I came across this chant version of the Divine Praises (probably on the pages of this site that offer sheet music). I thought it was quite cool, but I must say I have never, ever, ever, in any language or in any rite, heard these prayers sung. In my (rather limited) experience they are always spoken, either in the vernacular or in Latin, depending on the congregation.
I was asked to produce those versions for the Website you linked to, but the Divine praises is usually doubled, priest-people. The version I have heard sung was doubled. I have / had a fancy chant version but it was aphtocopy and was difficult to make sense of, may dig it out and see what I can do.
We sing the setting you originally posted in my college seminary. The major seminary my diocese sent to until this year also sings them, though to a different setting. I'm not sure what Kenrick does, but that is where we're sending the guys who are about to finish up college formation, so I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.
I have to say I prefer to say them. They seem most effective as direct, spoken statements. Secondarily, when I'm a server at Benediction, they happen at a time when my knees are complaining most loudly, so the direct saying of them means the chance to stand up is not far off. :)
@ScottK, that might explain why I've never heard it sung in parishes. But I've never heard it sung in seminaries either, where there's usually less hurry.
St. Paul's Akron, Ohio Choir sings the Divine Praises by Jacob Schloeder at the end of all our choir rehearsals as our closing prayer and during Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction. Another version that I sang about twenty years ago with St. Mary's choir in Akron is attached but I do not know who the composer is; I like both versions equally. The only word change not reflected here that St. Paul's made is swapping out "Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the consoler" to "Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the paraclete", I like "consoler" better but when in Rome...
I have never at any time or any place heard these sung - and have wondered many times why they weren't. I really do like Msgr Schuler's version offered at the top by Catherine. The recurrent reference to the melodies of the Carolingian Acclamations is remarkable and potent. Also worthy of note are the ones from St Michael's Abbey, Farnsworth, submitted by Fr AMG.
At the school where I was house father last year, they sang the Latin version at Benediction on Sundays. Very beautiful.
The St. Dunstan schola would sing an English version of these from the St. Gregory's Hymnal, as written by J. Lewis Browne. We sang it at the end of rehearsal until, due to lack of popular acclamation, the practice died out. It had a modicum of inspiration; quite frankly the piece is clunky. In addition, it was written before 1950, so I had to add a few verses about Our Lady's Glorious Assumption to make it 'liturgically appropriate'. The one fellow who was gung ho about the piece complained because "he didn't remember all those verses being in there." Mandela Effect happens, even in music.
Yes. Our youth schola sings the version CatherinS shared, at benediction. At the annual Rosary Rally for Our Lady of Fatima, we sing the same setting, but with "Paraclete," rather than "Consoler."
This version, by C Elliott, is the only one I've ever encountered. The scan is from an old book, and is missing a few invocations. The squarenotes are one of a few variants to adapt what's missing.
I did a quick survey of hymnals tracing the changes made to the Divine Praises and thought you might be interested in the results. I don't have any hymnals dating before 1881 that have the Divine Praises.
Something curious. The verse "Blessed be St. Joseph her most chaste spouse" seems to have been added between 1911 and 1920. The Divine Praises of Jacob Schloeder as found in the 1915 St. Paul Parish hymnal do not include this verse but a publication of his Divine Praises by Fischer Bros. in 1911 does.
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