"Music and silence-how I detest them both!"Screwtape, under-secretary to the devil, The Screwtape Letters by C. S. LewisIt's easy to see why the enemies of mankind would hate and fear both sacred silence and sacred music. Both bring joy, spur contemplation, and draw the soul nearer to the Lord. Both have been part of our private prayer as well as our communal liturgy for thousands of years.The Psalms-biblical songs of praise, supplication, and wonder-have been sung for three thousand years. Naturally, Jesus, His disciples, and later the early Christian community also sang hymns (from the Greek word meaning "songs of praise"), as The New Testament makes clear. We sing because we love, and sung praise elevates our words, takes them out of the realm of the commonplace, and increases our joy. The holy pleasure of singing to God involves the entire person-spirit, heart, mind, and body-and unites us not only with the Divine but also with one another as a worshiping community.This collection of hymns for the singing Catholic congregation exemplifies the best of the genre. These songs are religiously orthodox, beautiful, sacred, and-for the most part-familiar. But here you will also find worthy hymn tunes and texts that are new to you.We present this book to propose not that hymns replace the proper chants for that days Mass* but live happily alongside them. In most instances the proper chants for processions are the prerogative of cantors and choirs and, as they change very day as part of the Mass aren't practical to be sung by the congregation. Hymns, on the other hand, belong to all the faithful and serve as a key means of the "active participation" spoken of in Vatican II's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. Hymns have been sung as an important part of the Liturgy of the Hours for century upon century, so they are nothing new, new only to be sung at Mass. "To promote active participation, the people should be encouraged to take part by means of acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons, and songs, as well as by actions, gestures, and bodily attitudes. And at the proper times all should observe a reverent silence."Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Vatican II, 1963), Paragraph 30In a parish where the scriptures are sung, the introit will accompany the procession of the ministers and the cross. Clergy, choir, and people can then sing a congregational hymn. The same is true at offertory and Communion: hymns can follow the proper chants. And at the conclusion of Mass, a suitable hymn can send the people forth with the praise of Almighty God on their lips.May this book bring joy to all who sing from it! What is the source of the Sung Antiphons for the Roman liturgy Mass?The proper texts of the Antiphons of the Roman liturgy may be found in: Graduale Romanum; English translations of these texts are also widely available. The antiphons from the Roman Missal, third edition, may also serve as proper texts. For more information see: Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Vatican II, 1963), Musicam Sacram (Instruction on Music in the Liturgy, 1967)The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 2010.

Music for the Catholic Hymn Book is a hymnal published by one of Nigeria's Classical Music publisher and composers Ikechukwu Albert Eseka. This Hymnal provides the faithful the opportunity to sing along easily during the Mass and at various occasions.

How to Beat the Cost of Implementing CBW IIIHow your parish can get CBW III without straining its budget: 1) Two-year interest-free financing option allows you to pay in instalments-No payment for 90 days! Order 50 copies or more of CBW III (any combination of Choir and Pew editions). Upon receipt of the invoice, you have three months to pay only one third (1/3) of the amount billed. Pay the second third on the anniversary date of your invoice (a year later), and the last third the following year. No interest will be charged during this period. (Please note that our offer for a two-year interest-free payment plan does not apply to discounted orders.) or...2) Place your order through your diocese and save up to 20%. When placing bulk orders for their parishes, dioceses get a discount. In the case of CBW III, the discount is 20%. We normally bill and ship the order to the diocese, which is then responsible for redistribution. However, for CBW III we have agreed to bill the diocese and ship to individual parishes, when requested.

936 of the best and most popular hymns, songs and chants, both old and new. A generous selection of singable Mass settings. A complete set of Responsorial Psalms and Gospel Acclamations for Sundays and major feasts. Extensive indexes in the melody and organ editions that make choosing hymns as easy as possible. The index is also available separately for ease of use. All hymns are in singable keys - some are given in two keys for younger or older singers. All editions are clearly set, well printed and strongly bound for life.

Forty years ago, Toolan composed the words and music of the famous hymn I Am the Bread of Life, performed in 25 languages worldwide. Today, Toolan is one of the most respected writers of religious hymns in the world; the story behind her work sparks creativity in other artists and musicians. (Motivation)