I need some help — Re: HYMNS — Are you a hymn person? Can you help me choose?
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    Dear friend,

    1. I am in the final stages of a special hymnal. This hymnal is totally unique, and I look forward to sharing more information about it when it is finished.

    2. As part of the hymnal, I desire a selection of common hymns.

    3. The hymns must be singable, beautiful, able to be done WITH or WITHOUT accompaniment and sound good.

    4. This hymnal will not include thousands of pieces that folks never use.

    5. This hymnal will not simply reuse the same melodies over and over (boring!!!). I was very careful: I did NOT reuse a single tune (except for one for Advent/Pentecost). So if you want to sing "Alleluia, Sing to Jesus" instead of "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" --- this is probably not the Hymnal for you. It would be too expensive to include all that I am already including PLUS a billion hymns.

    6. This hymnal is straightforward: you open it up, and it just tells you what to do. No searching. No worrying. Everybody's happy. Congregation, musician, and priest are all happy. Those who wish to do a "special hymn" can include it in the Parish bulletin.

    7. However, I need some help !!!!!!

    HERE IS WHERE YOU CAN SEE ALL THE SELECTIONS I AM MAKING

    8. Do you know any REALLY cool, REALLY special hymns?

    9. If you do, will you share them with me?

    10. Do you see any Hymn that you CANNOT BELIEVE was not included? Will you let me know?

    11. IN PARTICULAR: I'm dying to find awesome, special, wonderful hymns for Holy Communion.

    I am not AT ALL happy with the Communion hymns I've been able to find.

    I've been searching all night: It's almost 4:00AM --- I need help, if possible.

    12. Also, can you help me with Hymns for Baptism of the Lord ??

    13. Do you see anything else you think I messed up? Do you have suggestions?

    14. Again, I'd love to include some lesser-known but SPECIAL and POWERFUL hymns, especially for feasts that don't have a "standard" (like the exit hymn for Pentecost, or the Baptism of the Lord, etc.) For instance, are there any in HYMNS ANCIENT AND MODERN or the NEW ENGLISH HYMNAL that you really like? (I own both of those books)

    Please E-mail me at jeff@ccwatershed.org or post here.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    Jeff, did you notice this, at the Pope's Mass in Westminster Cathedral? Tune: St. Catherine

    "O Bread of Heaven, beneath this veil
    Thou dost my very God conceal:
    My Jesus, dearest treasure, hail!
    I love Thee and, adoring, kneel;
    Each loving soul by Thee is fed
    With Thine own Self
    in form of Bread.

    O food of life, Thou Who dost give
    The pledge of immortality;
    I live, no ‘tis not I that live;
    God gives me life, God lives in me:
    He feeds my soul, He guides my ways,
    And every grief with joy repays.

    O Bond of love that dost unite
    The servant to his living Lord ;
    Could I dare live and not requite
    Such love - then death were meet reward:
    I cannot live unless to prove
    Some love for such unmeasured love.

    My dearest God! Who dost so bind
    My heart with countless claims to Thee!
    O Sweetest love, my soul shall find
    In Thy dear bonds true liberty.
    Thyself Thou hast bestowed on me;
    Thine, Thine for ever I will be.

    O Mighty Fire, Thou that dost burn
    To kindle every mind and heart!
    For Thee my frozen soul doth yearn;
    Come, Lord of love, Thy warmth impart;
    If thus to speak too bold appear,‘
    Tis love like Thine has banished fear.

    O Sweetest dart of love Divine!
    If I have sinned, then vengeance take;
    Come pierce this guilty heart of mine,
    And let it die for His dear sake
    Who once expired on Calvary,
    His heart pierced through for love of me.

    Beloved Lord, in Heaven above
    There, Jesus, Thou awaitest me,
    To gaze on Thee with endless love;
    Yes, thus I hope, thus shall it be:
    For how can He deny me Heaven,
    Who here on earth Himself hath given?"

    The St. Michael Hymnal has Richard Crashaw's excellent, free translation of the Adoro Te, With All the Powers. Here are four of the seven verses. It can be sung to the tunes that go to When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.

    With all the powers my poor soul hath
    Of humble love and loyal faith
    thus low, my God, I bow to thee,
    whom too much love bowed lower for me.

    Down, down, proud sense, discourses die,
    and all adore faith's mystery!
    Faith is my skill, faith can believe
    as fast as love new laws can give.

    Faith is my force, faith strength affords
    to keep pace with those powerful words;
    and words more sure, more sweet than they
    love could not think, truth could not say.

    O dear memorial of that death,
    which still survives and gives us breath,
    live ever, bread of life, and be
    my food, my joy, my all to me.

    Just a couple of suggestions.
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    Wow!

    I've gotten more E-mails than I've ever received in my inbox due to this posting !!!

    Cool !
  • Priestboi
    Posts: 155
    I'm so happy you have started this project Mr O. I was also thinking about a similar project for my parish (I finally found a place to take me and my ecclectic tastes). I was thinking of creating a booklet containing a ratio 2:1:2 for each season, i.e. Traditional hymns : Modern Hymns : Chant (Gregorian/English). Everything I really want is in the commons, excluding of course the Taize which for me counts as Modern. Having the sung responses (Latin and ICEL) will be another priority in this project. Could you please advise?
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