Hymn for a Bishop
  • PLTT
    Posts: 149
    Are there any hymns suitable for celebrating ordained ministry, particularly the Episcopate? We want to honor a retired bishop on his anniversary but he wants just a simple Mass. That sort of excludes any Ecce Sacerdos/Saverdos et Pontifex - and besides it is beyond the capacity of the daily Mass "choir" who will be singing for the occasion. But I was wondering if there might be any suitable and more specific hymns beyond general Thanksgiving hymns, or hymns around the Psalm 23 theme.......
  • m_r_taylor
    Posts: 316
    Maybe one about St Peter - "Thou Art the Christ, O Lord" https://hymnary.org/text/thou_art_the_christ_o_lord

    I've done that to DARWALL, but there are other tunes on that page that are possible.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,499
    There are definitely office hymns for bishops who are saints, but I would hesitate to adapt and use them for a living bishop. (St Therese used to unpetal flowers before images of saints as a sign of reverence, but would never do so for anyone on this side of the veil.)

    Would other hymns about shepherds work? One of my favorites is in the St Gregory Hymnal, Loving Shepherd of Thy Sheep. The harmonization is quite lovely imho.

  • annebuja
    Posts: 4
    There is a beautiful "Tu es Sacerdos" I believe by Hildegard von Bingham; that might be appropriate. It's for treble voices, 3 part.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 684
    We use to sing "Juravit" by Cardinal O'Connell but I really think that's for a first time priest so it might not be suitable. Check with forum member oldHymns he has a pretty good collection of music and might have something he would recommend.
    Thanked by 2NihilNominis chonak
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,721
    Ecce Sacerdos by Stadler (recording, can't find the score at the moment, but I've sung the Stadler for Cardinal Burke once and it is very lovely and accessible if you can track down the score) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnT-t94ZOeM. It's basically an SATB hymn. Was in the St. Gregory hymnal I believe.
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 986
    Don,

    Big fan of that! A true guilty pleasure. Genuine guilt, immense pleasure.
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 684
    PLTT, here the SATB hymn Ecce Sacerdos from St. Gregory hymnal.

    NihilNominis, I like the link. I didn't know St. Mary's in Massillon made a recording like that; beautiful!
    1920 - Ecce Sacerdos - StGregory.pdf
    260K
    Thanked by 1NihilNominis
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 282
    Here's something a little different. In college Leo Nestor had our choir sing this simple anthem of his own hand, titled "Simon, Son of John, Do You Love Me?" The piece utilizes the gospel text in which Jesus commissions Peter.
    https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/the-shepherd-motets-1-simon-son-of-john-do-you-love-me-sheet-music/19972976
    Thanked by 2SacredMusicLibrary Marc Cerisier
  • oldhymnsoldhymns
    Posts: 220
    Another possibility is "Lovely Appear," with its biblical reference, by Gounod.
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    There's a wonderful text I used to sing, "Turn back, O Man, forswear thy foolish ways", but it's only appropriate for the retirement of some bishops.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,157
    The chorus "How lovely are the messengers" from Mendelssohn's "Elijah" is fairly easy and just over three minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8j-w9Qwts4

    (For small choirs, SAB and SSA arrangements are available commercially.)
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,499
    This is an easy and kind of sweet contemporary treatment of the text Chonak mentions https://www.jwpepper.com/How-Beautiful-upon-the-Mountain/1228394.item
  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 517
    I’ve used Leo’s Simon, Son of John during installation vespers for a Bishop—it is stunning.

    Marc
  • cesarfranck
    Posts: 158
    Stainer's "How lovely are the feet of them" is worth consideration.
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