Job RECEIVED (aka "Annuntio Vobis Gaudium Magnum")
  • Brian Michael Page
    Posts: 152
    HABEO POSITUM!!!

    After 3-1/2 years without a steady parish position, I was offered the post of organist/choirmaster at Sacred Heart Church in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Small church with a two-manual Rodgers (no comment), but a good traditionalist pastor who cleaned house there 10 years ago and replaced the Music Issue with Worship III and Hymnal 1940 (ok, though still wondering why we have an Episcopal hymnal in a Catholic church, but my guess is that the pastor is figuring there's hardly anything out there suitable for Catholic worship - Parish Book of Chant and St. Michael might be good choices, IMO).

    I can guarantee this though - this pastor picks the hymns and I pick the Mass setting. You will NOT hear Mass of Creation or any type of sacro-pop in this parish.

    Peace,
    BMP
  • Brian Michael Page
    Posts: 152
    I may try to talk him into St. Michael's, btw, in time for the Third Typical Edition to take effect (I'm disappointed with Worship IV).
    BMP
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    Hymnal 1940?? Now that's something I'd like to see!
  • TCJ
    Posts: 968
    You could look at the Adoremus Hymnal, too. I like it better than the St. Michael's Hymnal.
  • Brian Michael Page
    Posts: 152
    I like Adoremus with the exception that the organ book has way too many page turns for my liking.
    St. Michael's with each new edition seems to be weeding out more garbage and including good dignified music (although I will admit that Adoremus has NO garbage to weed out). I'm definitely ordering one and taking it from there as to whether or not I show the pastor. The Mass settings are quite good too, including one by our own Maestro R. Rice. :)
    BMP
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    As the official hymnal of Anglican Use Catholics, the 1940 is certainly not to be dismissed as merely 'Episcopalian'. One could hardly dream of a better hymnal this side of the pond. It does have a few items that are theologically unfortuntate, but we know they are there and which ones to avoid. Even if you get new hymnals I shouldn't think you would want to get rid of the 1940. What a visionary pastor you have!!!

    The Adoremus is good - what there is of it. It is seriously lacking, though, in selections which would be 'proper' to many major feasts, not to mention many Sundays of the year in and out of 'ordinary time'. It is far too skimpy.

    I'm glad to hear St Michael's is improving itself. It may turn out to be the Catholic 1940 if this keeps up.

    Not to be overlooked is the English Catholic hymnal, The Catholic Hymn Book, published by Gracewing. If your pastor is not afraid of using the 1940, he should have no qualms about an English book that is better by far than anything available over here. Impeccable hymnody and tunes, with a good English and Latin chant section. (I say impeccable - save for several drippy Marian songs.)
  • Brian Michael Page
    Posts: 152
    Jackson, your first paragraph presents a very good point - and the pastor uses the 1940 about three-quarters of the time in picking hymns.

    Another happy note I didn't mention - As of April 2011, the First Friday Mass is now in the Extraordinary Form (High Mass), and the feast of the Sacred Heart (always on a Friday, falling on July 1 this year, my 47th birthday), as far as I know from my predecessor, will be Solemn High.
    BMP
  • rollingrj
    Posts: 345
    Congratulations on finding a position, Brian! Sounds like a few bricks are already in place. Many blessings to you and to your parish.
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    Lobet dem Herrn, BMP!
    Does this mean an end to Schwanns? ;-)
    Pay no heed to us out in CA, we're awaiting iminent radioactivity!
    Seriously, good on ye.
    Now's not the time to buy a hymnal, unless it's JMO's. And I wish I could endore Adoremus, but I find it lacking in many areas.
  • OlbashOlbash
    Posts: 314
    Congratulations, Brian! Maybe the Olbash family will show up for a Saturdaynight Mass sometime. (you know, because of my employer, I need to receive my sacraments undercover of darkness). Only four screaming kids under the age of 8. :-]
  • Brian Michael Page
    Posts: 152
    Charles - I've been away from Schwan's for over a year. I worked for a FedEx Ground contractor for about a year since.

    As for Adoremus, I have to agree. My actual take is that all of the contents in the Adoremus Hymnal are good. Sadly, there just isn't enough of it to justify the cost of a full-blown hymnal, IMHO. My take on the page turns - I don't have an organ edition, only a pew edition. I have however SEEN the organ edition. Way too many two-page hymn accompaniments starting on the right hand page.

    I'd LOVE to see a new printing of something along the lines of "Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Canticles". My new boss (as would I) would go GA-GA over it! I like to call it the "Post Vatican II Pius X Hymnal" myself. :)

    Jackson - is there a link to the English Catholic Hymnal? I can't find one to save my hide.

    Ron, Charles, and Michael - thanks much for the well-wishes. :) Michael - Remember, Jesus said "Let the little children come to me and forbid them not!"

    Peace,
    BMP
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    Brian -
    You and your pastor should each, if nothing else, have a copy of this for reference - if not in the pews.
    Here is the information that I have:

    The Catholic Hymn Book
    Harmony Edition
    Compiled & edited at the London Oratory
    ISBN 0 85244 359 5

    Gracewing Ltd
    Gracewing House
    2 Southern Avenue
    Leominster
    Herefordshire
    HR6 0QF
    England

    Web site: www.gracewing.co.uk
    E-mail: gracewingx@aol.com
    Tel: 01568 61835
    Fax: 01568 613289

    I hope this is helpful -
    Jackson
  • TCJ
    Posts: 968
    The lack of content in unfortunate in the Adoremus, however, I think it's certainly suitable for some parishes. I know a chapel that uses it. They encountered the same problem with the page turns but just printed out their own organ accompaniment edition to eliminate that. A lot of work, yes, but I guess they felt it was worth it. I'm hoping that the new edition of it will have fixed that problem and also added in a some new hymns (which it DOES look like they are doing). Also, it's very suitable if you're moving more towards chant and only use a few hymns here and there.

    St. Michael's I have looked at before, but that one, too, seems a little short on selections and it has a number of hymns that I would never think about using. I hope that they get rid of those!
  • Yum-Yum
    Posts: 4
    Olbash . . you're in RI? So am I, and I am showin' up to Brian's parish in the VERY NEAR FUTURE. I am so thrilled that there will be some wonderful music so close to my house! It's an oasis in the liturgical desert that is South County!!! Saints be praised!
  • Brian Michael Page
    Posts: 152
    Yum Yum, your initials aren't EC by chance, are they?
    PS: Olbash is in MA. I covered a service for him last summer.
    BMP
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    congrats... sing on into eternity!
  • Daniel Bennett PageDaniel Bennett Page
    Posts: 833
    Congratulations, cousin! (I assume we are ...)


    Re: Anglican hymnals: at least one of the current US Anglican Use parishes uses the 1982 Episcopalian hymnal (only) and is firmly wedded to its liturgical norms; The Hymnal 1940, while standard in all the other US Anglican Use congregations, isn't technically official. I'm personally very fond of The New English Hymnal, which includes a great deal of material found in the London Oratory hymnal (The Catholic Hymn Book), with almost twice as many hymns. Using British hymnals often drives American singers bonkers, since the words are rarely placed under the music. British singers learn to deal with this from childhood, but it's a slightly challenging learning curve for choristers on these less-choral-ly-expert shores.
  • Brian Michael Page
    Posts: 152
    Thanks much Daniel.
    I don't know if we are cousins, but you'll never know I guess. My father's side is mainly in upstate New York (Syracuse mostly, with some Buffalo and Rochester), one cousin in Delaware and another near Philly.
    BMP
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