's only Son
Through whom our offering is made
By whom our ransom price is paid.

And forward, queen of virgins, go
And let rejoicing overflow
With gifts bring forth your newborn Son
Who comes to rescue everyone.

Lord Jesus Christ, the Glory bright

Who guides the nations into light

Be praised, and for eternity

Be glorified, O Trinity. Amen.

Hymn books online

2010-02-02T10:18:00.000-05:00

One of the great joys of the modern age is the amount of information available free, online.

I've spent hours in the Mullen Library at Catholic University looking through books just like these. Comfy as libraries can be, it's wonderful that a virtual library like this is available anywhere you can get a wireless signal.

Once when my office was located above a library, I would run downstairs to look at this on my lunch hour. Now, I just go to the sidebar of my blog, click on Dictionary of Hymnology vol. I, and enjoy!

How I spent my summer vacation: the video

2010-01-29T21:11:00.000-05:00

SACRED, BEAUTIFUL, & UNIVERSAL: Colloquium XIX from Corpus Christi Watershed on Vimeo.

Extraordinary Form Mass at National Shrine

2010-01-19T18:16:00.006-05:00

While looking for the start time for the Vigil Mass for Life at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (6:30 pm this Thursday), I came across this interesting item, an Extraordinary Form Mass to be celebrated in the Great Upper Church on April 24, 2010.

Pro-Life Hymn

2010-01-05T17:49:00.002-05:00

As the March for Life and other commemorations of the iniquitous Roe v. Wade decision approach, I thought I would repost this hymn that I wrote two years ago:

I suggest the tune Beach Spring
1. At the dawning of creation, God divided light from shade,
And He made us, male and female. In His image we were made.

(Refrain) And the life that God created we will honor and defend
From conception to the heavens; from beginning to the end.

2. God the Father called a people, and He drew them by the hand
And He led them through the desert and into the Promised Land.

3. In His saving Incarnation, Jesus bore a human frame
To restore the sacred Image hidden by our sin and shame.

4. And He walked among the people, healed the sick and raised the dead,
And the poor rejoiced at hearing the appealing words He said.

5. On the Cross, our gracious Savior Jesus laid His body down,
Dying as the Man of Sorrows; giving humankind a crown.

6. And He sent the Holy Spirit for forgiveness of our sins.
Even now God dwells among us; even now, new life begins.

7. When we share the Holy Myst’ries in the Eucharistic food
We are filled with life eternal: Jesus’ Body and His Blood.

8. When He comes again in glory, all the dead shall rise again,
And our human eyes shall see Him in the splendor of His reign.

c. 2008 by Kathleen Pluth. Anyone may use this hymn freely.

Great High School Choir!

2009-12-10T14:46:00.000-05:00

2009-12-09T07:11:00.001-05:00

Communio for All Saints: Beati Mundo Corde

2009-12-01T21:23:00.006-05:00

Prepared and sung by members of the St. Louis Parish Youth Classical Schola.

2009-11-04T16:24:00.001-05:00

2009-10-30T15:12:00.000-04:00

Now that's singing!

2009-10-29T12:49:00.002-04:00

Check out these sample tracks from San Diego soprano--my friend--Mary Ann Carr.

The IMSLP/ Petrucci Music Library

2009-10-26T10:44:00.001-04:00

New to the sidebar, this is a free public domain sheet music library. Enjoy!

Same tune, waaaay different orchestration

2009-10-16T22:42:00.000-04:00

Jeffrey Tucker at the Catholic Information Center

2009-09-24T10:19:00.003-04:00

Jeffrey Tucker, the author of Sing Like a Catholic, will sign books at the Catholic Information Center on K Street in downtown Washington, DC.

Jeffrey Tucker is managing editor of SACRED MUSIC, a quarterly journal published in its 135th year by the Church Music Association of America, where he serves as director of publications. He is a director of the St. Cecilia Schola in Auburn, Alabama with a specialization in bringing chant and polyphony into modern parish life. He has been widely published and interviewed in the Catholic press, writes a weekly column for the New Liturgical Movement (http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/) and The Wanderer, and gives clinics to choirs around the country. He will speak on the desperate need for a unifying and universal music voice for all Catholics to call their own. all Catholics to call their own.

http://www.google.com/calendar/event?eid=bzFwamc5Z2NpZjQ2NGd0bmFnMTJkOThibjQgazRtNTM5NHBuOTJ1MWVzMjRpbmd0YTdsbTRAZw

Great resources on the Library of Congress website

2009-09-05T21:20:00.002-04:00

Here is a beautiful upload of The Southern Harmony.

Many other hymnals are available here. Your tax dollars at work--for hymns!

The Artistic Temperament

2009-08-11T10:29:00.002-04:00

G.K. Chesterton:

The artistic temperament is a disease that afflicts amateurs. It is a disease which arises from men not having sufficient power of expression to utter and get rid of the element of art in their being... Artists of a large and wholesome vitality get rid of their art easily, as they breathe easily, or perspire easily. But in artists of less force, the thing becomes a pressure, and produces a definite pain, which is called the artistic temperament. Thus, very great artists are able to be ordinary men... There are many real tragedies of the artistic temperament, tragedies of vanity or violence or fear. But the great tragedy of the artistic temperament is that it cannot produce any art....

It need hardly be said that this is the real explanation of the thing which has puzzled so many dilettante critics, the problem of the extreme ordinariness of the behaviour of so many great geniuses in history. Their behaviour was so ordinary that it was not recorded; hence it was so ordinary that it seemed mysterious. Hence people say that Bacon wrote Shakespeare. The modern artistic temperament cannot understand how a man who could write such lyrics as Shakespeare wrote, could be as keen as Shakespeare was on business transactions in a little town in Warwickshire. The explanation is simple enough; it is that Shakespeare had a real lyrical impulse, wrote a real lyric, and so got rid of the impulse and went about his business. Being an artist did not prevent him from being an ordinary man, any more than being a sleeper at night or being a diner at dinner prevented him from being an ordinary man.

from Daniel Mitsui's The Lion and the Cardinal http://www.danielmitsui.com/hieronymus/

2009-08-01T08:29:00.003-04:00

At their best, hymns can pack a ton of theological information, and religious emotion, into a small space. Here's a familiar Easter hymn by Charles Wesley.

1. 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!

2. Vain the stone, the watch, the seal; Alleluia!
Christ has burst the gates of hell: Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise; Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise! Alleluia!

3. Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Alleluia!Once He died, our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

4. 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!

5. Hail, the Lord of earth and heaven! Alleluia!
Praise to thee by both be given; Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now; Alleluia!
Hail, the Resurrection, thou! Alleluia!

Aside from the excellence of the entire hymn, which takes us proleptically from the Resurrection of Christ to our own resurrection (in keeping with the remarkable Pauline logic of I Corinthians 15), there is a single line of such exquisite theological intensity that I've tried to "steal" it in several different ways already in my own writing.

"Vain the stone, the watch, the seal; Alleluia!"

Frankly the rest of verse 2 is somewhat pro forma, because after this line, what else is there to say? The tomb is empty! Death has been defeated, the powers of earth have been defeated. Their efforts are vain--kenotic--empty, and against God.

The images are directly Scriptural and used as Scripture uses them. And yet they come through the hymn in a fresh way. First, they demand a small amount of work, like a puzzle: in context and as a group they can only mean the three things they mean, but first one must think. Which stone? Watch (a multivalent English word)? Seal (the same)? The hymn points us back to Scripture to rediscover a story with concrete details, including the unusual situation of soldiers guarding a dead man. Secondly, they are very short words, one of the keys to Wesley's perennial appeal. Here his short words are nouns (and an adjective) but just as often they are verbs: "FIX in us thy humble dwelling/ all thy faithful mercies CROWN" (from another excellent Wesley hymn, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling).

Thirdly, these short words have big, open sounds. Vain is an emphatic word, a word that excludes, but its long vowel would seem to suggest the opposite. (Notice that the sound of the old word "fain" captures a sense of longing.) "Stone," one of Thomas Merton's favorite words, implies weight and solidity, with its long O. "Watch" is exceptional here. The vowel is short, the consonants much more expressive. "Seal" has a very long vowel, a diphthong anchored in its long e.

Verse 3 will taunt death, death in se, in the Pauline way. But here at the beginning of verse 2 we are still in the mode of wonder at the fact of Jesus' resurrection, as much declaring the resurrection as reflecting upon it. And yet there is some taunt in this line: it is both "joy" and "triumph."

As with all great hymns a congregation becomes like little children saying "Can you believe it? Look at the great things God has done!"

The Reform of the Reform

2009-07-29T10:08:00.002-04:00

Here's a nice article in US Catholic about the upcoming changes in the English translation of the Roman Missal.

Nixon also addresses some of the larger questions surrounding the recovery of reverence in the Roman Rite, including liturgical music.

Progress!

2009-07-20T17:46:00.001-04:00

All Four Pending Liturgical Items Pass; Work On The Translation Of The New Roman Missal Continues

WASHINGTON—All four liturgical item actions whose votes were inconclusive at the June general assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops are now approved. Support for the action items continues the work for the English translation of the new Roman Missal for use in the United States.

The deadline for the submission of ballots was July 16. These items require two-thirds (163) votes of Latin Church members for to pass, and subsequent recognition by the Holy See.

The translation of the Order of Mass II (of the Roman Missal) received 191 votes in favor, 25 against and five abstentions.

The translation of the Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Intentions passed by 163 votes, while 53 bishops voted against it and five abstained.

The translation of the rituals for Votive Masses and Masses for the Dead passed 181 to 32 with two abstentions.

And the translation of the text for Ritual Masses received 186 votes in favor, 32 nays and two abstentions...

http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2009/09-159.shtml

2009-07-17T00:01:00.000-04:00

A couple of summers ago I took a summer course on teaching hymnology. The instructor, a very knowledgeable Calvinist, said that there is very little paradox in hymnody. He thinks that the reason for this lack is the brevity of the form. Lines of hymns are ordinarily short; more crucially, by convention hymn writers are conservative about dividing phrases among multiple lines.

My sense is that my teacher did not go back far enough in time to the older Latin hymns, in which paradox is very common.
Right now I’m translating a 10th c. hymn for the Ascension called Aeterne rex altissime. The Latin of vere 4 is sublime in its treatment of the word “flesh.” The Pauline flesh is here, as is its opposite, the Johannine, and then the actual fact of Jesus’ current situation caps everything:

Tremunt videntes angeli
versam vivem mortalium
culpat caro, purgat caro,
regnat caro Verbum Dei.

my initial translation:

The angels tremble at the sight.
How altered is the human plight!
For flesh has sinned, but flesh atoned,
And God in flesh is God enthroned.

An older translation:

Yes, Angels tremble when they see
How changed is our humanity;
That Flesh hath purged what flesh had stained,
And God, the flesh of God, hath reigned.

When I see one of these abundant instances of paradox in the old hymns, I feel as though we are nowadays a very prosaic people. Current hymns, for example, are usually very straight-messaged. They don’t stop and wonder; hymns never gaze. They often preach. We make no puns…

Wellbutrin

2009-07-15T21:17:00.002-04:00

Tired? Grumpy? Feeling run-down?

Try this simple pick-me-up. Find some adorable children. Pray with them in the church. Then teach them how to sing the Sanctus from the Missa Orbis Factor.

You'll be joyful in no time. Try it!

Until then, this ought to help.

Liturgical Sensibility: The Restoration Begins

2009-07-12T16:55:00.001-04:00

A Pledge of Future Glory

2009-07-01T15:45:00.003-04:00

Every once in a while you hear a homily that takes its inspiration from a hymn. Here is one given a couple of weeks ago by a grad school professor of mine, Fr. Joseph Komonchak of the Archdiocese of New York, at the parish where he helps out on Sundays, Blessed Sacrament, in NW Washington DC.

..St. Augustine said that every eucharist is a celebration of the marriage between Christ and his Church, that is, between Christ and us. In any case, the Mass is not something that anyone of us is doing alone. We are here with others, enjoying what they enjoy, with the joy greater, not lesser, for being shared with others, receiving what they received...

Church Music Association of America Colloquium 2009

2009-06-29T21:39:00.006-04:00

I've just returned from a terrific musical and liturgical experience, the Church Music Association's annual Colloquium. The Colloquium is an immersion experience in chant and polyphony. Participants are organized ("sorted," in Harry Potter language) into working groups: chant choirs and polyphony choirs. Within a few days, each choir learns a substantial amount of music well enough to sing at Mass.

Here is a page of very well-done sound files to provide hours of listening pleasure. My favorite piece of all is the Gloria from Thursday's Mass, which was actually not sung by a Colloquium group but by a parish choir from St. John Cantius, in Chicago.

Tomorrow's polyphony at my parish

2009-06-06T12:50:00.001-04:00

Nice!

2009-05-10T12:35:00.002-04:00

We sang one of my favorite hymns today, I Know that My Redeemer Lives, and the choir ROCKED! They sing SATB hymnal arrangements very well to begin with. But the best part was the 4th verse. Our organist asked them to sing it in unison so that he could improvise on the organ, which he did, rather masterfully, and that was of course wonderful, but what really knocked your socks off was the LOUD, BLENDED, JOYOUS unison singing!

He lives, all glory to His name!
He lives, my Savior still the same!
What joy the blest assurance gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!

Adoration, the Angelic Doctor, and Adoro Te Devote

2009-04-22T16:46:00.005-04:00

Here is one terrific homily, preached by my friend Fr. John Corbett, OP, a Dominican priest in Washington, DC.

It is on the one hand a reflection on St. Thomas Aquinas, on the occasion of his Feast Day, January 28. St. Thomas was a Dominican friar too, and the seminary/ graduate school where this homily was preached teaches with a special emphasis on the works of St. Thomas.

However, this homily is as much about praise as it is about theology. I think it's worth a listen!

2009-04-20T21:17:00.003-04:00

This is a passage from Pope Benedict's Easter Vigil homily. He spoke about two of the symbols of the Vigil, fire and water, and then about a different kind of symbol: song.

The third great symbol of the Easter Vigil is something rather different; it has to do with man himself. It is the singing of the new song – the alleluia. When a person experiences great joy, he cannot keep it to himself. He has to express it, to pass it on. But what happens when a person is touched by the light of the resurrection, and thus comes into contact with Life itself, with Truth and Love? He cannot merely speak about it. Speech is no longer adequate. He has to sing. The first reference to singing in the Bible comes after the crossing of the Red Sea. Israel has risen out of slavery. It has climbed up from the threatening depths of the sea. It is as it were reborn. It lives and it is free. The Bible describes the people’s reaction to this great event of salvation with the verse: "The people … believed in the Lord and in Moses his servant" (Ex 14:31). Then comes the second reaction which, with a kind of inner necessity, follows from the first one: "Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord …" At the Easter Vigil, year after year, we Christians intone this song after the third reading, we sing it as our song, because we too, through God’s power, have been drawn forth from the water and liberated for true life.

There is a surprising parallel to the story of Moses’ song after Israel’s liberation from Egypt upon emerging from the Red Sea, namely in the Book of Revelation of Saint John. Before the beginning of the seven last plagues imposed upon the earth, the seer has a vision of something "like a sea of glass mingled with fire; and those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb …" (Rev 15:2f.). This image describes the situation of the disciples of Jesus Christ in every age, the situation of the Church in the history of this world.

Humanly speaking, it is self-contradictory. On the one hand, the community is located at the Exodus, in the midst of the Red Sea, in a sea which is paradoxically ice and fire at the same time. And must not the Church, so to speak, always walk on the sea, through the fire and the cold? Humanly speaking, she ought to sink. But while she is still walking in the midst of this Red Sea, she sings – she intones the song of praise of the just: the song of Moses and of the Lamb, in which the Old and New Covenants blend into harmony. While, strictly speaking, she ought to be sinking, the Church sings the song of thanksgiving of the saved. She is standing on history’s waters of death and yet she has already risen. Singing, she grasps at the Lord’s hand, which holds her above the waters. And she knows that she is thereby raised outside the force of gravity of death and evil – a force from which otherwise there would be no way of escape – raised and drawn into the new gravitational force of God, of truth and of love. At present she is still between the two gravitational fields. But once Christ is risen, the gravitational pull of love is stronger than that of hatred; the force of gravity of life is stronger than that of death. Perhaps this is actually the situation of the Church in every age? It always seems as if she ought to be sinking, and yet she is always already saved. Saint Paul illustrated this situation with the words: "We are as dying, and behold we live" (2 Cor 6:9). The Lord’s saving hand holds us up, and thus we can already sing the song of the saved, the new song of the risen ones: alleluia! Amen.

2009-04-10T21:30:00.004-04:00

0 GOD, I love thee, I love thee-

Not out of hope of heaven for me

Nor fearing not to love and be

In the everlasting burning.

Thou, thou, my Jesus, after me

Didst reach thine arms out dying,

For my sake sufferedst nails, and lance,

Mocked and marred countenance,

Sorrows passing number,

Sweat and care and cumber,

Yea and death, and this for me,

And thou couldst see me sinning:

Then I, why should not I love thee,

Jesu, so much in love with me?

Not for heaven's sake;

not to be out of hell by loving thee;

Not for any gains I see;

But just the way that thou didst me

I do love and I will love thee:

What must I love thee, Lord, for then?

For being my king and God. Amen.

Gerard Manley Hopkins

2009-04-07T17:38:00.000-04:00

One of the hymnals has an Easter hymn set to Engelberg, and I thought I could do something similar but better. Or at least more to my own taste.

I may have forgotten a verse and if so I'll include it later.

If it's not too early to say so, Christ is risen!

Let Easter alleluias fill this place
for God has sanctified the human race,
fulfilling all the pledges of His grace,
Alleluia!

Why seek the Living One among the dead?
The Lord was raised in glory as He said.
That we might follow where our Master led,
Alleluia!

The path of glory shines before our eyes:
the Christian road that leads beyond the skies.
By crucifixion and by death we rise,
Alleluia!

Come quickly, Jesus, prove your promise true.
Bring all creation into life anew:
a living sacrifice of praise to You,
Alleluia!

c. Kathleen Pluth. This text may be used freely during Eastertide 2009. All other rights reserved.

2009-04-05T16:56:00.001-04:00

Today was the first Palm Sunday for the youth Schola that I began at my parish last summer, so it was the first time these children sang and processed about the children who sang and processed. Twenty-odd kids in red and white robes, dressed and ready to warmup at 8:15 in the blooming morning!

From morning prayer: "God grant that with the angels and the children we may be always faithful, and sing with them to the conqueror of death: Hosanna in the highest."

Hymns in honor of St. Paul

2009-03-31T21:12:00.004-04:00

I had thought that when the Holy Father annunced the Pauline Year, there would be a sudden flurry of hymn writing in St. Paul's honor. No such flurry has occurred to my knowledge, but I have been able to contribute a couple of hymns in honor of this inimitable Saint, one of the two pillars of our apostolic Church.

I've received a number of requests for use of these hymns--more from the UK, in fact, than from the States. An Anglican parish named St. Paul's, in Sheffield, for example, sang one at the anniversary service for their parish. And this morning my translation of Excelsam Pauli Gloriam was sung at Morning Prayer by Bishop D'Arcy and his priests in the diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. I was delighted to be asked to contribute in this small way to their diocesan Lenten Day of Recollection for priests, and even more so in light of recent events.

One of the verses says:

The shining of the lamplight gleams
And drenches earth with heav'nly beams.
The dark of error's night is past.
The reign of truth has come at last.

So the Pope gets on a plane...

2009-03-27T19:51:00.007-04:00

Whenever you see a picture of Pope Benedict talking to people, he's got this shy smile thing going on. And yet, he's brilliant, and although welcoming of people, he's ruthless about ideas.

Actually, he's theologically much more welcoming than I am. For example, if I'm not mistaken he recently made a positive reference to Rene Girard, my theological arch-nemesis. Perhaps there is some good there that I just fail to see--but I digress. Regarding liturgy he can see nonsense claims coming from miles away--and then he devastates them.

A lot of electronic ink has been spilled over the Pope's recent plane ride TO Africa, mostly because his remarks had something to do with sex. But his remarks on the way back FROM Africa were much more dramatic. As I read them, I thought I heard the echoes of the old Bat Man comics' fight scenes.

Speaking of the Masses he celebrated in Cameroon and Angola, the Pope said,

"[I was] moved by the spirit of meditative absorption *POW!*
in liturgy, the powerful sense of the sacred *BIFF!*;
in the liturgies there was no self-presentation *BANG!*
of groups, no self-animation, *ZAP!*
but the presence of the sacred, of God Himself; even the movements were always movements of respect and awareness of the divine presence. *KAPOW!*

This multi-whammie, smiling pre-emptive measure undermines all future attempts to point to the African liturgies as a positive example of the multi-cultural fad in liturgy. Yet another ephemeral wave in the endless cycles of fads that have mainstreamed since the last Council, multiculturalism (like all the others) effectively downgrades the liturgy from the most intimate possible sharing of heavenly and earthly realities available to us on earth, to an anthropological celebration.

The most astonishingly candid expressions of the superficiality of multiculturalist liturgy are the various Dancing Puppet Liturgies, in which non-human, non-animate artifacts are dressed up to represent various colors and genders--which then "participate" in the liturgy.

I'm sure that we can all see the difference between Africans dancing at Mass vs. midwesterners, and their puppets, dancing at Mass. Yes? But the Pope wisely made a very public and clear distinction.

It's not wrong to express ourselves in the liturgy. But we must express ourselves liturgically, and in Christ. We are at Mass to open ourselves to God and to come into direct, real contact with the Father through Him--never losing the "sense of the sacred" and the "respect and awareness of the divine presence."

Via Media

2009-03-24T09:46:00.000-04:00

I've just added Amy Welborn's new Beliefnet blog Via Media ("the middle way") to my (very short) list of mobile favorites.

Amy is smart, super Catholic, and has a remarkable ability to think through things in publishable prose.

You can find Amy's blog here: http://blog.beliefnet.com/viamedia/

Missus Est

2009-03-16T19:22:00.001-04:00