Choosing New Hymnals
  • BSetlak
    Posts: 1
    Two churches in our county are combining. We will be purcashing new hymnals and I'm hoping for sound opinions. We eliminated the People's Mass Books last Advent and currently use 1998 GATHER, World Libry Publications SEASONAL MISSALETTE, and WLP Lectionary Psalms and Gospel Acclamations. We will be using the MASS OF THE RESURRECTION responses to come in line with Diocese direction. Our priest is eliminating the misalette and is letting us make recommendations to purchase new materials.

    These are rural churches with small budgets so we'd like the best for our bucks. Thanks again for your experience and opinions. I am a cantor and play piano, but don't have a professional background like many of you do. My meeting's coming up soon...........thanks again.
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    I am the editor of this hymnal and Missal:


    There's an awful lot of information there, and close to 1,000 free scores.

    If you want a very short video, talking about our book:


    Daniel Craig has written a review of various Catholic hymnals here:

    And here is a 50-minute video that mentions the Vatican II Hymnal resources a lot:

    Finally, here's a review of the Vatican II Hymnal by Jeffrey Tucker, who's probably the most famous American critic of Catholic Church music writing today:

  • Musicteacher56
    Posts: 621
    We are also in the process of changing hymnals and have narrowed it down to Adoremus, St. Michael or Vatican II (although Vatican II has been pretty much ruled out at this point).
  • ryandryand
    Posts: 1,640
    Why has it been ruled out in your case, Musicteacher56? (curious, for future reference and "anticipating the argument")
  • Musicteacher56
    Posts: 621
    I liked it a lot, but felt it was too comprehensive for my congregation. It's just a matter of what is the best fit for each parish.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,986
    I am glad we don't choose hymnals very often. It is very difficult to get all parties to agree on one hymnal, and it seems there is something about every one of them that is not what you wanted.
  • Mike R
    Posts: 106
    The St. Michael Hymnal is by far my favorite that is available (mostly traditional hymnody, includes Rice entrance antiphons, good and varied selection of Mass settings, and with a sufficient selection of contemporary songs), though it has limitations - most pressing that it does not contain a Psalter. But both GIA's "Sunday's Word" (with Guimont Psalter) and Liturgical Press's "Living Liturgy" (with Hunstiger "Basilica Psalter") Sunday missals are quite affordable subscriptions for the readings and Psalter.

    My backup choice would be Liturgical Press's Sacred Song 3-year paperback hymnal. It has a similar selection to the SMH, though a bit closer to 50/50 on the traditional/contemporary divide and an overall smaller selection of hymnody - but with a quite comprehensive collection of Psalm settings.

    If you need the readings printed in the hymnal, then I think it comes down to whether Vatican II or Worship IV best fits your parish based on how "traditional" the liturgy is. Unless your pastor is willing to completely jettison all the "folk" music put out by publishing companies over the past 50 years (a laudable goal, but impractical in most parishes except over time), Worship IV is basically the only option with the readings. It's worth noting that GIA has a financing option in which you can pay for your hymnals over a 5-year period with only 1% interest.
    Thanked by 1irishtenor
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