Has there been an English chant written for the Lauda Sion for Corpus Christi Sunday? (There is something in the Missalette, but I don't find it solemn, prayerful or beautiful) I would love our choir to learn and to sing the Gregorian chant but it's a bit too much for the congregation at this time
One acceptable (although hardly preferable) alternative is to sing the "short form," which starts at Ecce panis angelorum. That's what my Schola have done the last two years, because -- let's face it -- 24 verses is about 19 past the end of the modern attention span.
Yet another alternative is to sing part of it in the original chant version and a composed setting of Ecce panis angelorum. It makes for a good meditation, but so far I have been unable to persuade my pastor to allow this because "it takes too long." See above about the attention span.
Some years ago I transcribed the Sequence into modern notation with the English text. I'll see if I can't find that this evening; then i can scan and post it if you like.
It's not a new setting, just a transcription of the original.
Check out #320 in The Hymnal 1982 of the Episcopal Church. It's basically the standard Lauda Sion Salvatorem tune with a translation used in Hymnal 1940 and revised for Hymnal 1982.
I presume this version is what is used in Anglican Usage parishes. My understanding is that a translation which has at one time been authorized for use in the Catholic Church retains its validity for other usages in the Catholic Church.
There's "Contemplate the Bread of Angels" (Ecce panis angelorum) in By Flowing Waters. And composer Mark Winges has set the "Zion Praise Thy Savior" text, using the version of the chant from the Hymnal 1982 and with a very modern organ obligato. It's available from subitomusic.com. I sang on a recording of a number of his sacred pieces, and I can also suggest looking at "Now my tongue" (Pange lingua) and "Humbly I Adore Thee" (Adoro te).
Okay, here is the first version. If you have a large-format printer, you can use this one; just remember to tell the duplexer how you want it to flip the page.
And here is a portrait version on letter size. Thanks for motivating me to finish this project! I've been meaning to replace my old pen-and-ink MS for many years, but never got around to it.
I realize that the above PDFs were shared a few years ago...is there accompaniment music available, or another place/site to download options for the CC Sequence?
The Complete English Propers (Abrogast, 1964) up at the Music Sacra site has the official English text from the lectionary set to the chant melody (see p. 99 of the pdf = p. 83 of the book).
Can anyone tell me if there is some guidance in Church documents about the singing of the sequence for Corpus Christi at a Mass in English? I know in previous years, I have sung the shortened version (Ecce Panis) on the Feast of Corpus Christi in the same manner as the sequences for Easter and Pentecost, and always in Latin. In fact, the entire text of the Lauda, Sion was printed in the WLP missallettes we were using in Ft. Worth.
However, I am wondering if I am correct in doing so...
I sing in a small women's ensemble (for fun) at a different parish than where I am music director... so in casual conversation I asked the MD there if they would be singing the sequence there for Corpus Christi. The director told me that it is not allowed to sing the sequence except at a Latin Mass (I'm assuming she meant EF). I have noticed that even the text of the Lauda, Sion is missing from the Breaking Bread booklets we have at the parish where I work now and am wondering if there is something about this floating around out there that indicates that the Lauda Sion (long or short) is not to be sung at English (Novus Ordo) Masses...
The official book of music for the Ordinary Form is the Graduale Romanum, not the Breaking Bread booklet. The Laud Sion is in the GR, so it's presence or absence in the Breaking Bread (which also does not contain any Introits, Offertories, or Communios) is not a consideration.
Just to add to the pile-on (it's fun, in small doses): The director is, um, "mis-informed", shall we say. The sequences of Easter and Pentecost are mandatory (though they can be recited instead of sung; and vernacular is permitted, though not required); the sequence of Corpus Christi is optional but *not* forbidden. The reason it's omitted in BB is probably because it's optional. But BB is not a ritual book, just a not-so-glorified worship aid.
Now, of course, this may have zero effect on the director's decision. But, sometimes, directors are operating under misinformation and are willing to re-visit things when they realize this.
There are directors whose entire training consists of being told to follow Breaking Bread and choosing all music from the OCP Magazine.
In many diocese in non-Catholic areas, such as the South, the majority of music directors and organists are non-Catholic AND, to further confuse things, many of the priests are converts from other faiths with less than stellar music.
In these diocese, there is a direct avoidance to hiring Catholic musicians possibly out of fear that the lack of liturgical knowledge by many of these priests may be exposed...up North, it was not uncommon to find seminary drop-outs running music programs and also serving drinks at the bishop's parties for clergy.
Foreign priests in these diocese, however, will insist on the sequence being sung and lead liturgically, however, they never step on local priests or bishops decisions, I'm not sure if they are trained to be sensitive to local situations or not, but they are very cautious.
We are going to see more and more complaints and aversion to accepting the changes in the liturgy over the fear of musicians and priests that they will be unable to function as they always have.
Thank you, Ralph, for the gift of the sequence with the current translation.
If anyone is looking for earlier translations: 1.) There is the translation of JD Aylward, OP in The Westminster Hymnal (No. 74) in the 1952 edition (which was authorised for use in the Catholic Church in England and Wales). It appears as text without tune and is perhaps of a historical interest in the area of translation. 2.) In the Church of England 'The New English Hymnal' has a translation that is very singable. In the 'Full Music' edition of that hymnal 'Laud, O Sion, thy salvation' (No. 521 in the Liturgical Section) includes an accompaniment in standard notation, but one finds the singers' line written in plainchant notation -- a sensible presentation. I gather text and tune are based upon those prepared by Dr. Arnold for the 1933 'The Engish Hymnal'. 3.)'The Hymnal 1940' of The Episcopal Church is approved by the Holy See for the Anglican Use parishes in the USA. 'Sion, praise thy Saviour, singing' (No.193 plus No.194) is therefore an approved translation within the Roman Rite. 'The Hymnal 1982' of The Episcopal Church received approbation later with the entry of St. Mary the Virgin Church in Arlington, Texas. In 'The Hymnal 1982' Zion, praise thy Savior, singing (No. 320) is a revision of the edition prepared by the editors of the 1940 Hymnal.
Thank you all very much... so glad to have your confirmation. She was just so very certain that her knowledge vastly exceeds mine in all things liturgical (and, to be fair, she has been at directing for a very long time and doing a pretty good job of choosing mostly very tasteful music, imo). When she had that aghast expression and indicated that she was not allowed to use it by her pastor, for a moment I wondered if there was some restriction on using it of which I was unaware. When I asked if Fr. M. had forbidden her to use it, the response was something to the effect that she had not asked, but did not have permission to use it... very confusing.
{I do need to clarify that they do not use the Breaking Bread books at the parish in question... that was purely my own interjection relative to the topic, since I am stuck with Breaking Bread this year since it was already in place when I took the job. I was surprised to find in the Breaking Bread that nothing at all was mentioned about the Corpus Christi sequence, since the Easter and Pentecost sequences are in the booklets in English. Thanks, Liam, for mentioning the difference between the mandatory and optional difference.}
In any case... I am glad to be reminded once again that years of experience do not always equate to more knowledge...
PS: At my own parish, we sang the Easter sequence three times during the octave this year (for the first time in the memory of any of the choir members or the pastor), will be singing the sequence at Pentecost and will be singing the shortened version of the Corpus Christi sequence as well. I have been restricted to singing them in English, but the melodies are the traditional melodies from the Latin versions...
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