May Crowning
  • magistraelizabeth
    Posts: 22
    Please give me all of your favorite things to sing, do, use, include for a 20-25 minute May Crowning ceremony. I have a school of nursery age to 12th who attend and a choir of 3rd-9th mixed girls and boys. We are usually unaccompanied for this ceremony. We sing Immaculate Mary and Hail Holy Queen for the open and closing congregational hymns which I pitch with my pitch pipe and the choir leads. Everyone joins in strongly and it's very nice. In between we've done a chanted Ave Maria, Sing of Mary, Regina Caeli, Salve Regina. Father attends and blesses the crown, gives short homily for the kids, and blesses us all before we depart.

    I'd you're at a school, what's yours like? What does it include and what music do you use?
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Charles_Weaver
    Posts: 214
    I teach at a K–8 school that two of my kids attend. We start with the kids singing Sub tuum praesidium. I love that melody. The priest blesses the crown with some versicles. Then we sing O sanctissima and the statue is carried outside in procession. The rosary is recited. When we return to the church, we have the Litany of Loreto; the children place flowers before the statue. Then we have Mass. This year the kids are singing Lotti's Regina Caeli as a unison anthem with organ, and Pothier's Tota pulchra es as well. We also close with Hail Holy Queen enthroned above.
    Thanked by 2MatthewRoth CHGiffen
  • magistraelizabeth
    Posts: 22
    Thank you so much for sharing this!
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,545
    I need to find a way to get Pothier's Tota pulchra es incorporated here.

    I just learned of Be Joyful Mary, an English paraphrase of the Regina Caeli, which these folks sing well.

    The "Basque" Regina Caeli from the Chartres pilgrimage is something that I'd also consider, for the choir anyway.

    They can also sing the Litany (the first melody in the Liber) plus pretty much all of the hymns above (though I would say that O Sanctissima is our least favorite…).
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 832
    As we move through the month of May, I wanted to share some research I’ve compiled regarding two of the most enduring hymns in the American Catholic tradition: "’Tis the Month of Our Mother" and "Bring Flowers of the Rarest."

    Both hymns were pillars of late 19th and mid-20th-century devotional life, yet the stories of their origins—and the figures who championed them—are often overlooked in contemporary discussions of hymnody. I have recently documented their histories as part of my "Hymn of the Month" series and thought they might be of interest to this community of scholars and musicians.

    1. ’Tis the Month of Our Mother
    This hymn, penned by the prolific Eleanor Cecilia Donnelly, is a fascinating example of the 19th-century Philadelphia Catholic literary scene. It first appeared in The Catholic Vocalist (1860) and later in The Sacred Wreath. My research explores its connection to the first May Devotions in the United States at Georgetown University and the work of Jesuit Fathers Felix Barbelin and Edward Sourin. Interestingly, the melody we consider "traditional" today was composed by the French Jesuit Fr. Louis Lambillotte, known for his work in the restoration of Plain Chant.

    Read the full story here

    2. Bring Flowers of the Rarest
    Perhaps the most iconic "Crowning Hymn," this piece remains a favorite despite being nearly 150 years old. While it is often associated with the St. Basil’s Hymnal, its roots trace back to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Cincinnati and a mysterious composer named Mary E. Walsh. My write-up looks at the rare early hymnals like May Chimes (1871) and Laudis Corona (1880), as well as Walsh’s secular musical contributions, including the Black Hawk Waltz.

    Read the full story here

    In these articles, I’ve also included archival recordings from a 1982 May Crowning from St. Mary's in Akron, Ohio. It is my hope that by documenting the history and the "spiritual garden" of these hymns, we can continue to appreciate the rich devotional heritage they represent.

    I would be interested to hear if any members have encountered different regional melodies or variations for these texts in your own archival work or parish histories.
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