As May approaches computer search engines are engaged in hunts for "Bring Flowers of The Fairest" as Catholics prepare for thierl May Crowning. And the search engines find the words and even MIDI files that play the hymn on tinkling pianos from your computer speakers. But not the music to play and sing from. At this point frustration sets in. Scrolling through pages and pages of links and still no music. This annual search and the frustration surrounding it spawned a new hymnal, Hymns To Mary. Digging through old hymnals, the search has resulted in more than 60 hymns to Mary, all published in one book.
According to editor Noel Jones, "What was surprising was the incredible beauty of the text of these hymns, beauty that challenged composers to paint the sense of the words in the music they write for these hymns." The hymns come from hymnals published as early as the 1850's.
Some of the 60 plus hymns to Mary in the book appear more than once as they were sung to different tunes in different areas. Jones says, "It had a lot to do with the order of nuns that taught in the school. They brought their own music with them and what the parish sang usually reflected what they sing at the motherhouse or in the schools they grew up in.
Most surprising was the discovery of four hymns for the Annunciation,and four for the Assumption and on that honors Mary and the Trinity. So many of these hymns are unknown so a CD of most of the hymns being played on the organ to introduce them to modern ears is also available.
The top three Novena To Mary hymns from the early 1950's are represented in two forms, the original hymns written for singers in two parts with a simple left hand part, and four part hymn settings now for our modern church choirs and congregations. "All but a few of the hymns are set here in modern hymn format. People who think that words alone or words and the melody are enough for congregations stifle the singing of a church." says Jones. "Protestant hymnals are always set in four parts and ours should be too." This new hymnal is part of a long range project called The Catholic Hymnal and has already released "Eucharistic Hymns".
The hymnal is 8"x10" for easy reading, and is also available in common hymnbook size and also in digital form for use by churches that publish their music in a bulletin.
These hymnals are available at www.thecatholichymnal.com, amazon.com and your favorite Catholic bookstore. ISBN ordering information is available on the publisher's website.