Bi-lingual Gloria Spanish/English Needed and Hymn Suggestions
  • Help! I am in search of a Gloria that is or can easily be made bi-lingual for Spanish/English. I would prefer to use Latin. Unfortunately, we do not have enough time to teach a Latin Gloria before our upcoming Holy Days of Obligation.

    Could someone please suggest commonly know Marian hymns that can be sung in Spanish/English? I am running into some hymns that I would assume everyone would know (like Hail, Holy Queen) are not as well known (with Hispanics) depending on what people were exposed to. Here again, Latin (with the exception of O Sanctissima) is a good option, but due to time constraints, other hymns would be better.
  • PaxTecum
    Posts: 302
    Santa Maria del Camino is a great Spanish hymn that OCP has an English translation for, though it is not so great (the English)
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    I agree: fun, well-known Marian hymn with a good Spanish text. (Haven't seen the English.)

    Quiero decir que si is also excellent.

    I think Fr Krisman may have translated Como estrella en claro cielo, which is wonderful.
  • eft94530eft94530
    Posts: 1,577
    we do not have enough time to teach a Latin Gloria before our upcoming Holy Days of Obligation.

    I guess I do not understand what is the difference between
    "learn Gloria in Latin" versus "learn Gloria in English-and-Espanol"?

    If you are meaning Nov 1 All Saints Todos Santos
    then you have three weekends to acquiaint people in the pews.

    If you are meaning Dec 8 Immaculate Conception and/or Dec 12 Guadalupe
    then you have eight weekends.

    The Missa VIII (de angelis) Gloria has fewer than ten melodic fragments to learn
    and you sing different Latin phrases to them.
  • I second "Como Estrella en Claro Cielo," though I don't think it's commonly known. Also, "Immaculate Mary" and "Del Cielo Ha Bajado" have the same melody, except with a slightly different rhythm on the refrain.

    The English text for "Santa Maria del Camino" is bad. I wouldn't use it.

    Honestly, I am not a fan of bilingual Masses when they're not necessary -- Thanksgiving and the Triduum are about the only days I can think of offhand where, under normal circumstances, you pretty much have to go bilingual. My experience has been that if a pastor tries to force all-bilingual Masses at other times of the year, people just meander to another parish that will have the Mass in their chosen language. To wit: at a parish I still play Spanish Mass for, the pastor insists on bilingual Christmas Masses. It's the only parish (of 8) in the city whose attendance goes DOWN at Christmas.
  • Thank you for the kind suggestions so far.
  • Gloria in Spanish and English.

    See this video for an introduction to singing this particular chant tune.

    Choir or Cantor/s sing the first line, congregation answers with the second, third line Choir or Cantor/s, last line Congregation.

    This speeds up the learning, lets the Choir or Cantor/s set the tempo and keep it going.

    Eventually, Choir or Cantor/s can intone first line then all sig the entire Gloria.

    [having at least three cantors singing together dramatically improves the chance that people will sing along.]

    Please, anyone using this Gloria in any language, I'd like to hear from you.

    EDITED - Both Spanish and English Versions PDF below.
    Thanked by 1orgel15
  • I would suggest that it would be invaluable to purchase a copy of the GIA hymnal—Oremus Cantando—as every entry is presented in both English and Spanish. Very helpful for bilingual liturgies.
  • Marc's right, everyone should buy at least one copy for reference.

    https://www.giamusic.com/store/resource/oramos-cantando-we-pray-in-song-accompaniment-edition-hymnal-g6723a

    Fr. Krisman's excellent work is worth having on the shelf of every Catholic musician.
  • @noel jones, aago

    Thank you for Gloria suggestion. Is there another page or version with both languages? The one attached is just in Spanish.
    Thanked by 1noel jones, aago