Hymnals from smaller publishers
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,157
    Besides the offerings from the Big 3 publishers, many of us take an interest in hymnals from smaller publishers, such as the Adoremus Hymnal, the Collegeville Hymnal, the St. Michael Hymnal, the Summit Choirbook and the Catholic Hymn Book.

    Today I stumbled across the Saint Augustine Hymnal. Its preface expresses some quite sound principles, but going by the on-line display, it contains a fair amount of dross along with some fine material.

    Of course, there are new hymnals by CMAA members, such as Noel's Catholic Hymnal and Catholic Choirbook projects, and Jeff O's Vatican II Hymnal.

    Are there others under preparation?
  • Checked out the St. Augustine Hymnal just now. Seems to me like a low-budget Gather Comprehensive.
    BMP
  • I sent for a free copy of St. Augustine - it came today. I'll second BMP's comparison to a low-budget GC (which my parish uses, BTW, along with the brown People's Mass Book). There's a lot to like, but there's also a lot NOT to like.
  • brown People's Mass Book

    Wow, I really parsed this wrong when I first read it! ;)
  • LMAO Mark! I'm guessing the PMB is the 1984 edition?
    BMP
  • Thanks for the mention...my Catholic Hymnal site is currently still featuring mainly historical hymns, with a couple of hymnals created for select groups - future plans are to expand this, but developments in publishing here are not yet where they need to bring this forward just yet.

    The Catholic Choirbook continues to evolve, Book V Gratia Plena will be released very shortly; but also we are introducing an Anthology from the series which includes some hymns old and new for choirs as part of its plan - more about that soon.

    noel
  • As a musician in the Catholic Church I've found The Saint Augustine Hymnal to follow the Hermeneutics of Continuity (Pope Benedict XVI) to a tee. I also like the aesthetic quality of the Vatican II hymnal, but it doesn't address the entire church. However, no hymnal exists that can be everything to everyone and I stand by that completely - No. 5 states in the preface.

    Gather Comprehensive (GC), while being a great publication, caters to a different concept of the teachings of the church. I have used Gather on and off for some years and not until recently did I get hit with a realization about several its hymns. For example, whilst about to sing the first line of music from a well-loved German Christmas hymn from the 14th Century, I was shocked to find that they took it upon themselves to change the title and thus, the lyric to "Good Christian FRIENDS, Rejoice" was born. The song loses its historical meaning and context - not only that, but it would be like changing any well-known document that has had high circulation or exposure (ex: Declaration of Independence). It looses its candor and charm, its effectiveness as a well-known hymn.

    It is understandable that publishers who are not rooted in the Catholic faith would adhere to modernistic or feminist principles like this language of inclusivity, but it does not honor the Language of God or the theological teachings of our beautiful faith to do so (look at No. 6 of the preface in SAH). Also, by no means would I imagine vilifying GIA. They have some finely published music written by various well-loved composers and I think that many smaller publishers look to GIA for examples, as they should. In the matter of this particular issue, and possibly several others that have yet to be unearthed, I cannot say they should.

    H4M
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    Here4Music, I think CMAA members started a dialogue with a representative of GIA, with members asking for the reasons behind certain specific verses that were changed, but the conversation "fizzled."

    For those interested, here's a video with information about the Vatican II Hymnal:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy16h61WQIg
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,157
    Prompted by H4M's post, I see that the publisher's website is offering sound samples for the Saint Augustine Hymnal, so I checked out the site and spent a few minutes listening.

    This is definitely not a hymnal for parishes that rely on traditional repertoire, because nearly everything in it is contemporary music in theatrical styles. This sort of makes sense, given that the company was founded (and presumably is still directed) by contemporary composer Vince Ambrosetti.

    The website bills this as a book full of "widely sung titles". Widely sung? Where? Not in any Catholic church I've ever visited. I listened to thirty-five tracks and only recognized six at all. Of the 35, just three of the songs were traditional hymns.

    The book's contemporary songs are designed for soloists and small vocal ensembles, not congregations. They use syncopation quite a bit, and the sample arrangements are sweetened with strings and use piano rather than organ. They'd fit in well on easy-listening Evangelical radio.

    While I think the texts of the songs present little if anything to complain about, I can't agree with H4M's suggestion that this hymnal represents continuity.
  • "I also like the aesthetic quality of the Vatican II hymnal, but it doesn't address the entire church."

    What is needed, urgently, desperately, is a willingness to renew the sacred liturgy in accord with the LETTER of Vatican II, not the "SPIRIT." The Vatican II Hymnal actually enables a celebration of the Mass that is in accord with the hermeneutic of continuity. As Noel Jones once said, if you need more than 250 hymns, you're singing way too many hymns. Combine this hymnal with the Simple English Propers and some organ music, and voila!, you have, perhaps for the first time, the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite celebrated with something like its appropriate musical vesture. It's actually a rather modest idea, and a far cry from the "reform of the reform" or a Solemn High Mass, which is where we OUGHT to be, but aren't. So, I guess I don't see how this "doesn't address the entire church." In reality, much of the church is somewhere in outer space, floating in the emptiness of discontinuity, and we should be doing our utmost to call these far-flung stations back to the ground. We are, after all, ROMAN Catholics, and so, preserving our connection with a concrete historical Tradition isn't just a nice warm sentiment, it's a requirement, a norm, and a discipline for us. There's plenty of room to argue about *how* traditional we ought to be, but THAT we must be traditional is absolutely obvious.

    Just not to a lot of people in the world of church music... and liturgical planning...
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,150
    You've painted a very clear picture of the situation, Prof Kwasniewski. Thank you!
  • Mike R
    Posts: 106
    I was really astounded when I first heard about the St. Augustine Hymnal, simply because I have NEVER encountered that style of music in Catholic worship. It sounds like early-to-mid-1990s Protestant praise & worship music (think Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith). Everywhere I've heard praise & worship in a Catholic context has had a very different, more "youthy" feel to it.
  • Chonak and ProfKwasniewski,

    I went on the website and noticed that not all of the actual titles in the Saint Augustine Hymnal are actually on there. So, "I listened to thirty-five tracks and only recognized six at all. Of the 35, just three of the songs were traditional hymns" is in part true. I called there the other day and evidently they are recording the entire hymnal. It looks like they actually ARE following continuity because they comparison charts online are most varied.

    In their hard cover edition they have (and I'm reading off of the net here) 74 OCP (whereas GIA only has 61), 36 WLP titles (whereas GIA has only 17); in their 3-yr soft cover ed. they have 68 OCP titles (WLP only has 14, GIA doesn't offer something like this), 43 GIA titles (OCP only has 20; WLP has 37). So far it looks like they are more varied in their compilation of titles than any other publisher. This is just the facts.

    Another comment I'd like to address is ProfKwasniewski's mention of the Vatican II Hymnal. It is a wonderful resource for the church and addresses much of the lost sacred liturgy. Yes we need to hold on to what has been and must be renewed, but we must also take into account that we are moving into a new time with our sacred liturgy and there are hundreds of churches celebrating contemporary styles and doing quite well with that. They also seem to be incorporating chant and traditional hymnody because any church that recognizes the beauty and value of what the church has fostered before will also recognize the growth of the church musically now.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,157
    Here4Music quoted me and commented:
    So, "I listened to thirty-five tracks and only recognized six at all. Of the 35, just three of the songs were traditional hymns" is in part true.


    LOL. Is it only "in part true"? Did I describe part of my listening experience incorrectly? :-)

    Anyway, most of the works I heard sound as if they were composed post-1980.

    Continuity with the musical tradition of Western Christianity would require that the songs be taken predominantly from the older musical heritage running back 1000 years. If 10% are written after 1960, that might be too many.

    Are you connected with the publisher, by the way? It's no shame to say so if you are. He's obviously trying to do something good.
  • Very disappointed in the Saint Augustine Hymnal. Very few traditional hymns. Most are written by International Liturgy Publication composers. We looked at the index and thought we were getting the traditional hymns because we saw their titles. However, the hymns themselves had been written by the International Liturgy group of composers. Only the title had been kept. I agree with chonak's evaluation of this hymnal. In a hymnal of this size, there are few hymns that the congregation knows and it is difficult for them to learn. The Responsorial Psalms are very difficult to sing/learn. Lots of syncopation, strange phrasing and therefore, the text is not easy to understand by the congregation.
  • I just received my copy of the VII Hymnal. I will be presenting it to my father's pastor for review this weekend. I am a little confused. On the YouTube SEP tutorials, it mentions that the SEPs are in the VII Hymnal. I can't find them. Are they written as texts or did I misunderstand? I have been chanting the SEPs for quite a while and the parish council wanted a book that also contained them for the faithful to follow along.
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    Dear Benedict Gal,

    Thanks for the message!

    The Vatican II Hymnal does contain the TEXTS for the Sung propers (a.k.a. Graduale Propers) which allows the congregation to follow along.

    However, our book has the flexibility to allow congregations to follow the Propers NO MATTER which version is sung: PSALM TONES, SIMPLE ENGLISH PSALM TONES, SIMPLE ENGLISH PROPERS, FULL VERSION IN THE GRADUALE ROMANUM IN LATIN, etc.

    Here is what has been on the website since August:

    The Vatican II Hymnal750 pages long • Complete Readings for all Sundays and Major Feasts (Years ABC) • First Hymnal ever printed to contain complete texts for the Sung Propers • More than a hundred pages of Mass Settings (Roman Missal, 3rd Edition) • Complete texts in Latin and English for Ordinary & Extraordinary Forms of the Mass • Beautiful Hymns, including more than 100 pages of Communion Hymns • Chabanel Responsorial Psalms, Garnier Alleluias, Motets, and much more!
  • Thank you so much for the clarification, JMO!

    It is actually somewhat a pleasant turn of events that the bishop whose name appears in the hymnal was one of our own when we were a part of the Diocese of Corpus Christi. Wish me luck as I may also try to present this to our pastor (who was ordained by said bishop).
  • How edifying to see such intelligent discourse on sacred music in the Catholic tradition. As the publisher of the Saint Augustine Hymnal (SAH), I appreciate the opportunity to clarify some points of confusion regarding this fine hymnal, the collaborative work of many dedicated and talented people over the last eight years.

    1. If you would kindly take a few moments to read the PREFACE of the SAH, it will provide you much greater understanding as to the principles by which this hymnal has been carefully crafted. This can be found at: http://www.ilpmusic.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=f17e19c307032fd12ae6f732d2471135&Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=VA&Category_Code=SAHBrowse

    2. The Saint Augustine Hymnal is the only hymnal that provides a blend of traditional and contemporary, vulgate and vernacular, explicitly Catholic theology, respecting the ever-developing tradition of the Church. Fine hymnals such as Adoremus, St. Michael and Vatican II are seated firmly in Pre-Vatican II content; whereas resources from OCP, WLP and GIA are predominantly Post-Vatican II, and GIA hymnals rely heavily on Reformation and other non-Catholic hymnody.

    3. The SAH does not dance around Trinitarian theology with inappropriate interpretations; ILP is faithful to our tradition of Trinity and the language of God. Nor does the SAH change time-honored language of hymns. Certainly Newton believed himself to be a wretch, perhaps deservedly so; why would we tamper with this poetic text?

    4. ILP will not publish texts that confuse the faithful. We do not rise from ashes; God raises us from ashes. You and I are not the bread of life; Jesus the Christ is the Bread of Life. Ought we aspire to sing a new Church; or should we ask God to recreate us in His image?

    5. The SAH capitalizes Divine pronouns for the sake of reverence and clarity. ILP never avoids masculine pronouns when referring to God; this is our tradition and a time-honored convention of the English language.

    6. Perhaps we were mistaken to place MP3s for listening on our website. It is important to note that we are presently featuring the contemporary titles in the SAH because we presume that you already know the traditional titles. I would think that you don't need MP3s of "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence," "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name," "Humbly We Adore Thee/Adoro Te," "Panis Angelicus," "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today," "Regina Caeli" or the myriad of other traditional titles in the SAH. We simply made the new MP3s available because this is the content that is most certainly unfamiliar.

    7. The SAH has the largest repertoire of traditional music blended with familiar and new post-Vatican II titles, all faithful to the tradition of our Church. Although I respect the sentiment of Noel Jones that his magic number of titles is 250, I would challenge you to find a parish of 2,000+ families to agree on those titles, or a dozen churches of 300+ families to agree on a common repertoire. Some churches today have four different publications in the pew racks to accommodate the varied interests and needs of a single parish. Furthermore, OCP, GIA and WLP have historically not generously shared music with one another. The SAH was conceived to address this simple need: Growing parishes in the United States and the English-speaking world need a broad repertoire to speak to the hearts of the faithful. Although you may not like "On Eagle's Wings," 7 out of 10 Catholics desire to sing it at the funeral of loved ones. And, although I am not a huge fan of shallow "Praise & Worship," I do believe in Fr. Payton's credo: "The family that prays together stays together." ILP believes that if we don't provide a hymnal that places all of this music under one cover, young people will sing ONLY the "Praise & Worship" from theologically-undernourished publications (from Catholic and non-Catholic publishers alike) (rather than a well-balanced diet of old and new), leading entire generations to the so-called "non-denominational" personality cult church up the street. We can dig our feet in and protest new music, focusing all of our energies on preservation of the past; or, we can grow with the Church and ensure that the generations that follow us are fed with theologically rich texts, faithful to our tradition. ILP chooses to grow and to serve.

    8. It is strange to be called a "contemporary composer," as though this is an indictment. Contemporary is only bad if poorly done, as is poorly done traditional. But, perhaps you are not familiar with my choral works, some of which are with the National Philharmonic Orchestra of London, some that are now in the archives of the Vatican? I suppose that I am contemporary in that I am living now. However, not only are my works varied and substantive, so are the contributions of ILP's more than 90 composers and authors. Some write in a more contemporary (pianistic/ensemble) style, some write in a more traditional (organistic/choral/chant/orchestral) style, others write across a broad spectrum of styles. ILP's new genre of chant, "Ora Canta," featuring memorable and elegant ostinato refrains with vocal counterpoint and instrumental overlay give hint to Palestrina and Gregorian influence; more importantly, they are rich in Scriptural texts, accessible to assembly, and are enriched by the prayerful and dignified participation of the choir. And they live abundantly throughout the SAH, where you might find empty space in other hymnals.

    PART ONE, (Part Two to follow)


  • PART TWO

    9. ILP is the publisher of "Gift of Finest Wheat," "Alleluia No. 1," "Seed, Scattered and Sown" as well as a plethora of other widely-sung titles. Some of the most talented composers serve the Church from within the ILP cadre, and their breathtaking titles live within the Saint Augustine Hymnal: "Soul of Christ" by Beverly McDevitt and David Mann, "Veni, Sancte Spiritus" by Beth Ann Martinez, "This Is Jesus" by Jim Cowan, "His Name Shall Be Called" by Roger Holtz, "Abide, O Lord," by Sr. Stacy Whitfield and countless others. There seems to be an undertone to the conversations of this site that would suggest "new is bad." I would suggest to you that this is as wrong as the battle cry of folks who suggest that "old is bad." As long as the music is well done and the text is faithful and rich, new and old give us the highest and best of a rich tradition that is ever ancient and ever new.

    10. OCP and GIA rely on the psalm settings of only one composer in their flagship hymnals. Imagine, one composer for the entire three year cycle! The Saint Augustine Hymnal features settings from 34 contributing composers, and these settings represent a varied style and interpretation. Most importantly, they provide eminently sing-able music for the conforming texts of the Lectionary and respect the importance of this part of the Liturgy of the Word.

    11. Regarding changed texts: The SAH features the traditional texts of traditional hymns. To my recollection, only one hymn text of a traditional hymn is new ("We Gather Together"); there are others in which a stanza has been added (to append, not change). There may be new, more literal translations from Latin to English. Summarily, ILP does not give in to fads or trends such as "inclusive language."

    12. International Liturgy Publications (ILP) is honored to serve the Church in this important work of God. And, ILP is inexhaustibly dedicated to providing a repertoire that is faithful, rich and explicitly Catholic in theology. In the years ahead, we will continue to hone and craft this important work. We thank you for your sincere and constructive insights. We invite you to visit: http://www.ilpmusic.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=f17e19c307032fd12ae6f732d2471135&Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=VA&Category_Code=hymnals.
    It is important that you experience the Saint Augustine Hymnal firsthand and thoroughly. We welcome your constructive and charitable recommendations, as we are always interested in improving this work.

    May the Saint Augustine Hymnal prove to be a profound blessing to the Church, now and for generations to come.

    Vince Ambrosetti
    Publisher, ILP
    www.ILPmusic.org
    Thanked by 1marajoy
  • Mr. Ambrosetti, it is a pleasure to re-aquaint your company from having met you some 17 years ago when you were offering parish missions.
    Regarding your statement in which you presume a sentiment in this forum or among CMAA members or affiliates that "new is bad," I can patently attest that after associating with CMAA in 06, and having just returned from my fifth colloquium just yesterday, nothing could be further from such a presumption. If you peruse our sister blog, THE CHANT CAFE, you will clearly see an article in which I chronicled the reception of many beautiful, newly minted hymns and compositions. The primary issue is not about how contemporaneous any music serving the liturgy might be, the focal issues for CMAA members "seems" to be adherence to the motto that it be "sacred, universal and beautiful." Secondly, and just as important, that new composition also adheres to the mandates of documents such as Musicam Sacram and Pope Pius X's motu proprio of 1903 that stipulates new music will always be welcomed to the liturgy that exhibits certain and specific criteria that respects and emulates the primary place of chant and its successor, high polyphony. And those two guiding principles insure that there is more than the primary elements of music (melody, etc.) that ultimately assesses the worthiness of new composition. So, to the contrary, CMAA rejoices in the renaissance of worthy sacred music, and that has been opined here and at the CAFE in many articles and threads.
    Technically, your determination that OCP and WLP (not GIA) rely primarily upon one composer's psalm settings is also incorrect. Like your hymnal, the subscription and hardbound hymnals have "psalter" sections including the works of many composers. Their value and licitness for use at Mass is quite another issue.
    I offer these observations only in the interest of clarification.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    i am getting ready to publish a ten year progressive subscription!
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    I have been looking at hymnals to replace Ritual Song, which is a collection both good, and bad. The pastor gave me a copy of the Saint Augustine to examine a couple of weeks ago. I, too, found too many contemporary hymns unknown to my congregation. I didn't look at the Vatican II enough to do it justice, but formed a preliminary opinion that the mass settings were too much alike. I don't remember seeing any good choral masses for special celebrations. I haven't looked at Worship IV, but am hearing things about it that are not so good. Gather is about one step below firewood, so it is out of the question. The pastor concluded that now may not be the greatest of times to buy new hymnals. He thinks with a bit of time, some new and better things may come along. For now, we will continue to use RS and the ICEL chant mass, while watching and waiting to see what else is published.
  • Mike R
    Posts: 106
    My impression of the St. Augustine Hymnal was that the style of much of the contemporary music is a style I have never heard in a Catholic context. Perhaps it is more common in the south (I know that the hymnal is published in Nashville), but the styles remind me of early 90s Protestant Praise & Worship (Amy Grant, "Awesome God," Steven Curtis Chapman, etc.). I'm much more accustomed to hearing P&W that is along the lines of OCP's "Spirit and Song" or the Steubenville folks.
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    "I don't remember seeing any good choral masses for special celebrations."


    Dear CharlesW, I don't think there are any. However, without "opening a can of worms," a question: why would a choral Mass be contained in a pew book? Thanks, if you can clarify.
    Thanked by 1Adam Wood
  • JMO, other Charles brings up an interesting aspect that you question above. Two of the most popular hymnals of the first half of the 20th century were the Pius X and Gregory. Both contained motets and service music in "many voices." Of course it's difficult to reconstruct by whom they exactly were used (choir and/or faithful, etc.) from church to church. And most of their contents centered around hymns, motets, chants and festal pieces, and decidedly not Propers. Thus we get the Rossini Propers etc.
    Granted that you've actually DONE the real thing in compiling and editing the fab VII Hymnal, you know much more than I about the exegencies of a pew book. But I offer this humble response and let's see if anyone salutes it:
    *I remember as a kid, after transplanting from rural CA to Oakland, my parents had a brief flirtation with attending a Congregational Church on Sundays. And I accutely remember not only the SATB hymnal but a sort of innate ability I had at age five to follow and internally "hear" the notation of the ATB voices as well as the melody. I was in mid-Kindergarten at the time, so I cannot remember being able to read the texts (My Little Red Book was to come in the 1st grade.) But I clearly remember almost revelling in how the architectu4re of the notation in the hymnal came to be harmonious sound.
    *I wonder if parishes that have regular or periodic use of polyphonic Masses actually have put the scores in their pamphlets? Thinik about this in light of some recent discussions we've had here about putting SATB hymnnals in the pews, if certain Masses like Hassler's Dixit Dominus or others that blend homophonic sections with truly independent polyphonic sections would be of interest to young minds (and old as well) by providing the "map" or viusal feast for the eye and mind when the choir (competently and artistically) performs the movements?

    I've never been a PIP in 42 years of being a RC, but I know from even Colloquium last week that I liked having the option of seeing as well as hearing the realized score of the Mueller, Vierne and Monteverdi Masses. And given the accomplishments of the Madeleine School, I wonder if we're missing an opportunity with a vast body of young minds when we sequester SATB, particularly in independent polyphony to the choir room and loft only.
    As having taught kids from K to grad students, what students are capable of learning now versus the mid-50's is a universe away. So, why not make a concerted effort to expand their horizons by not dumbing down just the music,, but the scores as well. My 6 year old grandson could probably fly a real drone aircraft if given the joystick. He probably could then distinguish between which musical voice was the soprano or the alto. Somethiing to ponder.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    I mentioned that I didn't look at it enough to do justice to the hymnal. I will look at it, at a later time. Many hymnals are available in both a choir and pew edition. Sounds like you are telling me this one isn't.

    By choral masses, I mean something similar to the following. I am buying the Schubert German Mass cards arranged by Proulx, to put in the pews. I am also getting the choral editions (SATB) for the choir. At certain times of the year, it is a welcome relief to do something that isn't chant. I love chant, but even I get a bit tired of it when it is a year round thing. So does the congregation.

    Also, the pastor has this thing about clutter in the hymnal racks. He wants a book that will do nearly everything. That's how we ended up with Ritual Song some years ago. The decision to buy it was before my time at the parish. I am not sure we are going to find one hymnal that will cover all bases.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Charles,

    Would it be feasible to by the VII, then tape a choral Mass setting to the front and back covers? That's what we did in my parish: we bought Worship IV (no comment) then attached a setting in the covers from another publisher. The best of both worlds.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    Sure. We have had to tape the text for the revised Gloria and the Creed into Ritual Song. I will have to convince the pastor that buying VII and doing this is a good idea.

    We are under a mandate in this diocese to use only three mass settings for one year until Advent. The settings are Latin chant, ICEL chant, and Misa Luna. After about a month of use, the pastor said he never wanted to hear Misa Luna again. His complaints were musical, yes, but he was really upset with all the repetitions and re-phrasings in Misa Luna. He felt the text undermined the whole point in having a revised missal, since it didn't follow the missal exactly.

    I am looking ahead to Advent, when we can use other settings. I will keep the Latin and ICEL chants for use during seasons of the year. The congregation really likes the Schubert, which is why I am buying it from GIA. I will be looking around for at least two more settings for us to use. I think having 5 or 6 mass settings the congregation knows and can sing at any time is a good thing.

    And I did say my examination of VII was anything but thorough. I will, of course, have to give it a closer look.

  • CharlesW,

    You mentioned above that you haven't yet looked at Worship IV. It might be a good idea to do so, as it could be a suitable successor to your parish's current RitualSong hymnal. The hymns in RitualSong are about 50% organ-based and 50% piano/guitar-based. The hymns in Worship IV are about 80% organ-based, and 20% piano/guitar-based, so Worship IV offers more organ-based hymnody, psalmody, and service music than did RitualSong.

    Although Worship IV does not have the complete Schubert Deutsche Messe as arranged by Richard Proulx, it does have the Deutsche Messe Eucharistic Acclamations (Sanctus, a Memorial Acclamation, and Amen). The choir edition of Worship IV has the corresponding SATB settings. The Latin and ICEL chants are also in the hymnal.

    No matter what hymnal is chosen for a particular parish, it is sometimes desirable to have some sort of supplement. Instead of cluttering up the pews with this sort of thing, I recommend the adhesive-backed clear pocket sleeves that can be attached to the inside back cover of a hymnal. They are available from both GIA and WLP. At one parish where I served a number of years ago, we printed a hymnal supplement that went into the back of the hymnals on a yearly basis, with appropriate copyright permissions, of course.

  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    Many thanks for the information.
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,767
    ChW,

    I'll try to post my Deutsche Messe edition in a separate thread. The GIA retread wasnt to my taste.
  • Dear Charles in CenCA,

    Thank you for your kind clarifications. I will surely read your article in the sister site, "Chant Cafe."

    Regarding the blend of music in the Saint Augustine Hymnal (SAH): The editorial team worked very diligently to ensure a strong representation of quality sacred music from a broad range of genres. For example, in an examination of the first category of the SAH (ADVENT), you will discover:
    2 Titles of chant (Mode I and IV)
    11 Titles from other publishers
    3 Public Domain hymns
    8 ILP titles, 4 with organ/choir accompaniment, 2 with full orchestral/choir accompaniment, and 2 with pianistic accompaniment (one set to traditional text).

    Although each category of the hymnal is varied (including those that feature the new Ora Canta genre), we have intentionally balanced the types of sacred music to the benefit of main line Catholic parishes that require a balance of well-written contemporary titles with long-standing traditional treasures. Through the Saint Augustine Hymnal, parishes have access to a more comprehensive repertoire.

    Surely, we respect the ideals of this forum. And, although there may be parishes that yearn for only a more traditional approach to Divine Worship, the prevailing majority of parishes in the United States and English-speaking world demand a broad repertoire that spans a spectrum of styles and form. ILP is dedicated to ensuring that, no matter the style or genre, the music is of the highest competency and the texts are faithful to the theology of our Catholic faith.

    Should the members of this forum take the time to genuinely inspect the contents of the SAH, I doubt that you will argue the beauty and richness of new titles, such as: "Come, Enter Our Hearts" (McDevitt/Mann), "Holy Is the Night" (Wolpert), "Remember You Are Dust" (Higginbotham), "Be Near Me, Lord" (Feiten), "Veni, Sancte Spiritus" (Martinez), "As the Deer Thirsts" (Canter), "Hosanna to the King of Kings" (Aldridge), "In My Time of Trouble" (Timmons), "Psalm 22: My God, My God" (Fishel), "Surely He Has Borne Our Griefs" (Holtz), "Breathe on Me, Breath of God" (Gonzalez), "At the Name of Jesus" (Cowan), plus many beautifully set texts by Andrew Hofer, OP, Ralph Wright, OSB, and a myriad of others written by the ILP cadre of more than 90 composers and authors.

    Perhaps I misunderstood the psalm of our brother/sister publishers. However, as I visit parishes across the country, it seems that the preponderance of OCP psalms are witten by Alstott, and I recall seeing an announcement that one of the GIA hymnals would feature the psalm settings of Guimont. I will certainly look into this for further clarification; thank you for bring this to my attention.

    In the SAH, 34 composers contributed to the selection of settings for the three-year cycle. They are of varied musical interpretations; but all are eminently sing-able. When you have a moment, listen to: "Ps 42: Like a Deer" (Whitfield), "Ps 23: The Lord Is My Shepherd" (Krieg), "Ps 62: Rest in God Alone" (Whitfield), among many others from Holtz, Terwilliger, Fishel et al.

    Dear Mike R,

    I am mystified by your general characterization. The SAH is rich with hymns from the 4th Century ("Let All Mortal Flesh" - St. James Liturgy), ancient chant, Latin hymns, English hymns, new traditional-style hymns, contemporary music from post-Vatican II composers (from varied publishers), as well as a limited amount of "Praise & Worship" style titles. There are many Catholic parishes that require ALL of these styles. Our great concern is that our young Catholics do not live only on a diet of "P&W," lest they be unwittingly led to another tradition that will not bequest them the fullness of our rich deposit of believing. These titles are present in the SAH to ensure a broad and full diet for substantive musical Divine Worship.

    I offer this as a helpful clarification. Perhaps you will want to take a closer look.


    Dear JMO and CharlesW,

    You might be interested in knowing that the SAH features several choral Mass settings worth your time reviewing:
    "Mass of Renewal" by Kauffman/Gokelman won top honors at NPM nearly two years ago, and was selected by several thousand attendees out of 173 submissions. The SAH is the only hymnal to include it. William Gokelman is the head of sacred music at Incarnate Word University in San Antonio, and David Kauffman is a highly respected national presenter/clinician. The balance of Gokelman's classical training and Kauffman's contemporary writing have produced an eminently beautiful work.
    "Mass of Saint Augustine" by Higginbotham was composed for organ, choir and assembly.
    "Mass of Christ the King" by Terwilliger/Holtz is an organ, choir and assembly work.
    "Mass of the Incarnate Word" by Whitfield, and "Mass of the Good Shepherd" (Hughes) are also written to be choir/assembly/organ works.

    In January of 2013, ILP will release the Choral Edition of the Saint Augustine Hymnal, with well-crafted SATB harmonizations. It might be worth noting that some parishes are purchasing the SATB edition for the pews.

    Lastly, ILP can also help you with the plastic sleeves, if you need some direction. However, please proceed with caution. Although ILP and GIA print our Hard Cover hymnals here in the United States (I can not speak for the others), we have been forewarned that inserting a booklet into the back of the most well-bound hymnal can compromise the durability of its binding.

    God's blessings on your important work.

    Vince Ambrosetti
    Publisher, ILP




  • JennyH
    Posts: 106
    "To each his own," I suppose.

    I have viewed the contents of Saint Augustine Hymnal and I find the selections, literally, disgusting. The same old Sacro-pop recycled. Broadway tunes, sappy piano pieces, and worse.

    My strong recommendation to the St. Augustine Hymnal editors would be to sit in a quiet room and carefully go over the church documents on Sacred music. Musicasacra.com has nearly all, and Adoremus' website has the rest. Please take seriously this request: the church doesn't need more stylishly repackaged Sacro-pop. Your argument that "the parishes want" this kind of music is really not relevant. I suppose most Catholics would not "desire" to follow all the 10 Commandments, either, but these are the law of God.

    Tossing in a few chants here and there is simply not enough.

    All the samples { http://www.ilpmusic.org/ } are truly HORRIBLE, but the one I heard first was St. Augustine Hymnal version of "Veni, Sancte Spiritus." Trite, predictable, horrible in every way imaginable. It is no WONDER why the Catholic church is a laughing stock to secular music professors. According to them, we "had it all," and we threw it all away. And they are right. Did we really exchange Latin chant and Palestrina for that little "ditty" version of "Veni Sancte Spiritus" ??

    The "Veni Sancte Spiritus" on the St. Augustine Hymnal website sounds like a Disney song. Sad, but true.
    Thanked by 2Ben CHGiffen
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    The thank button does not do your post justice, Jenny. I couldn't put my thoughts into words right now, but you just did.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,157
    Since Mr. Ambrosetti indicated that the audio samples reflected the newer selections in the hymnal and not the more familiar traditional pieces, I went back to have another look, and read through the display copy of the hymnal on the website. Starting at the beginning, I went through the selections for Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost. I hope that's a reasonable sample.

    There were 68 songs composed since 1970:
    -- 20 since 2000
    -- 12 in the '90s
    -- 19 in the '80s
    -- 11 in the '70s
    -- I counted the 6 "ora canta" songs separately

    There were 33 traditional selections:
    -- 14 metrical hymns
    -- 12 Christmas carols
    -- 4 chants in English and Latin
    -- 2 chants in English
    -- 1 spiritual

    I hope this helps to give a better sense of the range of the book.

    It still seems to contain many unfamiliar songs. I've heard of about half the 1970-1989 songs, and none of the songs composed since 1990. If they're all widely used in parishes, it must be happening somewhere else in the country, or in some niche I don't frequent (youth groups, charismatic renewal, etc.)
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,150
    As Jenny said, more or less ... to each his/her own. I'll come down on Jenny's side.
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 781
    "Disgusting" seems a rather strong word, and IMO not befitting of this forum or Christian charity.
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    SAH features several choral Mass settings worth your time reviewing:
    "Mass of Renewal" by Kauffman/Gokelman won top honors at NPM nearly two years ago, and was selected by several thousand attendees out of 173 submissions. The SAH is the only hymnal to include it. William Gokelman is the head of sacred music at Incarnate Word University in San Antonio, and David Kauffman is a highly respected national presenter/clinician. The balance of Gokelman's classical training and Kauffman's contemporary writing have produced an eminently beautiful work.
    "Mass of Saint Augustine" by Higginbotham was composed for organ, choir and assembly.
    "Mass of Christ the King" by Terwilliger/Holtz is an organ, choir and assembly work.
    "Mass of the Incarnate Word" by Whitfield, and "Mass of the Good Shepherd" (Hughes) are also written to be choir/assembly/organ works.


    I assume that there are YouTube recordings of these online? If so, perhaps you can provide a URL ?
  • benedictgal
    Posts: 798
    Fr. Chepponis:

    I have looked at Worship IV and found it lacking in many respects. It is not something that I could, in good conscience, recommend to my parish or my father's parish. My challenge to the big three publishers is this:

    Why not set the propers to music? These are, after all, the text of the Mass. Why would we need to have 700 songs when the Church already provides us with more than suitable material?

    Believe me. I have had to endure a lot of Spirit and Song at my parish, most of it belonging to the firewood pile than in the pews. Flor y Canto is just as bad. This also begs the question: Why are publishers not providing enough Spanish-language sacred music?

    We get stuck with music that sounds like a bad cross between Rosie's Cantina, Ranchera, and Spanish pop.

    JMO, what turned me off on Hauffman's composition was the Gloria. Why do composers insist on subjecting us to a responsorial Gloria? The other thing that turned me off on Kaufman was that when he came down here to do a presentation/training on liturgical music, it was more along the lines of self-promotion and not on laying out sacred music as the Church sees it.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • As I've been reminded not just a few times here and elsewhere, the internet is not an environment where one should expect aid and comfort or warm fuzzies. As others before him, Mr. Ambrosetti coming to this forum with his agenda involved a risk that he decided was worth the time and trouble and, obviously, scrutiny. I think the most beneficial dialogue in response to all regarding his publication lies in the forensic model that Chonak's perspective always provides. Judgments and invective, whether they're justly leveled or not, are not gospel values and last I checked, Jesus is still driving the bus. And we've been down this road before with folks like David Haas, which resulted in the cold reality that dialogue with him is evidently dead. I don't take any pleasure in the estrangement between fellow Catholic Christians, particularly when there are many more injustices in our own Body that we could ameliorate by prayer and acts of kindness.
    Most of a number of CMAA folk used to try to keep the "peace talks" with PrayTell folk have resigned from that cause. Jackson and I appear to be the last two who still think it worth the risk to keep communications open. So, to some portion of the liturgical/ecclesial world, it appears our two sites have their backs to each other, and face away. What does that witness to? There's no silver nor gold at stake. pardon the pun reference. No, it's just about perceptions of righteousness and respect.
    Everyone take a breath, maybe remember St. Francis' prayer, and have a great day.
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 781
    Dialogue is one thing, scathing insults are another.
    Mr. Ambrosetti has been nothing but respectful and polite in trying to defend his hymnal to people here (many of whom simply have a completely different liturgical goal than his company does.)

    "To each his own" followed by the adjective "disgusting" not only makes no sense, but it does this forum no justice, and instantly impedes any constructive dialogue that MIGHT have taken place.

    "Disgusting" is a word that ought to be reserved for heretics, not the music of Catholic composers who are genuinely trying to do serve God through their music writing.
    Thanked by 1chonak
  • @Vince Ambrosetti, Are all the songs in your hymnal approved by a Bishop? If so, which Bishop? If they are not approved by a Bishop, they cannot be used in Church. Below is a letter I recently sent to OCP and GIA.

    Carbon-Copy:
    Msgr. Richard Hilgartner, U.S. Bishops’ Secretariat for Divine Worship


    Dear OCP and GIA,

    I am student at __________________. Currently, I have returned home, and am directing music at the local parish in ________________. When I arrived home for the summer, my pastor informed me that we can no longer do hymns as we had been doing for Entrance and Communion. He says they need a Bishop's approval. Specifically, he pointed out that the 2011 G.I.R.M. says the only songs that can be used for Entrance or Communion are as follows:
    (4) another liturgical chant that is suited to the sacred action, the day, or the time of year, similarly approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop.

    I have been doing some research, and I have discovered the following:

    A. The USCCB approval in the liturgical hymnals does not apply to the Hymns:

    On Wed, Dec 21, 2011 at 3:34 PM, Msgr. Richard Hilgartner wrote:
    I point out that the designation in hymnals “published with the approval of the Conference of Bishops” applies only to liturgical texts per se, and not to hymnody or other paraphrased texts. Those are subject to the approval of local ecclesiastical authority, e.g., an imprimatur or nihil obstat, which assess the content of texts which are not drawn directly from liturgical books.
    [taken from the SSG forum]

    B. If I can find a Bishop in the USA to approve these hymn books, I can use them.

    In most cases, as in the case of music, the bishop of the diocese where a piece is published grants the imprimatur or permission to publish. That designation is not limited to use within that particular diocese. [taken from CMAA forum]

    C. On February 1st, 2012, Bari Colombari of OCP stated that "Glory & Praise" does not have the approval of any Bishop for the hymns.

    I am looking to find out if any U.S. Bishop has approved the hymns in GIA's Worship IV or OCP's Glory & Praise. If so, can you photo-copy a letter to this effect I can show my pastor? I am very frustrated by all this.

    The Vatican II Hymnal and the Adoremus Hymnal (all editions) both have the approval of the Bishop. At the college I attend, we use them. But at my home parish, we don't have either of those hymnals.
  • Wow, JennyH! Thank you for the sweeping, overgeneralized, disrespectful comments!

    We have read all of the documents, we have taught the documents, and we craft our work by the documents. Your characterizations are pompous and inappropriate.

    I, like you, love the rich sacred music of our history. There is also the need to continue to compose and grow in our Divine Worship.

    Are you suggesting that there is an 11th Commandment that precludes using sacred music that is not agreeable to you? Are you not aware that the contemporaries of folks that we now revere as "classical composers" inflicted the same kind of ridicule on those we now hold in high esteem?

    More to the point, I said that parishes "require" a broad repertoire, and rightly so. This is not about giving people what they want; it's about giving them what they need to fervently pray, to offer God our highest and best, to grow individually and as family within our faith.

    If we leave the Church to your 11th commandment, we can watch desperately while entire generations go to other churches where they find that they are genuinely fed.

    I love the music that you love. I also believe passionately that we cannot simply be stuck in one time-stamp of history, one moment in the past. In fact, this disrespects the hermeneutics of continuity to which you and I are bound. If we are to continue to grow, we must be committed to new musical genres and new faithful texts that speak to the faithful and honor God.

    To chonak: Thank you for taking the time to begin to research the Saint Augustine Hymnal (SAH). I pray that, at some point, you will be able to experience in the context of live Divine Worship the new music in the SAH. Although you may be unfamiliar with much of it, many titles are in wide use in parishes throughout the United States and beyond. ILP does not serve a particular movement or age demographic of the Church; we are a publisher steeped in the Sacramental theology of our faith as experienced in parishes everywhere. Your analysis shows that approximately 33 of the sampled titles are "traditional selections." Based on this representation, one should conclude (accurately) that well over Noel Jones' recommendation of a staple of 250 titles within the SAH are "traditional selections." With this in mind, the SAH more than satisfies the standard time-proven repertoire for any parish, while also serving to provide new, quality content for the parish that desires to: a) use widely-sung post-Vatican II compositions, and b) newly composed music for reverent and dignified Divine Worship. This, simply put, is our objective: To provide the best of the old and the new. One is not contrary to the other. I am sincerely grateful, chonak, for your investment of time.

    Finally, to all of you on this site: If we can not respect one another, what is the point of this dialogue? If you disagree with our publishing standards, buy something else. If we are to grow together in faith, we must do so with mutual respect. Your opinion is just that: an opinion. May none of us be so arrogant as to speak destructive, small-minded words toward another. I presume that everyone on this site cares deeply for the Church, is dedicated to fostering our rich tradition, and is committed to serving God with the highest and best that we have to offer, regardless of the genre.

    God's blessings,

    Vince Ambrosetti
    Publisher, ILP

  • Joy, I was NOT disagreeing with you, in case you didn't notice. I have no dog in this hunt. Please understand that I stand with you on your basic point about how we couch our charity.
    Thanked by 1marajoy
  • Dear Marajoy,

    Thank you for your insightful and charitable comments. How can we profess to be servants of God when we are less than Christ to one another?

    May all that we speak and share bring only goodness to one another.

    God's blessings,

    Vince Ambrosetti
  • @Vince Ambrosetti, From your answers above, I now understand that the songs in your St. Augustine Hymn book lack approval from a Bishop for liturgical use in the United States. May I gently encourage you to consider doing this? I assume it would be as easy as sending a copy to your local Bishop.
  • benedictgal
    Posts: 798
    Mr. Ambrosetti:

    Even though we may not agree, I do appreciate your coming to the table in this discussion. Although I serve as a cantor at my dad's parish (and as a fili-in at mine), the question of sacred music hits me as something important when I am in the pews.

    No one said that this would be an easy dialogue, but, as painful as it is, it is a very necessary one. I cannot tell you how tired I am of OCP's incessant campaign of "engaging your worshipping community", especially when all it offers is music that is, in my opinion, sub-standard and contains watered-down theology that focuses more on the horizontal than on the vertical.

    I have not seen your book so I cannot make a legitimate comment about its content. All that I can say is that, coming from both a cantor's standpoint and the regular person in the pews point of view, I would love to see a book that takes into account what Pope Benedict XVI wrote in Sacramentum Caritatis:

    "Liturgical song

    42. In the ars celebrandi, liturgical song has a pre-eminent place. (126) Saint Augustine rightly says in a famous sermon that "the new man sings a new song. Singing is an expression of joy and, if we consider the matter, an expression of love" (127). The People of God assembled for the liturgy sings the praises of God. In the course of her two-thousand-year history, the Church has created, and still creates, music and songs which represent a rich patrimony of faith and love. This heritage must not be lost. Certainly as far as the liturgy is concerned, we cannot say that one song is as good as another. Generic improvisation or the introduction of musical genres which fail to respect the meaning of the liturgy should be avoided. As an element of the liturgy, song should be well integrated into the overall celebration (128). Consequently everything -- texts, music, execution -- ought to correspond to the meaning of the mystery being celebrated, the structure of the rite and the liturgical seasons (129). Finally, while respecting various styles and different and highly praiseworthy traditions, I desire, in accordance with the request advanced by the Synod Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed (130) as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy (131)."

    What role does SC 42 play in your book? I believe that this is a fair question to ask, since you brought up the subject of the "hermeneutic of continuity."

  • Dear Charles in CenCA,

    Your points are well taken. I do believe that it is both possible and necessary to be honest about differences; however, it is essential that we do so with respect and humility. To address those differences with arrogance and harsh condemnations is contrary to the very faith that we profess.

    I came to this forum expecting honest, respectful dialogue. I intend to continue to participate as long as we all work toward advancing the mission of Christ, not our own.

    Which brings me to the point of your word "agenda." It's a fair word; I suppose that each of us (and all of us collectively) have an agenda. ILP's is simple: We are the oldest free-standing non-profit publisher of sacred music in the United States. We are dedicated to serving God and His people with the highest and best that we have to offer. We have sacrificed much over the years to this end, and we are committed to doing so for generations to come. No one benefits from personal gain through this mission.

    The Saint Augustine Hymnal is the fruit of the heartfelt labor, faith and sacrificial love of many, many talented, dedicated people. If it does not represent the desired repertoire of a particular forum member, we ask simply that said forum member demonstrate respect for a great work that is different from his or her preference.

    I presume that everyone in this forum is involved for the noblest of reasons; may we always give one another the benefit of believing this is so.

    In God, the Giver of Life,

    Vince Ambrosetti
    Publisher, ILP
  • Dear SanAntonioCath,

    I'm not sure how you reached the assumption that you made in your last post, but every composition and every word in the Saint Augustine Hymnal (SAH) is published with ecclesiastical approbation.

    You can visit this link to view page two of the SAH:
    http://www.ilpmusic.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=e28f2b1e5108b46d8e400f63615088ee&Screen=PROD&Store_Code=VA&Product_Code=HM20114&Category_Code=SAHBrowse

    You are absolutely right in caring so deeply about this matter. There are many titles of questionable theology in circulation today. You won't find them in the Saint Augustine Hymnal or in the library of more than 1700 titles at ILP.

    Thank you for caring.

    God's blessings,

    Vince Ambrosetti
    Publisher, ILP
  • Dear JMO,

    I'm heading into meetings, but I will follow up with you as soon as possible.

    God's blessings,

    Vince Ambrosetti
    Publisher, ILP
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