{"id":11806,"date":"2011-10-13T12:59:12","date_gmt":"2011-10-13T17:59:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/?p=11806"},"modified":"2011-10-17T00:18:09","modified_gmt":"2011-10-17T05:18:09","slug":"what-should-catholic-hymnal-editors-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/index.php\/2011\/10\/13\/what-should-catholic-hymnal-editors-know\/","title":{"rendered":"What Should Catholic Hymnal Editors Know?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lots of new congregational hymnals on the market for U.S. Catholics.<\/p>\n

There is <\/em>Worship 4<\/em><\/a> and Gather 3<\/em><\/a> and Lead Me, Guide Me<\/em> 2<\/em><\/a> <\/em>and Oramos Cantando<\/em><\/a> from GIA.<\/p>\n

OCP doesn\u2019t seem to mention it on their website<\/a> but I believe they\u2019re planning to revise JourneySong<\/em> to come out in 2012.<\/p>\n

There are several hymnals from the \u201ctraditional\/conservative side\u201d competing for a small but growing market:<\/p>\n

the Vatican II Hymnal<\/em><\/a> from Corpus Christi Watershed,
\nthe Adoremus Hymnal<\/em><\/a> from Ignatius Press,
\nand St. Michael\u2019s Hymnal<\/a><\/em> from Linda Schafer and Br. Michael O\u2019Connor, OP.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll have occasion to talk more about all these hymnals.<\/p>\n

But for now, let\u2019s step back from the hymnal contents and look at the prior issue of the editors<\/em> of hymnals \u2013 the background and knowledge editors need to do their work of editing.<\/p>\n

What qualifications shouls hymnal editors have? I\u2019ll start the conversation with this short list. (I\u2019m limiting myself to English-language hymnals.)<\/p>\n

Knowledge of the reformed liturgy<\/em>: an understanding of all the reformed rites of the Catholic church, and a vision of the role of music in the reformed rites. Because there are competing visions of the meaning of Vatican II out there, it is now more necessary than ever for editors to be well-informed in liturgical theology and well-read in liturgical scholarship.<\/p>\n

Experience and practical knowledge in promoting congregational song<\/em>. This includes the ability to recognize melodies (of Mass settings, or refrains and antiphons, of hymns) that are and are not singable by congregations.<\/p>\n

Practical wisdom on layout and presentation<\/em>. For example, knowing what a congregation needs (clear font for text, music for all sung items) and what it doesn\u2019t (guitar chords, page references for accompaniments, planning help and advice alongside congregational repertoire).<\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

Understanding of the role of the choir in Catholic worship<\/em> so that appropriate distinctions are made between things sung by choir and things sung by congregation. Choir editions should help the choir carry out its unique ministry rather than duplicate the congregation\u2019s role.<\/p>\n

Knowledge of Gregorian chant in Latin and English<\/em>, with good sense about the available repertoire, what is appropriately provided to congregations, and how it is best laid out to encourage congregational participation.<\/p>\n

Openness to cross-cultural expansion of congregational repertoire<\/em>\u2013 both because Church documents call for cultural sensitivity and because the canon of English-language church music is being expanded in many directions (culturally, linguistically), as seen in so many recent hymnals.<\/p>\n

Then there are so many things needed to edit the hymns.<\/p>\n

Knowledge of the liturgical role of strophic hymnody in Catholic worship<\/em>, including both the extensive history of Catholic congregational vernacular hymnody at Mass and the wide latitude granted to liturgical planners by current Church legislation. A vision of how hymnody relates to the rites, and how hymnody relates to the Mass lectionary, is very important.<\/p>\n

Knowledge of the [ever-changing, ever-growing, ever-being-redefined] \u201ccanon\u201d of congregational hymnody in all its historical depth.<\/em> A good hymnal editor should be a hymn\/hymnal geek, with a large collection of hymnals from many traditions. A lifetime of regular attendance at Hymn Society<\/a> conferences would be a great help.<\/p>\n

Knowledge of the sources and reference material<\/em> so that wise editorial decisions can be made about melodic and textual variants. On the editor\u2019s shelf should be Julian, Higginson, Westermeyer (Let the People Sing)<\/em>, Routley (the one on texts and the one on tunes), and the like.<\/p>\n

Commitment to ecumenism and love of the ecumenical richness of hymnody.<\/em> Catholics have sung vernacular Protestant hymns at Mass in every era since the Protestant Reformation. (Yes, this is really true. For further info, see chapter 23 of my big book<\/a>.) The reformed liturgy offers an excellent means for ecumenical convergence between Catholics and other Christians, and the editor should know how to make good use of Protestant hymnody.<\/p>\n

What would you add to or change in this list?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What would you add to or change in this list?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[21,20,22,1394,1398],"tags":[1599,1068],"class_list":["post-11806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music-chant","category-music-general","category-music-hymns","category-music-mass-settings","category-new-missal-implementation","tag-hymnal-editing","tag-missal-publishers"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Should Catholic Hymnal Editors Know? - Home<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/index.php\/2011\/10\/13\/what-should-catholic-hymnal-editors-know\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Should Catholic Hymnal Editors Know? 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