Posted on 08/26/2017 9:07:24 AM PDT by Tax-chick
Although it is only August, my choir is planning our music for the Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12). It is a bilingual Spanish/English service. We have an abundance of songs available in Spanish, of course. However, we need two or three songs in English.
For the past two years, we have used "Hail Mary, Gentle Woman" and "Holy is His Name," but we're tired of those! Does anyone know of any songs in English about Our Lady of Guadalupe, or even fairly close thematically? I looked last year, but all I found was something for children using the melody of "Lord, When You Came to the Seashore." It was pretty bad.
I think there are a lot of pieces of music in English that sing about Jesus. This might be better.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oUlFt5VErg
Thank you so much for your input. Do you have any particular pieces in mind that might suit my specific needs?
“Fishers of Men” might also please the congregation.
That’s the one I mentioned above, using the popular “Pescador de Hombres” melody. It wasn’t quite the thing. Thanks, though.
Hail Mary, Gentle Woman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3Br9-0iWgU
Our Lady of Fatima
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfuwXnRFLTo
These are dark ages of hymnody. There was a golden age, that peaked before 1950. Today popular social media are catechizing youth for militant, atheistic, secular humanism. 100 years ago, before radio destroyed home family music culture, there were very many, diverse, local, regional hymnals, chalk full of humble Marian hymns, listed at http://www.catholicdevotionalhymns.com/index-of-hymnals/ . Here is a near relation to a Guadalupe hymn, an English
“Las Posadas” de Belen, the Lodgings, the dialogue of St. Joseph and the mean Innkeeper of Bethlehem http://www.cfl-sacramento.org/las-posadas-the-inns-of-bethlehem-advent-novena-pageant-december-16-24/
We have sometimes done traditional Latin hymns in Spanish translation, but, for most of our Spanish congregation, the style is unfamiliar. They come from places where most of their religious experience was home devotion, while a visit from a priest to do Mass and the other Sacraments was rare. When we first started our Hispanic ministry, it wasn’t unusual for us to hold baptisms for an extended family group including children from infants to teens.
We really can’t sing about “Dear Lady of Fatima” at our Guadalupe Mass, and although “Hail Mary, Gentle Woman” is popular, we’ve used it several times.
I wasn’t talking about translations. I was talking about Latin hymns.
The Spanish have as much right to the universal language of the Church as all other Catholics have.
They are not Spanish. Our Spanish lady died about a week ago. (Actually she was from New York, but she’d lived in Spain for 40 years, long story ...). They are Mexican, Salvadoran, Colombian, Puerto Rican, Ecuadoran, and more.
The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is their celebration as Spanish-speaking Americans. If Latin music was part of their experience, we would include it. However, it is not.
Now Thank We All Our God
Immaculate Mary
Hail, Holy Queen
Humbly Lord We Worship You
Thanks. Most people know “Hail, Holy Queen,” so that might work.
All Latin American Catholics once celebrated the Mass in Latin only.
Didn’t know y’all were so “novus”.
Mea culpa.
So they did, as all Anglo-American Catholics and Slovakian-American Catholics and so on did. However, Latin is not part of the experience of the Spanish-speaking people for whom I am music director.
I feel sorry for them, then.
Nice of you.
Walla Walla Catholic: The Latin Mass held at St. Patrick on the last Sunday of the month at 5 PM has a schola which sings chant and polyphony. Rehearsals are usually the Friday evening before and an hour before Mass. Members from all parishes welcome. Ability to read music required. (509) 525-1602
You both are welcome to attend (long drive).
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