Resource for "alternate" hymns?
  • ryandryand
    Posts: 1,640
    While I would love to sing the daily propers for every part of the mass, that is not a (current) possibility in my parish.

    I'm sure that most of you can relate.


    Instead, I have been reading over the proper texts and trying to select hymns that reflect the same idea. This is often difficult ... and time-consuming. It's quick and easy to flip open a missal to the proper of the day. It's not so easy to just choose a hymn by its title. It takes a lot of time to analyze the text and determine if this hymn or that hymn is going to be most appropriate (and, also, singable ...)


    So, while not ideal, perhaps we can create a resource ... even just a thread on this forum, for sharing ideas on hymns that can "convey the message," even if they aren't the proper texts.

    There are many resources for propers now made available, but there are many choirs who do not understand the concept or importance of those texts ... and they will fight you to your grave over this topic ... so for those of us stuck with OCP /GIA materials, but wishing to lead a congregation with the texts (or something similar to them) prescribed for the day, shall we rally together and share our resources/thoughts?


    I propose that we list the texts of each proper for the week (Introit, Offertory, Communion), and then the hymns that stand out as appropriate "substitutions." These should be listed according to the hymnal(s)/missalette(s) in which they are available, so that others who are doing similar work are able to find the hymns in their own parish's materials.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    TomBoySuze is as interested as you in this - it's her idea to list what music you are doing and be able to compare, so this all seems to fit together...I created a google docs and she did some entry - the biggest challenge appears to be creating set of codes. It's open to all with link to edit and use if you like:

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ah90gpsZyR5ndHYwSi11V0phQWNFLUJhQ0hQVGwyWGc
  • ryandryand
    Posts: 1,640
    frogman,

    That is great!

    Are there any ways to sort the selections by hymnal(s)/missalette(s) available at the parish?
  • Patricia Cecilia
    Posts: 400
    The music planning resources at CanticaNOVA do a pretty good job of suggesting hymns that are congruent with the propers, both the sung propers and the lessons. Also, I find myself pulling out The Scriptural Index to The Hymnal 1982, a spiral-bound book that matches up hymns with Scripture texts of the lectionary (in this case, the BCP lectionary and the RCL that has superseded it in the US). Not every Scripture has a citation, but at least it's a start. I've started an OpenOffice spreadsheet with first lines and tune names of hymns followed by phrases in the hymn and their Scriptural citation. Where I work there is only the 1940 in the pews, but we do print other hymns in the bulletin when we want to use them (we have a CCLI license--that's the Protestant/non-denom. version of OneLicenSing for those who aren't familiar with it; plus many of the extra hymns are from public domain sources.)
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