CC Watershed starting a Spanish hymnal project
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    New forum readers may not be acquainted yet with our friends at Corpus Christi Watershed. That's an organization in South Texas that publishes sacred music in the form of new media (on-line books and sheet music) and in classic form (books printed "on dead trees"). They've published two hymnal/missal books; and produced some great videos, including fun educational short features and an inspiring one-hour documentary on the CMAA Sacred Music Colloquium. They've provided libraries of classic chant books, hymns, responsorial psalms, and organ accompaniments for (yes) free online; and a lot of other material to advance the work of sacred music and Catholic spiritual life.

    Well, CCW's ever-energetic director Jeff Ostrowski is announcing a new project: he aims to prepare a Spanish-language hymnal to bring together texts of high quality with music suitable for the Holy Mass. So he is seeking collaborators to recommend hymn texts and join in discerning the best ones to include.
  • G
    Posts: 1,400
    Alleluja

    This would have been SUCH an asset in my last job.
    Thank you, Jeff!

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
  • Jani
    Posts: 441
    Holy guacamole! That's pretty great news.

    Jeff Ostrowski, you are a gem.
  • bkenney27bkenney27
    Posts: 444
    This is incredible!
  • Andrew Motyka
    Posts: 946
    He still keeps announcing that there's another big secret announcement here in early 2014. Sometimes it keeps me awake at night.
    Thanked by 1Jani
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    This isn't it?
    Thanked by 1bkenney27
  • Andrew Motyka
    Posts: 946
    As a matter of fact, it isn't. I double-checked with Jeff before posting my previous comment.

    How ridiculously exciting is it that CCWatershed has a big announcement coming, and this project isn't even it?
    Thanked by 2irishtenor Ben
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,192
    From the Vatican II Hymnal webpage at CCWatershed:
    THE VATICAN II HYMNAL was the first pew book to contain the complete Mass Propers for the Ordinary Form. The book is not available for purchase at this time.

    But please stay tuned for a very exciting announcement!
  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 904
    I think they should call it the Vatican III hymnal, just to mess with people.
    Thanked by 3Ben Adam Wood Kathy
  • John Nisbet
    Posts: 12
    I'd like to suggest the possibility of a bi-lingual Spanish-English hymnal as well. It may be difficult to include the Propers in both languages- but perhaps there would be a solution. Some parishes may find it difficult to purchase both a high-quality English hymnal, and a Spanish hymnal. If the material for separate hymnals exists (the VII Hymnal or it's successor), and a new Spanish hymnal that is in production, there may be a way to make a single hymnal (and perhaps without the readings).
  • ronkrisman
    Posts: 1,394
    Jeff may wish to check out the Google book, Traducción métrica castellana de los himnos y secuencias del Breviario y Misal Romano (1744), which I ran across today. It contains a number of poetic translations in the meter of the Latin originals. And they are of superior quality.

    When reading these texts, one must remember that there are many textual elisions (a vowel which ends one word eliding with the first-letter vowel of the next). A line which at first may appear to have too many syllables ends up having the right amount when the elisions are made.
    Thanked by 2Richard Mix Kathy
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,798
    The elisions do regularize the metre, but the number of lines in Victimae (and the other sequences) suggests something other than the Gregorian tune:

    A la Victima Pasqual
    Sacrifiquen los Christianos
    Alabanzas: (esto es,
    A Christo Resucitado.)
    El Cordero à sus Ovejas
    Las redimiò, restaurando
    A la amistad de su Padre
    El inocente al culpado.
  • ronkrisman
    Posts: 1,394
    Remember that these Spanish translations of liturgical texts were made at a time when the translations could not be sung in the liturgy. And so the translators were not that concerned if the Spanish text did not match the meter of the Latin text. (This holds true even for Francisco Bernárdez' 1952 translation of Office hymns.)

    Many of the same Latin texts, especially Office hymns, were translated into English during the 19th century. But those translations could be sung in the liturgies of the Anglican communion. So the meters of the English translations are more likely to match those of the Latin texts.

    Also, the Spanish language is not as economical as Latin, or even English. On average it takes about 50% more syllables to say in Spanish what is said in English. So making singable translations in Spanish of Latin texts is very challenging. Some of the content of the Latin just cannot be expressed in the translation.

    Regarding the Easter sequence, the only Spanish translation I could locate that fits the Gregorian melody is that of Bernardo Velado Graña (1922-2012). Unfortunately, it is not to be found in any approved Spanish language leccionario, even that of Spain. It's no. 876 in the Oramos Cantando / We Pray in Song hymnal.

    I was unable to locate any Spanish translation whatsoever that fits the Gregorian melody of the Pentecost sequence (Veni Sancte Spiritus). So I made my own (OC/WPiS, no. 896). Don't let the isometric version of the melody at no. 896 mislead anyone; the text works just as well with the free rhythm Gregorian melody.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Andrew Motyka Adam Wood
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,477
    On average it takes about 50% more syllables to say in Spanish what is said in English.

    In my experience, there's also at least 50% more things to say.
    Thanked by 1bjerabek
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