What do you find essential in the St. Gregory Hymnal & Choirbook?
  • A link to the 1920 version is here, if you need it.
  • davido
    Posts: 921
    Tu es sacerdos - Desmet
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,503
    Loving Shepherd of thy sheep
  • francis
    Posts: 10,778
    O Food to Pilgrims Given
    When Blossoms flowered 'mid the snows (classic for children)

    otherwise, (and I went through every piece)... most of it borders on the sentimental chromaticism (of which I mentioned on another thread, is similar to Mozart's AV)
  • WGS
    Posts: 300
    Ah... Happy memories from 65 years ago...

    I miss #216 - Magnificat setting in the "Eighth Psalm Tone" with alternate even number verses "following falso bordone arrangement by Ciro Grassi". "(For two part chorus (or three part) equal voices.)"

    and to my surprise, my other fond memory is not from the St. Gregory Hymnal.  It is of the two part Asperges me from the Canticum Novum collection compiled and arranged by Rev. Carlo Rossini.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen rich_enough
  • Everything of value can be found elsewhere in better editions (e.g. the responsories by Michael Haydn) - though I am fond of the harmonization of O Sanctissima (#206).
  • Jesus, the very thought of Thee
    He Who once, in righteous vengeance
    I Need Thee, Precious Jesus
    Hail Virgin, dearest Mary
    Jesus, Thou art coming
    My God, accept my heart this day
    O Sacrum Convivium, Remondi
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Don9of11
  • There are a few hymns that St. Mary's choir sang when I was a choir member (1977-2010).
    O God of Loveliness
    I Need Thee, Precious Jesus
    O Sacrum Convivium (Remondi)
    Adoramus Te Christe (Dubois)
    Adoro te devote (#1)
    Ave Verum Corpus (#3)

    I received my copy from my friend in the choir in 1984 and there are several hymns that have crosses next to the numbers so I'm sure these are hymns he sang during his time in the choir. The hymnal was used by the TLM choir which was celebrated at St. Mary's before the church closed and they moved to St. Sabastian's in Akron. They took all the singer editions with them which left the St. Mary's Choir hi and dry. I'm sure they had permissions but they could have left a few for us.
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 546
    The Requiem section came in handy on two separate occasions, when I had a funeral at another church in our cluster (where my office wasn’t), and the cantor had left behind his binder and needed the Introit, communion, and In Paradisum. Thankfully there were some old St. Greg’s in a dusty corner of the loft that had what he needed.

    The rest of it – the hymns are useless if the congregation doesn’t have a copy, and are not the best musically or textually, and the choral music is too short to be of practical service in places where the choir usually sings something 3+ minutes long at the offertory.