O Sacred Head
  • AOZ
    Posts: 369
    Just curious...this is such a great hymn. How many are planning on singing it this weekend at Mass?
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    Singing it here . . .
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,333
    Singing it in Wisconsin
  • Singing it here
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,501
    Yes.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,848
    unfortunately, it was not selected by the new liturgical music committee this year... i never miss it when i have the power to choose it myself. especially with bach's harmonies.
  • Badger
    Posts: 1
    This choir member is singing it in NH. And, agreed, love those Bach harmonies (which are also nice, since they're so good that no one ever re-arranges the hymn, so I never have to learn a new tenor line, just whatever - seemingly random - translation the hymnbook editors picked.)
  • Bobby Bolin
    Posts: 422
    Where would I be able to find the Bach harmonies?
  • francis
    Posts: 10,848
    BB:

    I think almost all the hymnals sport the bach harmonization. however, if you don't have it, go here:

    http://www.hymnary.org/media/fetch/96096
  • Bobby Bolin
    Posts: 422
    Thanks Francis. You are right. That is the same harmonization I am familiar with.
  • ClemensRomanusClemensRomanus
    Posts: 1,023
    We're doing "O caput cruentatum" on page 230 (page 256 of the pdf) from the Laudes Festivae.
  • mike_l
    Posts: 9
    It's our recessional this weekend.
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    It's our recessional this weekend.

    Ditto from CenCA
  • Spriggo
    Posts: 122
    Offertory here.
  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 904
    Offertory.
  • Scott_WScott_W
    Posts: 468
    Recessional here in WNY
  • IanWIanW
    Posts: 763
    During communion.
  • Ally
    Posts: 227
    Here in Wisconsin too. Offertory.
    (Even the children's choir is singing it).
  • lmassery
    Posts: 424
    Here in Strongsville OH
    Thanked by 1Bobby Bolin
  • Offertory in south central Pennsylvania
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 783
    Offertory (It's definitely in my top 10 favorite hymns; I'll program it any chance I get!)
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,986
    Not singing it this weekend, but will sing it on Good Friday.
  • awruff
    Posts: 94
    Closing hymn at St. John's Abbey.

    I've found this effective: Start loud and get softer for each successive stanza. This is counter-intuitive, since hymns usually build to the end. But a quiet finish, and then ministers walking out in silence, is quite powerful.

    awr
  • Jani
    Posts: 441
    Offertory.

    ministers walking out

    Here in the land of strange things (and people) the priest and ministers/servers leave the sanctuary immediately after the first verse...it takes them about 10 seconds to process, but the congregation will still stay and sing at least 3 verses of a closing hymn.
  • redsox1
    Posts: 217
    Closing hymn. Each successive stanza was softer.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    recessional at one parish, stabat mater at the other.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,220
    Yep: recessional here in MA.

  • JennyJenny
    Posts: 147
    O Sacred Head at Offertory here. For diversity's sake the recessional was 'Were you there'. (Not my favorite by a long shot, but it does inhibit the usual end-of-Mass applause)
  • We've used "O SACRED HEAD" a lot during Lent. As many will know, the tune has an interesting history (seems to have been a waltz originally) but this seems like an example of what Dr. Mahrt and Dr. Skeris have talked about --- how what is originally a secular tune can be "elevated" over the centuries once it loses those associations.
    Thanked by 1Chrism
  • Used at Offertory, near Boston.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,092
    Closing hymn, Mary Queen of Peace, Cleveland.
    I wrote a chorale prelude on it.
    Thanked by 1francis
  • My parish sang "O Sacred Head" today, and will sing it again on Good Friday.
    We've used "O SACRED HEAD" a lot during Lent.

    Just curious... except for devotional services such as Stations of the Cross, is the use of the hymn text "O Sacred Head" appropriate during the Masses of Lent prior to Holy Week? Why or why not?
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,986
    I have used it, but the tune also has a different set of words in Ritual Song, "Our Father, We Have Wandered." I have used both, but singing, "O Sacred Head," is a many-years-old tradition at my parish on Good Friday.
  • By the way, Dr. Lapierre uses the Hans Leo Hassler Harmonization in his very interesting book "Accompaniments for Holy Week":

    download it here

  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 904
    As many will know, the tune has an interesting history (seems to have been a waltz originally)


    Everybody knows Paul Simon wrote this song and that Bach stole the harmony from Garfunkel.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oaaa_Ll20co
  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 904
    but this seems like an example of what Dr. Mahrt and Dr. Skeris have talked about --- how what is originally a secular tune can be "elevated" over the centuries once it loses those associations.


    Does "The Summons" also fall into that category?
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,220
    Check back with me in a few centuries about that.
  • The priest and servers recessed in silence today, my call. I've always felt that silence is the way to enter Holy Week. Children's choir did Stabat Mater during Offertory this morning after only one rehearsal. I'm so proud of them. 15 verses. (sorry, had to plug my little singers. I have 8, 8-9 year olds.
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Well, MT56, I've never been more convinced of the emasculation of the Passion acc. to Luke than after this weekend's recitations, but it does serve somewhat as a prequel to The Solemn Service of Good Friday. Like a lot of the comments above I've generally used the Hassler as an Offertory until this Sunday. And what made it even more of a powerful witness at the dismissal was an accident. Our organist had to leave after Communion as the Mass he leads at our sister church (of four) began in 10 minutes. It's been that way since the Scrutinies began. We've sung a capella dismissals virtually all of Lent, I'm loving it! Anyway, I motioned to the schola to sing vs. 1 unison, just to establish tonal center and focus. And then singing the chorale vs.2,3 in SATB a capella was a gift from God. We can do that all the time if necessary. But today, as all the bodies streaming to the parking lot walked by us as we sang the PASSION CHORALE reminded us of how the women stayed at the Cross, observing from a distance as the crowds fled.
    That's, in a nutshell, why I don't get all worked up about congregational or even clerical respect for the dismissal hymn, the choir in the amen corner will always stay and witness. That's what we do.
  • ex-user
    Posts: 12
    Offertory.
  • KARU27
    Posts: 184
    "O sacred Head" - - great as far as it goes.
    But is it "now wounded" or "surrounded" - - that's the question.
    When I was Lutheran, it was wounded, but as a Catholic, it's just surrounded.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,848
    perhaps the surrounded is referring to the crown of thorns... interesting image... wounded is more direct... not a big dif in my thinking.
    Thanked by 1KARU27
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    It's simply a matter of different translations. Neither is terribly close to the German.
    Thanked by 1KARU27
  • francis
    Posts: 10,848
    ach Doo Leeber! Vast ees zee problum!
    Thanked by 1KARU27
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,220
    Here's a version, and here's a version, and here's a version.
    Thanked by 1KARU27
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Well, we all could have sang Wren's "Here hangs a man discarded...."
    Thanked by 1KARU27
  • Well! (What more is there to say!) The English Hymnal (and The Hymnal 1940 [and 1982] in harmony with it) has 'wounded', as translated by Robert Bridges from Paul Gerhardt's original. 'Wounded' would seem (though I am not nearly a German scholar) to be the real translation of 'wunden'. Um, perhaps someone along the way thought he heard 'surrounded' when what he actually heard was 'sore wounded'???
    Thanked by 1KARU27
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,220
    Maybe somebody thought that "sore wounded" was awkward, and revised the line to smooth it out.
    Thanked by 1KARU27
  • A respectable conjecture, Chonak, except that 'sore wounded' isn't actually awkward, is it? And if it is meant to be smoothed out, this has been accomplished at the cost of the greater energy and pungent imagery both in Gerhardt, and Bridges' faithful translation. You don't really think that 'sore wounded' is awkward, do you? It is, it seems to me, far more powerful, more compelling.

    The Catholic Hymn Book (The Oratory Hymnal) in England has 'sore wounded' as well.

    Here is a little light: Worship III and Gather have 'surrounded', and seem to be translations of a Latin original ascribed to Bernard of Clairvaux, viz., Salve caput cruentatum. The 'wounded' ones all derive from Paul Gerhardt's O Haupt woll Blut und Wunden, which, we may posit without further research represents his translation of the Latin.

    And there is this from The Hymnal 1940 Companion -
    I. Salve mundi salutare (feet)
    II. Salve Jesu, Rex sanctorum (knees)
    III. Salve Jesu, Pastor bone (hands)
    IV. Salve Jesu, summe bonus (sides)
    V. Salva salus mea, Deus (breast)
    VI. Summi Regis cor aveto (heart)
    VII. Save caput cruentatum (face)

    This is a seven part rhythmical prayer to the various members of Christ's body suffering on the cross. It is attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux.
    Parts or all of the original were translated into German by several translators, most importantly Paul Gerhardt (1656). The most important English translation of the German is the one by Paul Bridges (early 19th century). Other translations with less familiar English texts, seem to have been made in reference to the original Latin.
    Thanked by 1KARU27
  • FWIW, in the German, "Wunden" is a noun (thus capitalized). So it transliterates something like "O Head full of (or 'all') blood and wounds"
    Thanked by 1KARU27
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 783
    To my 21st century ears, "O Sacred Head sore wounded" doesn't exactly make grammatical sense. What's a "sore?" A sore is a wound. So what the heck is "sore wounded?" (That's a rhetorical question. I'm just pointing out that the wording was likely modified for accessibility for the modern English-speaker.)