The "First Friday Club" of the DIocese of Fall River will celebrate its 65th anniversary on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, June 7, with a special Mass celebrated by Bishop George Coleman at St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall River. All Sacred Heart hymns will be used. Here is the program:

Entrance: O Sacred Heart, O Love Divine
Offertory: Heart of Jesus, May Thy Reign (Singenberger melody)
Communion: Heart of Jesus, Hear
Recessional: To Jesus, Heart All Burning

If you want any of this music, let me know; and I will be glad to post it.

Oldhymns,

Please send me any info you can on those hymns that you will be using. I'd like to take a look at all of them.

Thank You.

Well, that fails one of my litmus tests for any hymn (any poem, really), which is not to rhyme "life" with "strife."

MT-
your criticism cuts like a knife

All You Who Seek a Comfort Sure -- the St. Michael Hymnal has it set to Kingsfold (I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say)

All you who seek a comfort sure
In trouble and distress,
Whatever sorrow vex the mind,
Or guilt the soul oppress,
Jesus, who gave himself for you
Upon the Cross to die,
Open to you his Sacred Heart;
Oh, to that Heart draw nigh.

You hear how kindly he invites;
You hear his words so blest:
"All you that labor come to me,
And I will give you rest."
Christ Jesus, joy of saints on high,
The hope of sinners here,
Attracted by those loving words
To you we lift our prayer.

Fr. Caswall's text, posted by Caleferink, is a fine example of how some texts do not fit some tunes.

I can't believe that when Fr. Caswall penned his translation it was paired with KINGSFOLD. Perhaps it was, but if so, it was a bad fit from the beginning.

I wrote under the "Fertilizing" heading that some texts substitute a trochee for the iamb which begins certain lines. Fr. Caswall's text seems to have this feature at the beginning of lines 1, 3, 5, 7. I'm trying to find a tune listed as "CMD" which fits this variation. I have not found one. ST. AGNES is a CM tune (not doubled) which would work, but of course it would have to be sung twice for each stanza.

The Adoremus Hymnal gives Caswall's text (altered) with the tune ST. BERNARD (CM), dividing the two stanzas into four

All you who seek a comfort sure
In sadness and distress,
Whatever sorrow burdens you,
Whatever griefs oppress,

Jesus, who gave himself for you
Upon the cross to die,
Unfolds to you his Sacred Heard:
O to that Heart draw nigh.

Now hear him as he speaks to us
Those words for ever blest:
"All you who labor, come to me,
And I will give you rest."

I Heart adored by saints on high,
And hope of sinners here,
We place our humble trust in you
And lift to you our prayer.

Musicman923,
I am attaching the music for the four Sacred Heart hymns you requested last week: (1) O Sacred Heart, O Love Divine; (2) Heart of Jesus, May Thy Reign; (3) Heart of Jesus, Hear; (4) To Jesus, Heart All Burning. In addition, I included the Tozer melody for "All Ye Who Seek a Comfort Sure," which was mentioned in last week's discussion.

In its index, the Adoremus Hymnal lists Love Divine, All Loves Excelling under the category "Sacred Heart." However, when I read the text, the word "heart" seems to refers to us ("Enter every trembling heart"). I guess I never thought of the verses of this hymn as referring to the Sacred Heart (although perhaps it is insofar as He is Love?).

I might be missing the broader concept for how it's a good fit. Any thoughts? Thanks.