A question for music experts re: the Magnificat missal

[tcraig]

I just started receiving the Magnificat missal. It is absolutely wonderful, but I do have a question in regards to the hymns.

(1) Some of the hymns have a little note that say they can be sung to the tune for a specific song (for example: This hymn can be sung to the tuned used for The Church’s One Foundation).

Given the fact that since I joined the Catholic Church every NO mass I have attended has used the Oregon Catholic Press missal and songbook, and these referenced hymns all appear to be more traditional, I’m stumped as to what to use as a source. Would a hymnal such as the Adoremus hymnal be a good resource?

(2) Other hymns provide no tune to use, but have meter notations (for example: Meter: 77 77 with Alleluias). What exactly does this mean?

Thank you so much for any help you can provide!

 

[SMHW]

I don’t have the Magnificat missal so I may be missing something obvious. And I’m NOT a music expert.

1. First of all, many traditional hymns are included in OCP hymnals. The Church’s One Foundation is included in the 2005 version of OCP’s Breaking Bread. (Sorry, I don’t have the 2007 version handy.) There are other traditional hymns.
2. Without getting too technical (because I am not qualified to do so) meter has to do with the number of beats per line. This should equate to the number of syllables. If two hymns have the same meter, then you should be able to enterchange the tunes between them. (You may have heard parodies where someone sings the words of one song to the tune of another.)

GIA has a hymn index by meter on its HymnPrint website. www.hymnprint.net You can also listen to a couple of lines from the hymns. So if you need a tune for a hymn you may be able to find one that will work if you know the meter.

 

[DaveBj]

snip2) Without getting too technical (because I am not qualified to do so) meter has to do with the number of beats per line. This should equate to the number of syllables. If two hymns have the same meter, then you should be able to enterchange the tunes between them. (You may have heard parodies where someone sings the words of one song to the tune of another.)

snip

That’s true in general, altho different 77 77 hymn tunes may not fit the words of a 77 77 hymn in terms of accented beats matching accented syllables.

To give a silly example of how metering works, the lyrics for “Amazing Grace” are 86 86. The melody to “House of the Rising Sun” is an 86 86 melody that fits the words perfectly (and actually, “Amazing Grace” is rather effective sung to that tune). Another melody that fits is “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing,” as has been pointed out by another poster on another thread.

DaveBj

 

[Sarabande]

I’m not familiar with the Magnificat missal. At the Cathedral where I work at as a musician, we use the red Worship Hymnal Third Edition (Published by GIA). It’s excellent in terms of listing every hymn according to almost every way you can think of. These are more traditional melodies, and you would definitely be able to find the melody according to Meter and Hymn Melody (Tune). For instance, I couldn’t remember the St. Flavian melody to a different text for the 2nd Sunday of Lent, so I just looked it up according to Index of Tunes and found that it was the melody usually set to “Lord, Who Throughout these Forty Days”. Hope it helps.

• Liturgical Index
• Topical Index
• Hymns which may be sung in Canon
• Index of Composers, Authors and Sources
• Metrical Index of Tunes (77 77, 65 65, etc.)
• Index of Tunes
• Psalm Refrains Set to Music
• Index of First Lines and Common Titles
• Scriptural Passages Related to Hymns
• Hymns for the Church Year

 

[brotherhrolf]

That’s what we use at my cathedral - Worship III. Great hymnal!

 

[DaveBj]

I’m not familiar with the Magnificat missal…snip

The Magnificat that I am familiar with is not a missal; it is a monthly publication with the daily Mass readings, as well as the daily Lauds and Vespers readings and prayers printed out. Judging from the OP’s post, it also includes the actual hymn lyrics for Lauds and Vespers. My wife is a subscriber (well, actually I pay for the sub, but it’s in her name), but I use Christian Prayer and One Bread One Body for my own personal devotions.

DaveBj

 

[tcraig]

I’m not familiar with the Magnificat missal. At the Cathedral where I work at as a musician, we use the red Worship Hymnal Third Edition (Published by GIA). It’s excellent in terms of listing every hymn according to almost every way you can think of. These are more traditional melodies, and you would definitely be able to find the melody according to Meter and Hymn Melody (Tune). For instance, I couldn’t remember the St. Flavian melody to a different text for the 2nd Sunday of Lent, so I just looked it up according to Index of Tunes and found that it was the melody usually set to “Lord, Who Throughout these Forty Days”. Hope it helps.

• Liturgical Index
• Topical Index
• Hymns which may be sung in Canon
• Index of Composers, Authors and Sources
• Metrical Index of Tunes (77 77, 65 65, etc.)
• Index of Tunes
• Psalm Refrains Set to Music
• Index of First Lines and Common Titles
• Scriptural Passages Related to Hymns
• Hymns for the Church Year

This appears to be exactly what I am looking for. Thank you so much for this information!

 

[tcraig]

The Magnificat that I am familiar with is not a missal; it is a monthly publication with the daily Mass readings, as well as the daily Lauds and Vespers readings and prayers printed out.

Well, I would consider it a missal as it has the daily mass readings plus the Order of Mass in each publication. Perhaps since it’s published monthly and is in paperback form some would not look at it that way, but it certainly has everything my missal for the TLM has - plus more.

 

[marytk]

I use the Magnificat too. I have tried to get tunes in my head that fit the different meters. Sometimes I have fun singing to tunes that “fit” but don’t really

America is aCMd (8686 repeated)

Now that I have a CHRISTIAN PRAYER I have a resource to more hymns at home and the music

 

[Sarabande]

This appears to be exactly what I am looking for. Thank you so much for this information!

You’re welcome!!! I’m glad it will help you.

 

[JButky]

• Liturgical Index
• Topical Index
• Hymns which may be sung in Canon
• Index of Composers, Authors and Sources
• Metrical Index of Tunes (77 77, 65 65, etc.)
• Index of Tunes
• Psalm Refrains Set to Music
• Index of First Lines and Common Titles
• Scriptural Passages Related to Hymns
• Hymns for the Church Year

Most organists’ copies have this contained in them although the regular pew hymnals most often have just an index of Hymn titles.

Joe B

 

[Sarabande]

Most organists’ copies have this contained in them although the regular pew hymnals most often have just an index of Hymn titles.

Joe B

One of the great things about the Worship III hymnals is that all of those indexes are also listed in the regular pew hymnals - not just in the organists’ copies. I agree, though, there are other hymnals which don’t contain all of that for the congregation.