The accompaniment form has not been decided yet, but should be within the next few weeks before the hymnals begin shipping.

I am interested in seeing this. I saw a note somewhere that said it has 170 hymns and thought that's not enough. Then I realized we don't sing 170 hymns out of the hundreds in our current hymnal. I hope accompaniments are traditional and not someone's attempt to be creative.

Are two editions planned, one with 170 selections and another with 374? That seems to be what the index indicates.

Just wondering.

Want to use Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending this Advent?

Always regretted it not being in the resources in the pews?

It could be there by Advent!

Putting Newman's "Firmly I Believe and Truly" to Elgar's DRAKES BROUGHTON (107) is a masterstroke!

I'm confused, matthewj, so perhaps you could elucidate me and others. Are you a sales rep or other representative of Illuminare?

I know that Adam has made his connection clear, but I didn't (and still don't) know about your status, since your recent efforts to push for the Lumen Christi Hymnal (such as your posts in this thread) seem to suggest that you have more than a bystander's casual interest in trying to persuade people & parishes to purchase it.

So I was simply ahead of the curve!

The beautiful thing about this hymnal is that it can be used by anyone. These hymns are timeless and beautiful and the book IS. A HYMNAL. It only contains hymns! Nothing else!

If ICEL or the CDW wakes up tomorrow and says "here's a new translation of W or Y or Z" - this hymnal will always be relevant!

Now the likeliness of the above happening is not high (which is why you should also order the LC Missal!), but it's nice to know that this book will never be out of date. These hymns can always be used as the fourth option! They will always be beautiful. The texts and tunes will become the beloved collection of hymns your congregation has always wanted!

It only contains hymns! Nothing else!

Adam W's observation is reasoned and rational. RotR doesn't hinge upon types of repertoire, but the most beautiful of those types being chosen and sung.
That said, one can truly hope for a mandate from on high that totally turns the barque Eastward with the restoration of the TLM (ala Kocik, Kwasniewski, Schaefer and, ahem, New Catholic), but I wouldn't recommend holding one's breath.
One has to remember such an edict would also eliminate most of the RotR cottage industry, along with the biggies.

Overall I have a good impression, and actually it is very nice to not have any Mass Ordinary settings or front material to clutter up the book. I think that vernacular Ordinaries need some years of organic quality control, and I would be wary of buying a hymnal with 18 recent settings in the front.

I am a bit concerned with small numbers of verses on some hymns. From just flipping through the hymnal: Joy to the World (only 3 verses, omitting "No More let sin..."); Immaculate Mary (only 3 verses, compared to the Brian Foley 7 verses found in GIA hymnals), Alleluia Sing to Jesus (3 verses, omitting William Dix's verse 2 "Alleluia! Not as orphans...). Presumably all of Dix is public domain - why leave out verse 2? Ditto for Isaac Watts and verse 3 of Joy to the World.

After this preliminary read-through I feel that I would have to sit down and cross-reference all texts to ensure that I'm getting not just the title and tune, but the full hymn that I'm used to. This is one of my biggest beefs with OCP - including some great hymns but with only two or three verses.

Not to be Debbie Downer - it's just a bit frustrating because based on the selection of hymns I'd be happy to run out and buy this today.

This hymnal, THE HYMNAL OF THE FUTURE, will begin shipping October 1st.

Now is the time to act! Change hymnody for the better in your parish!

Have you ever wished the hymn At the Name of Jesus had more verses than the typical hymnal? Well, now you've got more of 'em!

Let's get this hymnal in your pews TODAY! ...err... well... in two weeks.

Forum users: ATTENTION






(How many of you were fooled into thinking this was the beginning of a @matthewj post because of the TASTEFUL and EXUBERANT use of CANUCKS...I mean CAPS!?!?!)

:-0

So, cost. I live in a fairly typical midwestern cathedral parish with 100 pews. To replace all our hymnals, I figure we'd need to raise about $9,500. I don't know off-hand how many income-earning households we have in parish. If we have 1,000, that's a $9.50 contribution per family. Over ten years, that's 95 cents per annum. This seems feasible, and even more within reach if the parish finds a few wealthy donors.

Are individual priests permitted to ask for such funds as a second collection, say, on the feast of St. Cecilia?

I ordered 2 copies today!!

Matthew -
I've answered your PM.
- Jackson

My ancestors fought a war to get away from those royals. :-)

One of the other strengths of the hymnal is its use of time-tested metrical tunes that have fallen out of use in the Catholic context. My favorite is DEO GRATIAS/ AGINCOURT,with ISTE CONFESSOR a close second.

Both are likely to be more and more necessary in future years as the LM and Sapphic Meter hymn texts of the Office become more widely sung.

Having worked on this hymnal a bit with Bartlett, and discussing a number of aspects of its editorial philosophy, I would say:


This hymnal is "seeking to establish a new model of church music." Specifically, one where hymns play a less prominent role than they currently do in average parishes. This is why it came out AFTER them Missal and Simple Gradual. It provides a core repertoire of hymns, for use primarily as a supplement to singing the Propers.

It could also be set in the pews next to a more contemporary hymnal if you need all the new-fangled stuff but also want traditional hymns without all the words messed up.

If you are in an NPM-style mode of selecting a huge number of diverse songs and hymns over the course of the year to fit the lectionary and appease the boomers, this is probably not your hymnal (get something from WLP). If you are doing a traditional-minded Mass, but will likely be doing 4 hymns for the rest of forever, this is not your hymnal (get St. Michael).

If you are moving towards Propers (or, I guess, EF Low Mass with vernacular hymns) and need a core book of solid traditional hymns that Catholics have sung and loved for generations - this is your hymnal.

"Lift High the Cross" is in there. I believe that was written in the past 6 decades, though I forget the exact date.

The composer of CRUCIFIED (the tune for "Lift High the Cross") was Sir Sydney Hugo Nicholson MVO (9 February 1875 – 30 May 1947), an English choir director, organist and composer, now chiefly remembered as the founder of the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM).

The tune CRUCIFER was published in 1916, so I guess it is not exactly modern.

... I tend to think that the importance of preserving an existing repertoire trumps the recognition of great modern works.

This is of course a matter of opinion.

...

Many would agree that there has been very little composed in the past half-century which rises to the level of true greatness - or at least which has reached recognition for such.

Indeed, Gavin, it is a matter of opinion. But, who are these "many" who would agree, when they aren't willing to familiarize themselves enough with the past half century to be able to identify the "very little" which does, in fact, rise to a level of greatness?

It could also be set in the pews next to a more contemporary hymnal if you need all the new-fangled stuff but also want traditional hymns without all the words messed up.

If you are in an NPM-style mode...

I think Adam has entirely missed my point, but I won't bother to elaborate on it in this thread.

"who are these "many" who would agree"

I would say most on the forum would agree that there has not been a significant output of quality hymntunes in the past half-century. Is that a controversial statement?

"they aren't willing to familiarize themselves enough with the past half century"

I think this may be an apt generalization, to the shame of those who simply are phobic of modern music. For my own part, I have taken the time to familiarize myself as well as I can with modern tunes - by which I exclude sacropop and pseudofolk. Without going into specific composers, societies, or publishers, I can say with confidence that I have not encountered a single hymn composed in the last half-century which has made me say, "ah! This is the tune I've been waiting for! Every congregation needs to sing this tune!" I did say this on discovering ST. ANNE, for example.

Frankly, my offense at modern hymn-writing is that they fall into being either 1) boring, 2) too difficult, or 3) pretty. Category 3 is a decent one to draw from, 2 is usually not THAT bad to use if you make an effort to teach it to a congregation. Even the tunes in 1 can be an effective relief from the standard repertoire. There's a lot out there that's usable. A lot that's pretty good. But I have yet to find something that's great and has a burning need for wider distribution. Probably the best tune of the past decades would be AUTHORITY - a little difficult, but a boldly composed and interesting tune.

Still, I wouldn't mind buying a hymnal that excluded it.

All of this is of course my opinion, and is worth exactly as little as any of my other opinions. I do still assert, however, that it is a fairly widely agreed-upon opinion - and that's why we don't see a lot of modern tunes in conservative hymnal ventures.

I can say with confidence that I have not encountered a single hymn composed in the last half-century which has made me say, "ah! This is the tune I've been waiting for! Every congregation needs to sing this tune!"

I can't speak for your standards, Gavin, but off the top of my head and via just OCP (including borrowed items)-

LAUDATE DOMINUM-Chris Walker
THANKS BE TO GOD-Stephan Dean (I think)
FESTIVAL CANTICLE- Hillert
ALL GOOD GIFTS- Keil
O GOD, YOU SEARCH ME-B.Farrell-

are all, in my estimation, as worthy as most of our core hymn repertoire. And they are hymns.

The answer to the question of "why no new hymns?" is found in the description:
"time-tested, stable, reliable, theologically sound hymns "

Time-tested. If a hymn were written in 2008, has it been tested by time?

No.

If one wishes to use new hymns, in addition to the treasury of hymns found in the Lumen Christi Missal, one could print a worship-aid or order of worship that gives the hymn numbers and prints the additional hymn. This eliminates the need for announcing hymns and/or hymn boards that are 'too small' or 'too far away from my pew'.

Ultimately this is a hymnal that should be in every single church.
Let's talk today about how we can get it in your church!

I don't want to perpetuate our little digression away from MJM's intent, but it's a necessity to remember we all have, to some degree, some emotional attachment to certain hymns. Alice Parker speaks of that in her workshops and books IIRC. For example if I hear LAND OF REST or HOUSTON, I experience an emotional tie to my father's southern ancestry. If I hear ABBOT'S LEIGH or ST. PATRICK'S BREASTPLATE, I'm drawn naturally to its inherent Celtic ethos.
So, Hillert's hymn, for me has that sort of Westminster/St. Paul's majesty "feel" going for it.

I second Laudate Dominum.

Jackson, I don't think he's referring to Parry.