Excerpt from Catholic Church Hymnal With Music

This book is an earnest endeavor to bring together under one cover not only those hymns which, from long continued use, have endeared themselves to so many thousands of people, but to provide others of a more virile type expressed in the restrained language of the church's own song. With this end in view I have included the best translations I could find of the Breviary, or other ancient hymns from all sources suitable for general purposes. In several cases where more than one author's version has been available I have given it in order to provide for every possible individual need. No such large use has, I believe, hitherto been made of these mediaeval hymns, nor have they been brought together in so great a number for practical purposes before; I trust, therefore, that the desire expressed by so many priests to have them included in a Catholic book will be found realized in this work.

In order to make the music as congregational as possible I have kept the compass of the tunes within the proper limits for unison singing. In a very few cases others will be found suitable only to a choir of trained voices; these, however, are always supplemented by simpler settings for use where the more elaborate ones are not wanted. I have inserted directions for the more intelligent and artistic rendering of the different hymns whether these directions are followed or not will depend upon those who are in responsible positions of authority. It seems, however, reasonable to suppose that if a thing is worth doing at all it is worth doing well, and that some pains should be taken to bring out and emphasize the varying spirit of the words that are being sung.

I have not included the proper plain-chant melodies to the translated Breviary hymns, believing them to be unsuitable when sung to words in the vernacular. I have, on the other hand, retained several more or less traditional tunes, absolutely valueless and without merit from a musical point of View, but which seem to have become a necessity if a book is to appeal - as I hope this one will - to the varied needs of various churches.

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