An Advent Calendar of Hymn Tune Propers

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.

The Fourth of Four

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?

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.

St. Paul

Sorry to be so silent. I've been absorbed in projects, at work and at home. On top of all these projects is one that consumes a lot of my imagination: an oratorio in honor of St. Paul. I'm writing a libretto, which is off to a very good start, in hopes that I can find a composer and possibly some funding.

In order to write my texts it has been necessary to think of words that rhyme with "Paul." I had been working on this myself, forgetting that the task has already been accomplished by Edward Perronet, in his remarkable hymn All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name. Enjoy!

All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.

Let highborn seraphs tune the lyre, and as they tune it, fall
Before His face Who tunes their choir, and crown Him Lord of all.
efore His face Who tunes their choir, and crown Him Lord of all.

Crown Him, ye morning stars of light, who fixed this floating ball;
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might, and crown Him Lord of all.
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might, and crown Him Lord of all.

Crown Him, ye martyrs of your God, who from His altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod, and crown Him Lord of all.
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod, and crown Him Lord of all.

Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race, ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.

Hail Him, ye heirs of David’s line, whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown Him Lord of all,
The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown Him Lord of all.

Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget the wormwood and the gall,
Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all.
Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all.

Let every tribe and every tongue before Him prostrate fall
And shout in universal song the crownèd Lord of all.
And shout in universal song the crownèd Lord of all.

Maybe I'll try this next...

British musicians send pope iPod nano packed with modern church music

...The gift is from contemporary Catholic songwriters Jo Boyce and Mike Stanley, and it features a new album of classic hymns reworked in modern forms of music. The duo has used instruments such as pianos, saxophones, guitars, drums and synthesizers to recreate centuries-old works in laid-back gospel, folk, funk, soul and lounge-music styles...

What's German for "Yeah, right."

Two new factors are thus at work in Church music. Artistic freedom increasingly asserts its rights, even in the liturgy. Church music and secular music are now each influenced by the other. This is particularly clear in the case of the so-called "parody Masses", in which the text of the Mass was set to a theme or melody that came from secular music, with the result that anyone hearing it might think he was listening to the latest "hit". It is clear that these opportunities for artistic creativity and the adoption of secular tunes brought danger with them. Music was no longer developing out of prayer, but, with the new demand for artistic autonomy, was now heading away from the liturgy; it was becoming an end in itself, opening the door to new, very different ways of feeling and of experiencing the world.

Music was alienating the liturgy from its true nature.

At this point the Council of Trent intervened in the culture war that had broken out. It was made a norm that liturgical music should be at the service of the Word; the use of instruments was substantially reduced; and the difference between secular and sacred music was clearly affirmed.

Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI)

The Spirit of the Liturgy, pp 145-6

New Polyphony!

My office is located in a religious school, the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC. I've been privileged to know the most wonderful young people as they make their way through their studies. Among my favorites, naturally, are the ardent Dominican student brothers, the next generation of The Order of Preachers.

The Dominican life is founded on praise; their motto is To Praise, To Bless, To Preach. Deeply immersed in the liturgy, many become amateur experts in chant during their studies. Now, a student brother, Br. Hyacinth Cordell OP, has informed me that he has begun to compose polyphony!

Thanks to BlipTV, here is his first composition (to my knowledge), dedicated (of course) to Our Lady: Ave Maria.