On Wed, 17 Jul 96 09:03:22 -1000 [log in to unmask] wrote:
> From: [log in to unmask]> Date: Wed, 17 Jul 96 09:03:22 -1000
> Subject: Re: hymn help
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Bill,
> I ran across the term "7 great hymns" in Charles Beeson's _A Primer of
> Medieval Latin_. He used it in such a way that I thought it was a commonplace
> (obviously not). Since Beeson is copyrighted in 1925 (and 1953), pre-Vatican II,
> by Catholic University of America Press, in may represent some 19th-20th century
> Catholic designation of seven of the most common Latin hymns incorporated into
> the liturgy (but there are 5 sequences included in the liturgy...) or found in
> all Latin collections of hymns (I am guessing here because Harrington uses that
> description in his collection).
> From Beeson, I catch four with this designation "One of the seven great
> hymns..." and two others that to my mind must be in this category, although he
> uses a superlative to describe them:
> Veni Creator Spiritus
> De Contemptu Mundi
> Veni Sancte Spiritus
> Stabat Mater
> and
> Pange Lingua
> Dies Irae
> and the seventh?
> Ave Maris Stella?
> Given your reaction, I gather I should remove the reference!
>
> Karen Jolly
> History
> University of Hawai'i at Manoa
> [log in to unmask]
Don't necessarily remove it; but why not introduce it by saying: "Charles Beeson has described
these as 'The Seven Great Hymns' . . ."? Nobody could quibble with that. I take it that your 'Pange
Lingua' is the 'Pange Lingua Gloriosi proelium certaminis' of Venantius Fortunatus; there is also
the 'Pange Lingua Gloriosi corporis mysterium' of Thomas Aquinas, which is modelled on
Fortunatus' hymn and has just as much claim to be considered great (as have the other eucharistic
hymns of Aquinas). The 'De Contemptu Mundi' I take to be the Hora novissima, tempora pessima
sunt, vigilemus of Bernard of Cluny: a tour de force, but hardly a great hymn (except in length). If
you really want some great hymns, read those of Abelard (excellent edition by Sjoverffy - that's not
quite how you spell his name but I don't have the book to hand). Oriens.
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