tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253865779660854699.post3916058412305011476..comments2023-10-15T09:36:12.013+01:00Comments on Countercultural Father: Getting Nerdy About Hymnals...Ben Trovatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15299230935468606845noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253865779660854699.post-1088490225324764282015-12-28T17:26:50.321+00:002015-12-28T17:26:50.321+00:00Perhaps one of the biggest changes of the twentiet...Perhaps one of the biggest changes of the twentieth century was the introduction of hymn singing to Mass. Prior to that, only the Mass texts, set either polyphonically or in chant would be used.<br /><br />The two other changes were the introduction of evening Masses, and the abandonment of parish Vespers on Sundays, and evening devotions more generally, apart from maybe a weekly Benediction service. <br /><br />The surprise (to me) coming from the 1912 Hymnal is the rich variety of hymns: as you say, there must have been a hymn singing culture (and I make two of the mistakes Terry highlights) and this must have been what all of the non-liturgical devotions had lots of, perhaps one of their attractions. Mass was for silently uniting oneself with the actions of the priest, the other services allowed a musical affirmation of belief, and with consciously different hymns from other denominations': <i>lex cantandi lex credendi</i>?. <br /><br />Neither Bugnini nor Reid make a point about hymn singing in Church but it must have been one of the tools by which the experience of Mass was utterly changed as the momentum of Reform gathered pace after the Second World War. Hymns changed the Mass, the hymn-singing-devotions fell into disuse, then the hymns were changed to introduce protestant one and to lose those of "doubtful merit": it sounds like the task of some rather successful Wormwood.Ttonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185875893212146794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253865779660854699.post-1222306008022138362015-12-28T12:15:12.639+00:002015-12-28T12:15:12.639+00:00Patricius,
Yes, there is a section specifically f...Patricius,<br /><br />Yes, there is a section specifically for Missions in the Westminster hymnal - about ten hymns, none of which I know. <br /><br />Did you never have parish jamborees? We did: fetes and fairs and parties et al...<br /><br />We sang the Gelineau psalms occasionally - mainly The Lord is my Shepherd, with the Gregory Murray (rather than Gelineau) refrain; and mainly, if memory serves, at weddings.<br /><br />Joseph,<br /><br />Yes, I think you are right about Benediction. The Westminster Hymnal gives a straight-down-the-line Benediction at the back (O Salutaris, Litany, Tantum Ergo, Collect, Adoremus/Laudate) but I am sure that would have ended with a hymn or several.Ben Trovatohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15299230935468606845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253865779660854699.post-21739268266260327752015-12-28T11:41:39.465+00:002015-12-28T11:41:39.465+00:00Nb 'extra liturgical' services included Be...Nb 'extra liturgical' services included Benediction, the scene I understand of a lot of vernacular hymn-singing. <br /><br />Also there were a staggering number of processions in the old days.Joseph Shawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06587987442560784792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253865779660854699.post-89210170612646569522015-12-28T11:24:09.155+00:002015-12-28T11:24:09.155+00:00"Presumably that means pilgrimages and proces..."Presumably that means pilgrimages and processions, school assemblies and parish jamborees and so forth."<br /><br />Spot-on...er...except I'm not sure what "jamborees" were! The main association was with things called "Popular Devotions". In fact I recall a locally produced hymnbook the preface of which referred to "Parish Missions...where the hearty singing of hymns is to be encouraged...."<br /><br />I have a later edition of the Westminster Hymnal which refers to the Low Week meeting of the hierarchy of 1930 and the promotion of the ancient office hymns as "models". If you look carefully you will see that the Westminster Hymnal relates to the liturgical cycle but the key thing about Praise the Lord is, as you suggest, an effort to provide something that will fit IN the liturgy. (I don't think the Gelignite Psalms- as one choirmaster called them- caught on!)<br /><br />Yours nerdily,<br /><br />Patricius<br /><br />PS RR Terry should probably be canonised imho!<br /><br /><br />Patriciushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08906131174326742939noreply@blogger.com