Hymns that Honor The Holy Father?
  • Jan
    Posts: 242
    Our EF Mass group would like to Honor the Holy Father with a hymn. I told them I would as my friends on the MusicaSacra Forum which hymns they favor. So...what's your favorite 'Holy Father Hymn(s)'?
  • Jeffrey MorseJeffrey Morse
    Posts: 202
    Jan, How about "Oremus Pro Pontifice Nostro" found in the Liber Usualis, we sing it every Sunday after Vespers during benediction. The other piece that comes to mind is "Long Live the Pope" which many of us remember from childhood, but is frankly not very good musically and the words a bit cloying as I remember, the triplet at the end always makes people giggle these days. However, you couldn't go wrong with "Oremus" thought it is not a "hymn" of course...
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    Ditch "Long Live the Pope" and "Full in the Panting Heart of Rome". I'd second Jeff Morse's suggestion of Oremus, but I'd go a step farther and say sing "Christus Vincit", since that has the verse for the Pope.
  • Jeffrey MorseJeffrey Morse
    Posts: 202
    Gavin is right! We must bring back the LAUDES REGIAE/CHRISTUS VINCIT which was done at all triumphal occasions. It always seems sad that this along with the Te Deum is done so rarely even in Trad. parishes. The new hymnal I just procured for my parish has it (in its form from the Worcester Antiphonal) and I plan on using it soon.
  • Jan
    Posts: 242
    That hymnal is that Jeffrey? (off the recorded...what do you think of your organ there in Sacramento?)
  • Jan
    Posts: 242
    Opps--What hymnal?
  • Jan
    Posts: 242
    Actually...it is WHICH hymnal?
  • Jeffrey MorseJeffrey Morse
    Posts: 202
    Jan, the Hymnal is called The Catholic Hymn Book (it is often times colloquially called the "Brompton Hymnal)", it is, the hymnal of the London Oratory put together by Paddy (errr, "Patrick") Russell, published in Britain by Gracewing. Its fantastic, and just what I was looking for.Fr George Rutler( a great lover of proper hymns, see his book "Brightest and Best") also uses it at his parish in NYC, besides the two of us, I don't know of any others in the US who have it in their parishes, though I had inquiries about it from another FSSP parish. It is filled with good, sturdy Anglo/Saxon hymns, and if I couldn't have The English Hymnal or The New English Hymnal in the pews, this was definitely next best.

    Our organ (Allen Renaissance/88 stops) is marvelous, and despite all the naysayers who said I would tire of it in 6 months, after 4 years I am perfectly happy and serves all the repertoire from Bach to Herbert Howells...
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    Why am I tempted to say the Te Deum works? Well theoretically you could sing ANYTHING in honor of the Pope... so long as it's German! ;)

    Allen makes a very fine organ. I haven't played anything of theirs newer than the '94 old lady organ they had at my old church, but it was still an impressive sound. I'm sure their modern work is superb.
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    I should add for Jan's benefit that the Parish Book of Chant has both Christus Vincit and Oremus.
  • G
    Posts: 1,397
    I would second Oremus Pro Pontifice, but would also suggest a setting of Tu Es Petrus. (Anyone know any English language equivalent of the latter? New Ephrem, if you're reading this, that would be a project for which many would thank you, an English hymn text inspired by or drawn from Tu Es Petrus, Matthew 16:18)

    Save the Liturgy, Save the World
  • Jan
    Posts: 242
    Brought home a suitcase full of PBC's from the Colloquium. Good idea to sing the 'Oremus Pro Pontifice Nostro' aroung Benediction. I'd love our group to sing Vespers (that's a goal of mine). I'm gonna talk the 'folks' out of 'Long Live the Pope" (I remember it too!). The Christus
    Vincit is now on my list for special Feasts (where would you place it?).

    I'm ordering The Catholic Hymn Book tonight. Sounds great.

    (Organ: We need a half way decent organ yesterday. I've spoken with John Nelson, Oakland Calif Allen organ rep who said you were happy with your Allen. My hope, of course, is that we can get it together to either rebuild the existing pipe organ or get support to install one.)

    Thanks Gavin & Jeffrey. Anyone else with 'Holy Father Hymns', bring them on!
  • Jan
    Posts: 242
    Gavin-- The suggestion of 'Tu Es Petrus' (just sang a few on 29 June) is a good one as well.

    Also would love a 'Holy Father Hymn' in english. How about all you composers?
  • G
    Posts: 1,397
    G and Gavin, two different posters
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    "Long Live the Pope" is treacly, no doubt. That's why we sing it to the tune FOREST GREEN.
  • Jan
    Posts: 242
    Opps. Sorry G. And good idea. jan
  • Jeffrey MorseJeffrey Morse
    Posts: 202
    Ah FOREST GREEN! The REAL hymn tune( and only one in my opinion) for O Little Town of Bethlehem! Good idea and thank God for metrical indexes! Now if we could only find some alternate hymn tunes for some of our other "classics" like "Bring Flowers of the Rarest"!
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    I'd question the orthodoxy (or at least accuracy) of a lot of the "moldy oldies". The Pope's rule is over space and time? Helloooo Star Trek! That's up there with "we rise again from ashes". Some of the Marian stuff makes protestant apologetics seem rational, besides being more often than not just cheesy. I don't think we can just give the old stuff a free pass any more than the newer stuff. The chants mentioned are all straightforward texts which say what they mean. And again I repeat: why not sing any hymn you please in honor of the Pope? It seems a Te Deum is in order everytime Benedict celebrates Mass with the candles, chant, kneeling, and such. Or again, a good ol' German hymn. This past year on the anniversary of JP2's death we sang a Marian hymn because of his devotion.

    There's no better way to honor Pope Benedict than with any good music well performed!
  • Jeffrey MorseJeffrey Morse
    Posts: 202
    Gavin, I couldn't agree more. My last comment was more tongue in cheek. I am the full time choir director in an EF parish where for years my orthodoxy was questioned because I eschewed the bad Marian stuff and tried to build a good hymn tradition. Now they love it (for the most part), and after 6 years of a good hymn tradition don't miss any of the bad hymns so often associated with the EF.
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