More chant.
Ave Verum Corpus is a C13 song for Eucharist and Benediction and is attributed to Pope Innocent VI (or V or IV or III).
It has umpteen settings and I have done Mozart’s here, but this is plainsong chant. Both this English translation and this arrangement are by the editor of the New Living Parish Hymn Book, John de Luca.
I had a crack at a backing, which may be less worse than usual for BIAB chant.
Still best to listen to real chant:
John de Luca thought this chant did not work in English so he devised a macaronic version of the text, combining the English with Latin, that he thought worked better.
It is his arrangement of a plainsong Ave Maria.
I did try to make a backing with the usual less than stellar result for chant:
This is the straight Latin chant:
This is an ancient chant for Lent from the New Living Parish Hymn Book, sadly out of print but very much worth getting if you find one second hand. I think the accompaniment book of this hymnal − plus Together In Song for the chords− covers much traditional hymnody with tasty extras like improvements on the songs of the folk mass era.
This song goes before even the 1960s (!) and although it sounds older is only from the 1800s, although the lyrics were later reshuffled with much older texts. This may account for the very great variability in published texts.
John de Luca made his own arrangement and his own English translation and that is a great reason for posting this.
A less good reason is another failed attempt at chant by BIAB:
Just so more people know the breadth of John de Luca’s accomplishments in this hymnal here is his arrangement and translation/paraphrase to join all the other variants of this chant.
This is how it is meant to sound, shorn of metrical baggage:
Much as I am enjoying listening to chant, I am sick of seeing posts on YouTube and elsewhere suggesting there is a cabel of old people preventing the Catholic Church returning to the glory of Latin chant as the exclusive music of the Church.
There is the usual cherry picking of SC to support this, ignoring the instruction that we need to encourage above all conscious, active participation in the liturgy.
In every suburban and rural parish I have worked as a musician there have been a few volunteers who run themselves ragged doing their best to provide music for mass that is prayful, of the people (ie enculturated to the assembly) and absolutely suitable for mass. In the unlikely event that an assembly was moved to change to Latin chant and those suggesting it were going to take over the often thankless task of providing the music week in and week out there would be no stopping it, but I have never seen it around these parts.
I now live in Tasmania, where a few years ago a young priest full of zeal decided he would change most of the masses to Latin in a small rural town. This was in a parish where, without the benefit of clergy for many years, the assembly had provided there own sacred liturgy as they were able, and where, unsuprisingly, there was no tradition of chant. The poor boy was nearly tarred and feathered and had to be rescued, and while I do not condone violence against priests, nor do I condone violence of a liturgical nature against an assembly.
I hear the accusation that styles other than chant are for entertainment value and distracting and that there is an idolatry in using a musical style that is liked by the musicians who are only interested in drawing attention to themselves. I would contend that that sin is equally committed by those who make an idol of Latin or chant or any style of music for that matter. To serve a community in music liturgy, it has to involve music that has been sacred to that community and imposition of something that has become as unfamilar as Latin chant on an assembly that has no background in that mode of music is surely as distracting as a polka.
Certainly in Australia, all attempts to regulate what music is used in parishes has failed. It is shaped by what is available, by the volunteers who are available, and by the absence of funding and will from the heirarchy. This leads to a patchy, congregational picture but that is what we have…
… here endeth the rant.
This is an Easter hymn based on a C7 Latin hymn translated by Robert Campbell (C19) and set to SALZBURG by Jacob Hintze (C17).
The sheet music is here in the same arrangement as in this Hymn book. Godsongs has some useful background and Liturgy Share much useful material.
When I blogged this years ago it was in an odd style, so this time I have gone very normal with a BIAB organ. The text has many variations but this is the version used here.
1 At the Lamb’s high feast we sing
Praise to our victorious King,
Who has washed us in the tide
Flowing from His pierced side.
Praise we him whose love divine,
Gives the guests his blood for wine,
Gives his body for the feast,
Love the victim, love the priest.2 Where the paschal blood is poured,
Death’s dark angel sheathes his sword;
Israel’s hosts triumphant go
Through the wave that downs the foe.
Christ the lamb, whose blood was shed,
Paschal victim, paschal bread;
With sincerity and love
Eat we manna from above.3 Mighty victim from the sky,
Powers of hell beneath thee lie;
Death is conquered in the fight;
Thou hast brought us life and light.
Now thy banner thou dost wave;
Vanquished Satan and the grave;
Angels join his praise to tell −
See o’er-thrown the prince of hell.4 Paschal triumph, paschal joy,
Only sin can this destroy;
From the death of sin set free,
Souls reborn, dear Lord, in thee.
Hymns of glory, songs of praise,
Father, unto thee we raise;
Risen Lord, all praise to thee,
Ever with the Spirit be.
This is interesting.
The Antiphon is the Proper for Compline set by the editor of the New Living Parish Hymn book, John de Luca. It is a lovely little song that would be useful on it’s own in other circumstances.
The verses are based on the Canticle of Simeon from Luke 2:29-32, the Nunc Dimmitis and set to Plainsong: Mode viii.
This is just the antiphon:
This is an Epiphany hymn with a text by William Chatterton Dix set to DIX by Conrad Kochner. There are variations in the text and I have posted the version in the New Living Parish Hymn Book.
By the way, Liturgy Share is great for traditional hymnody like this. For this song, for example, there is music for organ, the choir and even the chords for people who need them (like me). It is a vast resource of scholarship and hard work that is most useful.
I blogged this song many years ago with a frankly bizarre backing – this one is much more normal:
- As with gladness men of old
Did the guiding star behold,
As with joy they hailed its light,
Leading onward, beaming bright,
So, most gracious Lord, may we
Ever more be led to thee.- As with joyful steps they sped,
To that lowly manger bed,
There to bend the knee before
Him whom Heav’n and Earth adore;
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek thy mercy seat.- As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude and bare;
So may we with holy joy,
Pure and free from sin’s alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee, our heav’nly King.- Holy Jesus, ev’ry day
Keep us in the narrow way;
And when earthly things are past,
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds thy glory hide.- In the heav’nly country bright,
Need they no created light;
Thou its light, its joy, its crown,
Thou its sun, which goes not down;
There for ever may we sing
Alleluias to our King.
This is the William Henry Monk arrangement, also used in this hymnal:
I am finding Youtube clips that say they have lyrics for congregations, the intent being to project them playing and have the assembly sing along. Not ideal as it discourages participation, but understandable.
These clips vary from slow to breakneck, but I don’t think you want to drag this one.
John de Luca, the editor of the New Living Parish Hymn Book, informed us that this was a Languedoc Noel – a regional traditional French carol – translated by James Chadwick and set to LES ANGES DANS NOS CAMPAGNES. It’s a carol we always use with our usual guitar only backing and it works fine.
The backing I did when I covered it in AOV 2 all those years ago was not entirely serious. This one is BIAB fake organ and a little more traditional.
1 Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.Refrain
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!2 Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
Say what may the tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?Refrain
3 Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ, the Lord, the newborn King.Refrain
This is a pretty typical arragement and the one here differs only slightly.
Looking at the chords given, and considering this is not a John de Luca arrangement, there are still some differences from those in AOV. Guitarists are all playing this one capo 3 in D anyway, but there are some interesting options chosen.
This is a Holy Thursday text by Frederick Pratt Green set to O WALY WALY.
I previously blogged this in 2012 from my tattered collection of loose miscellaneous songs used at my then parish.
This is another song where John de Luca provided his own arrangement. I note variation on lengths of notes between arrangements, which is the bain of traditional songs.
This is a good excuse to have another go at a backing:
1 An Upper Room did our Lord prepare
For those he loved until the end:
And his disciples still gather there
To celebrate their Risen Friend.2 A lasting gift Jesus gave his own:
To share his bread, his loving cup.
Whatever burdens may bow us down,
He by his Cross shall lift us up.3 And after Supper he washed their feet,
For service, too, is sacrament.
In him our joy shall be made complete —
Sent out to serve, as he was sent.4 No end there is! We depart in peace.
He loves beyond the uttermost:
In every room in our Father’s house
He will be there, as Lord and Host.
This is a very well known hymn By John Newton set to NEW BRITAIN.
I blogged it fifteen years ago when covering AOV. In this hymnal only four verses have been selected. It is another hymn for which John de Luca provided his own arrangement, which is somewhat different to others I have seen. He has more interesting chords and includes the triplets that many people sing anyway.
Last time the backing was folk styled, but this time it is just organ by BIAB influenced by his arrangement.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.T’was grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace, my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
This is not his arrangement but seems the most commonly used one..
This is a song of praise, ascension and of the Eucharist, with a text by William Chatterton Dix and set to the old favourite HYFRYDOL by Rowland Pritchard.
The text here is quite different from the one I blogged in AOV many years ago – yes AOV has some traditional hymnody. Verses are missing, verses are added, exclamation marks replaced and choices were made. I’m not sure why the Trinitarian verse didn’t make into this hymnal.
I had another crack at an organ backing:
Alleluia, sing to Jesus!
His the sceptre, his the throne;
Alleluia, his the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark, The songs of peaceful Sion
Thunder like a mighty flood.
Jesus out of every nation
Has redeemed us by his blood.Alleluia, not as orphans
Are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia, he is near us;
Faith believes, nor questions how;
Though the cloud from sight received him,
When the forty days were o’er,
Shall our hearts forget his promise,
“I am with you evermore”?Alleluia, Bread of Angels,
Thou on earth our food, our stay;
Alleluia, here the sinful
Flee to you from day to day;
Intercessor, friend of sinners,
Earth’s Redeemer, plead for me,
Where the songs of all the sinless
Sweep across the crystal sea.Alleluia, King eternal,
You the Lord of lords we own;
Alleluia, born of Mary,
Earth your footstool, heaven your throne:
You, within the veil, have entered,
Robed in flesh, our great High Priest:
You on earth both priest and victim
In the Eucharistic feast.
