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Bernard, of Cluny

1100 - 1199 Person Name: Bernard of Cluny Hymnal Number: 118 Author of "Jerusalem, the Golden" in The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book. Singers' ed., Melody ed. Bernard of Morlaix, or of Cluny, for he is equally well known by both titles, was an Englishman by extraction, both his parents being natives of this country. He was b., however, in France very early in the 12th cent, at Morlaix, Bretagne. Little or nothing is known of his life, beyond the fact that he entered the Abbey of Cluny, of which at that time Peter the Venerable, who filled the post from 1122 to 1156, was the head. There, so far as we know, he spent his whole after-life, and there he probably died, though the exact date of his death, as well as of his birth is unrecorded. The Abbey of Cluny was at that period at the zenith of its wealth and fame. Its buildings, especially its church (which was unequalled by any in France); the services therein, renowned for the elaborate order of their ritual; and its community, the most numerous of any like institution, gave it a position and an influence, such as no other monastery, perhaps, ever reached. Everything about it was splendid, almost luxurious. It was amid such surroundings that Bernard of Cluny spent his leisure hours in composing that wondrous satire against the vices and follies of his age, which has supplied—and it is the only satire that ever did so—some of the most widely known and admired hymns to the Church of today. His poem De Contemptu Mundi remains as an imperishable monument of an author of whom we know little besides except his name, and that a name overshadowed in his own day and in ours by his more illustrious contemporary and namesake, the saintly Abbot of Clairvaux. The poem itself consists of about 3000 lines in a meter which is technically known as Leonini Cristati Trilices Dactylici, or more familiarly—to use Dr. Neale's description in his Mediaeval Hymns, p. 69—" it is a dactylic hexameter, divided into three parts, between which a caesura is inadmissible. The hexameter has a tailed rhyme, and feminine leonine rhyme between the two first clauses, thus :— " Tune nova gloria, pectora sobria, clarificabit: Solvit enigmata, veraque sabbata, continuabit, Patria luminis, inscia turbinis, inscia litis, Cive replebitur, amplificabitur Israelitis." The difficulty of writing at all, much more of writing a poem of such length in a metre of this description, will be as apparent to all readers of it, as it was to the writer himself, who attributes his successful accomplishment of his task entirely to the direct inspiration of the Spirit of God. "Non ego arroganter," he says in his preface, "sed omnino humiliter, et ob id audenter affirmaverim, quia nisi spiritus sapicntiae et intellectus mihi affuisset et afftuxisset, tarn difficili metro tarn longum opus con-texere non sustinuissem." As to the character of the metre, on the other hand, opinions have widely differed, for while Dr. Neale, in his Mediaeval Hymns, speaks of its "majestic sweetness," and in his preface to the Rhythm of Bernard de Morlaix on the Celestial Country, says that it seems to him "one of the loveliest of mediaeval measures;" Archbishop Trench in his Sac. Lat. Poetry, 1873. p. 311, says "it must be confessed that" these dactylic hexameters "present as unattractive a garb for poetry to wear as can well be imagined;" and, a few lines further on, notes "the awkwardness and repulsiveness of the metre." The truth perhaps lies between these two very opposite criticisms. Without seeking to claim for the metre all that Dr. Neale is willing to attribute to it, it may be fairly said to be admirably adapted for the purpose to which it has been applied by Bernard, whose awe-stricken self-abasement as he contemplates in the spirit of the publican, “who would not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven," the joys and the glory of the celestial country, or sorrowfully reviews the vices of his age, or solemnly denounces God's judgments on the reprobate, it eloquently pourtrays. So much is this the case, that the prevailing sentiment of the poem, that, viz., of an awful apprehension of the joys of heaven, the enormity of sin, and the terrors of hell, seems almost wholly lost in such translations as that of Dr. Neale. Beautiful as they are as hymns, "Brief life is here our portion," "Jerusalem the Golden," and their companion extracts from this great work, are far too jubilant to give any idea of the prevailing tone of the original. (See Hora Novissima.) In the original poem of Bernard it should be noted that the same fault has been remarked by Archbishop Trench, Dean Stanley, and Dr. Neale, which may be given in the Archbishop's words as excusing at the same time both the want, which still exists, of a very close translation of any part, and of a complete and continuous rendering of the whole poem. "The poet," observes Archbishop Trench, "instead of advancing, eddies round and round his object, recurring again and again to that which he seemed thoroughly to have discussed and dismissed." Sac. Lat. Poetry, 1873, p. 311. On other grounds also, more especially the character of the vices which the author lashes, it is alike impossible to expect, and undesirable to obtain, a literal translation of the whole. We may well be content with what we already owe to it as additions to our stores of church-hymns. -John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ================== Bernard of Cluny, p. 137, i., is best described thus: his place of origin is quite uncertain. See the Catalogue of the Additional MSS. of the B. M. under No. 35091, where it is said that he was perhaps of Morlas in the Basses-Pyrenees, or of Morval in the Jura, but that there is nothing to connect him with Morlaix in Brittany. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

Alfonso M. de Liguori

1696 - 1787 Person Name: St. Alphonsus Hymnal Number: 44 Author of "Jesus Lord, be Thou mine own" in The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book. Singers' ed., Melody ed. Liguori, Alphonso Maria de, born at Marianella, near Naples, Sept. 27, 1696, became Bishop of St. Agatha of the Goths in 1762, and died Aug. 1, 1787. His hymns were gathered out of his works, translated by K. A. Coffin, and published as Hymns and Verses on Spiritual Subjects, &c, in 1863. (See Italian Hymnody, p. 1316, ii., 4). From this, "My Jesus! say what wretch has dare" ( Good Friday) is taken. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) ================= Liguori, Alfonso Maria de, pp. 1534, ii., 1577, i. In 1892, the translations of Liguori's hymns were not noted in detail because the originals were not accessible. We have lately found the Canzoncine Spirituali . . . di Sant’ Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori, Turin, 1830, in the library of the Oratory, London, and discovered that Bp. Coffin was merely the editor of the 1863 vol. of translations All those noted below are by Father Edmund Vaughan (q.v.). In 1863, nos. 7, 16 below are ascribed to Mgr. Falcoja and Mgr. Majello, but Father Vaughan now informs us that he thinks they were probably by St. Alfonso. Some of the 1863 translations appeared previously in Hymns for the Confraternity of the Holy Family, 1854, and in Holy Family Hymns, 1860. The best-known are:— 1. Dal tuo celeste trono. [B. V. M.] 1830, p. 60. Translated as "Look down, 0 Mother Mary." 1854, No. 7; 1863, p. 37. 2. Fiori, felici voi, che notte, e giorno. [Holy Communion.] 1830, p. 38. Translations (1) "0 happy "flowers! 0 happy flowers," by F. W. Faber, in Oratory Hymns, 1854, No.19; (2) "0 flowers, O happy flowers,'" 1803, p. 20. 3. Gesu mio, con dure funi. [Passiontide.] 1830, p. 44. Translated as "My Jesus! say, what wretch has dared." 1854, No. 5; 1863, p. 17. 4. Giacche tu vuoi chiamarmi padre. [St. Joseph to the Infant Jesus.] 1830, p. 54. Translated as "Jesus! let me call Thee Son." 1854, No. 11. 1863, p. 13, is in a different metre. 5. Lodiamo cantando. [Death of B. V. M.] 1830, p. 67. Translated as "Uplift the voice and sing." 1803, p. 49. 6. Mondo, piu per me non sei. [Surrender to Jesus.] 1830, p. 3. Translated as "World, thou art no more for me." 1803, p. 66. In Hymns for the Year, 1867, it begins "Jesus, Lord, be Thou my own" (st. iii. alt.). 7. 0 bello Dio, Signor del Paradiso. [The Love of God.] 1830, p. 56. Translated as "O God of loveliness." 1863, p. 118. 8. Partendo dal mondo. [Holy Communion.] 1830, p. 34. Translated as “When the loving Shepherd." 1863, p. 27. 9. Sei pura, sei pia. [B. V. M.] 1830, p. 62. Translated as "Thou art clement, thou art chaste." 1863, p. 36. in Hymns for the Year, 1807, and others, it begins with st. ii., "O Mother blest! whom God bestows." 10. Sto prigione entro quel Core. [Sacred Heart of Jesus.] 1830, p. 52. Translated as "I dwell a captive in this Heart," 1863, p. 15. 11. Tu scendi dalle stelle, O Re del cielo. [Christmas.] 1830, p. 42. Translated as "O, King of Heaven ! from starry throne descending." 1854, No. 4; 1803, p. 12. The following are all in 1863 and in Hymns for the Year, 1867:— 12. Fly hither from the storm that rages round. For a Retreat. 13. In this sweet Sacrament, to Thee. Holy Communion. 14. Knowest thou, sweet Mary. B. V. M. 15. Let those who will for other beauties pine. The Beauty of God. 16. Mary, thy heart for love. Assum. Blessed Virgin Mary. 17. Mother Mary, Queen most sweet. B. V. M. 18. My God, O Goodness Infinite. Love of Jesus. In 1863 indexed under the chorus "Jesus, my sweetest Lord." 19. My soul, what dost thou? Answer me. Holy Communion. 20. O Bread of Heaven! beneath this veil. Holy Communion. 21. O how I love Thee, Lord of Heaven above. Christmas. 22. Raise your voices, vales and mountains. B. V. M. 23. 'Tis Thy good pleasure, not my own. The will of God. Of these, nos. 13, 17 were taken by Father Vaughan from a Neapolitan Mission Hymn Book, the rest are found in 1830, as follows: 12 at p. 32; 14, p. 63; 15, p. 9; 16, p. 70 ; 18, p. 49; 19, p. 37; 20, p. 40; 21, p. 44; 22, p. 66; 23, p. 7. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

Thomas Aquinas

1225 - 1274 Person Name: St. Thomas Aquinas 1227-1274 Hymnal Number: 227a Author of "Adoro te devote, latens deitas" in The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book. Singers' ed., Melody ed. Thomas of Aquino, confessor and doctor, commonly called The Angelical Doctor, “on account of," says Dom Gueranger, "the extraordinary gift of understanding wherewith God had blessed him," was born of noble parents, his father being Landulph, Count of Aquino, and his mother a rich Neapolitan lady, named Theodora. The exact date of his birth is not known, but most trustworthy authorities give it as 1227. At the age of five he was sent to the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino to receive his first training, which in the hands of a large-hearted and God-fearing man, resulted in so filling his mind with knowledge and his soul with God, that it is said the monks themselves would often approach by stealth to hear the words of piety and wisdom that fell from the lips of the precocious child when conversing with his companions. After remaining at Monte Cassino for seven years, engaged in study, St. Thomas, "the most saintly of the learned, and the most learned of the saints," returned to his family, in consequence of the sack of the abbey by the Imperial soldiers. From thence he was sent by his parents to the University of Naples then at the height of its prosperity, where, becoming intimate with the Fathers of the Dominican Order, and being struck, probably, by the devotedness and ability of the Dominican Professors in the University, he was induced to petition for admission into that order, though he was at that time not more than seventeen years of age. This step gave such umbrage to his mother that she caused him to be waylaid on the road to Paris (whither he was being hurried to escape from her), and to be kept for more than two years in prison, during which time his brothers, prompted by their mother, used all means, even the most infamous, to seduce him from religion. At last the Dominicans' influence with the Pope induced the latter to move the Emperor Frederick to order his release, when St. Thomas was at once hurried back to Naples by the delighted members of his order. He was afterwards sent to Rome, then to Paris, and thence to Cologne. At Cologne his studies were continued under the celebrated Albertus Magnus, with whom, in 1245, he was sent by the Dominican Chapter once more to Paris for study, under his direction, at the University. In 1248, when he had completed his three years' curriculum at Paris, St. Thomas was appointed, before he was twenty-three years of age, second professor and “magister studentium,” under Albertus, as regent, at the new Dominican school (on the model of that at Paris), which was established by the Dominicans in that year at Cologne. There he achieved in the schools a great reputation as a teacher, though he by no means confined himself to such work. He preached and wrote; his writings, even at that early age, were remarkable productions and gave promise of the depth and ability which mark his later productions. His sermons also at that time enabled him to attract large congregations into the Dominican church. In 1248 he was directed to take his degree at Paris; and though his modesty and dislike of honour and distinction made the proposal distasteful to him, he set out and begged his way thither; but it was not until October 23rd, 1257, that he took his degree. The interval was filled by such labours in writing, lecturing, and preaching, as to enable him by the time he became a doctor to exercise an influence over the men and ideas of his time which we at this time can scarcely realise. So much was this the case that Louis IX. insisted upon St. Thomas becoming a member of his Council of State, and referred every question that came up for deliberation to him the night before, that he might reflect on it in solitude. At this time he was only thirty-two years of age. In 1259 he was appointed, by the Dominican Chapter at Valenciennes, a member of a Commission, in company with Albertus Magnus and Pierre de Tarentaise, to establish order and uniformity in all schools of the Dominicans. In 1261 the Pope, Urban IV., immediately upon his election to the Pontifical throne, sent for St. Thomas to aid him in his project for uniting into one the Eastern and Western Churches. St. Thomas in that same year came to Rome, and was at once appointed by the General of his Order to a chair of theology in the Dominican College in that city, where he obtained a like reputation to that which he had secured already at Paris and Cologne. Pope Urban being anxious to reward his services offered him, first the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and then a Cardinal's hat, but he refused both. After lecturing, at the request of the Pope, with great success at Vitervo, Orvieto, Perugia, and Fondi, he was sent, in 1263, as "Definitor," in the name of the Roman Province, to the Dominican Chapter held in London. Two years later Clement IV., who succeeded Urban as Pope, appointed him, by bull, to the archbishopric of Naples, conferring on him at the same time the revenues of the convent of St. Peter ad Aram. But this appointment he also declined. In 1269 he was summoned to Paris—his last visit— to act as "Definitor" of the Roman Province at the General Chapter of his Order, and he remained there until 1271, when his superiors recalled him to Bologna. In 1272, after visit¬ing Rome on the way, he went to Naples to lecture at the University. His reception in that city was an ovation. All classes came out to welcome him, while the King, Charles I., as a mark of royal favour bestowed on him a pension. He remained at Naples until he was summoned, in 1274, by Pope Gregory X., by special bull, to attend the Second Council of Lyons, but whilst on the journey thither he was called to his rest. His death took place in the Benedictine Abbey of Fossa Nuova in the diocese of Terracina, on the 7th of March 1274, being barely forty-eight years of age. St. Thomas was a most voluminous writer, his principal work being the celebrated Summa Theologiae, which, although never completed, was accepted as such an authority as to be placed on a table in the council-chamber at the Council of Trent alongside of the Holy Scriptures and the Decrees of the Popes. But it is outside the province of this work to enlarge on his prose works. Though not a prolific writer of hymns, St. Thomas has contributed to the long list of Latin hymns some which have been in use in the services of the Church of Rome from his day to this. They are upon the subject of the Lord's Supper. The best known are:— Pange lingua gloriosi Corporis Mysterium; Adoro te devote latens Deitas; Sacris sollemniis juncta sint gaudia; Lauda Sion Salvatorem; and Verbum supernum prodiens. The 1st, 3rd, and 5th of these are found in the Roman Breviary, the 2nd, 4th, and 5th in Newman's Hymni Ecclesiae; the 4th in the Roman Missal; all of them appear in Daniel; the 2nd and 4th in Mone; and the 2nd, 4th, and 5th in Königsfeld. Of these hymns numerous translations have been made from time to time, and amongst the translators are found Caswall, Neale, Woodford, Morgan, and others. [Rev. Digby S. Wrangham, M.A.] -- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Jane Eliza Leeson

1807 - 1882 Person Name: Miss Leeson Hymnal Number: 31 Translator of "Christ the Lord is ris'n today" in The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book. Singers' ed., Melody ed. Leeson, Jane E.. The earliest work by Miss Leeson with which we are acquainted is her Infant Hymnings. Then followed Hymns and Scenes of Childhood, or A Sponsor's Gift (London, James Burns; Nottingham, Dearden), 1842, in which the Infant Hymnings were incorporated. Concerning Pt. ii. of the Hymns and Scenes, &c, Miss Leeson says, "For the best of the Poems in the second part, the Writer is indebted to a friend." In the Rev. Henry Formby's Catholic Hymns arranged in order for the principal Festivals, Feasts of Saints, and other occasions of Devotion throughout the Year, London, Burns and Lambert, N.D. [1851], "Imprimatur, N. Cardinalis Wiseman, May 3rd, 1853," her translation of Victimae Paschali (“Christ the Lord is risen to-day"), and her "Loving Shepherd of Thy Sheep" (also in Hymns & Scenes, 1842), were given under the signature "M. L." Her Paraphrases and Hymns for Congregational Singing (most of " which were re-written from the Scottish Translations and Paraphrases (q.v.), 1781) were published by Wertheimer & Co., London, in 1853. In the Irvingite Hymns for the Use of the Churches, 1864, there are five of her original hymns and four of her translations from the Latin under the signature of "J. E. L.; "and most of these were repeated in the 2nd edition, 1871. In addition Miss Leeson is the author of several other works, including The Christian Child's Book, 1848, The Child's Book of Ballads, 1849, Songs of Christian Chivalry, 1848, Margaret, a Poem, 1850, The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy, and others. Her hymns in common use include:— 1. A little child may know. God's love of little Children. In Hymns & Scenes of Childhood, 1842, No. 20, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines. 2. Dear Saviour, to Thy little lambs. For Purity. In Hymns & Scenes of Childhood, 1842, No. 19, in 4 stanzas of 8 lines. 3. Father, I [we] love Thy house of prayer. Public Worship. In Hymns & Scenes of Childhood, 1842, No. 76, in 3 stanzas of 12 lines. It is usually abbreviated. 4. Have ye counted the cost? Soldiers of the Cross . In Songs of Christian Chivalry, 1848, p. 8, in 10 stanzas of 9 lines. Usually abbreviated as in the Enlarged London Hymn Book, 1873. 5. In the dark and silent night. Confidence. In The Christian Child's Book, 1848, in 3 stanzas of 3 lines, with the refrain, "Hallelujah." It is in the Irish Church Hymnal , 1873, and other collections. 6. Jesus Christ, my Lord and King. Child's Praise of Christ. In Hymns & Scenes of Childhood, 1842, No. 18, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines. 7. King of Saints and King of glory. All Saints . In her Paraphrases & Hymns, 1853, p. 84, in 2 stanzas of 8 lines. 8. Saviour, teach me day by day. Obedience. In Hymns & Scenes of Childhood, 1842, No. 49, in 4 stanzas of 8 lines. In several hymn-books in Great Britain and America. 9. Songs of glory fill the sky. Christmas. In the Irvingite Hymns for the Use of the Churches, 1864, No. 21, in 3 stanzas of 8 lines, with the refrain "Hail! Lord Jesu." 10. Stand we prepared to see and hear. Advent. In the Irvingite Hymns for the Use of the Churches, 1864, No. 173, in 4 stanzas of 8 lines. Written in 1800. 11. Sweet the lesson Jesus taught. Christ blessing little Children. In Hymns & Scenes of Childhood, 1842, No. 1, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines. 12. Wake the song, 0 Zion's daughter. A cento of much excellence, which see. 13. Wake, ye saints, the song of triumph. Ascension . Written in 1861, and published in the Irvingite Hymns for the Use of the Churches, 1864, No. 60, in 4 stanzas of 6 lines, with the refrain "Hallelujah." In stanza ii., lines 3, 4, and 6 are from C. Wesley's "Hail the day that sees Him rise." Miss Leeson's most popular hymn, “Loving Shepherd of Thy Sheep," and her translations from the Latin are noted elsewhere in this work. Of Miss Leeson's personal history we can gather nothing. Born 1807; died 1882. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Frederick Oakeley

1802 - 1880 Person Name: Canon Oakeley Hymnal Number: 141 Author of "Praise we our God with joy" in The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book. Singers' ed., Melody ed. Frederic Oakeley graduated M.A. at Oxford, and took Orders in the Church of England. He became Prebendary of Lichfield Cathedral, preacher at Whitehall, and incumbent of Margaret Chapel, London. He was active in the "Oxford Movement," and in 1845, called attention to his views for the purpose of seeing if he could continue to hold an Oxford degree, with so great a change in his opinions. The question was tried, and he was perpetually suspended unless he retracted. He then resigned his positions in the Church of England, and entered the Church of Rome, in which he became a Priest, and Canon of the diocese of Westminster. His publications are numerous, and some of them have considerable value. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872 ================= Oakeley, Frederick, D.D., youngest son of Sir Charles Oakeley, Bart., sometime Governor of Madras, was born at Shrewsbury, Sept. 5, 1802, and educated at Christ Church, Oxford (B.A. 1824). In 1825 he gained a University prize for a Latin Essay; and in 1827 he was elected a Fellow of Balliol. Taking Holy Orders, he was a Prebendary of Lichfield Cathedral, 1832; Preacher at Whitehall, 1837; and Minister of Margaret Chapel, Margaret Street, London, 1839. In 1845 he resigned all his appointments in the Church of England, and was received into the Roman Communion. Subsequently he became a Canon of the Pro-Cathedral in the Roman Catholic ecclesiastical district of Westminster. He died January 29, 1880. Miller (Singers and Songs of the Church, 1869, p. 497), writing from information supplied to him by Canon Oakeley, says:— ”He traces the beginning of his change of view to the lectures of Dr. Charles Lloyd, Regius Professor, delivered at Oxford about the year 1827, on the 'History and Structure of the Anglican Prayer Book.' About that time a great demand arose at Oxford for Missals and Breviaries, and Canon Oakeley, sympathising with the movement, co-operated with the London booksellers in meeting that demand.....He promoted the [Oxford] movement, and continued to move with it till, in 1845, he thought it right to draw attention to his views, to gee if he could continue to hold an Oxford degree in conjunction with so great a change in opinion. The question having been raised, proceedings were taken against him in the Court of Arches, and a sentence given that he was perpetually suspended unless he retracted. He then resigned his Prebendal stall at Lichfield, and went over to the Church of Rome." Canon Oakeley's poetical works included:— (1) Devotions Commemorative of the Most Adorable Passion of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 1842; (2) The Catholic Florist; (3) The Youthful Martyrs of Rome, a Christian Drama, 1856; (4) Lyra Liturgica; Reflections in Verse for Holy Days and Seasons, 1865. Canon Oakeley also published several prose works, including a translation of J. M. Horst's Paradise of the Christian Soul, London, Burns, 1850. He is widely known through his translation of the “Adeste fideles.” Several of his original hymns are also in Roman Catholic collections. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Jean Tisserand

? - 1494 Person Name: Jean Tisserand (d. 1494) Hymnal Number: 195 Author of "Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia" in The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book. Singers' ed., Melody ed. Died: 1494, Paris, France. A Franciscan monk, Tisserand founded an order for penitent women. He is also said to have written a worship service commemorating Franciscans martyred in Morocco in 1220. Lyrics: O FILII ET FILIAE, Rex coelestis, Rex gloriae O Sons and Daughters, Let Us Sing! Young Men and Maids, Rejoice and Sing www.hymntime.com/tch

Heinrich Isaac

1450 - 1517 Person Name: Heinrich Isaak, 1493-1531 Hymnal Number: 228a Composer of "[O esca viatorum]" in The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book. Singers' ed., Melody ed. Heinrich Isaac; b. about 1450, Germany; organist in Florence, Italy; supposed to have died there abour 1517 Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal, 1908

E. Vaughan

1827 - 1908 Person Name: Rev. E. Vaughan Hymnal Number: 134 Author of "Jesus, Lord, I ask for mercy" in The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book. Singers' ed., Melody ed. Vaughan, Edmund, C.SS.R., was born Nov. 26, 1827, at Courtfield, Ross, Hereford, and is now (1906) one of the clergy of Our Lady of the Annunciation, Bishop Eton, Wavertree, Lanes. He is the author of all (except No. 21, “Mary sings, the ravish'd heavens," which is by T. E. Bridgett) of the translations from S. Alfonso Maria de' Liguori, which were edited by Bp. Coffin in 1863 (see pp. 242, i.; 1577, i.). He is also the author of the following original hymns[died July 1, 1908]:— 1. God of mercy and compassion. Repentance. 2. Happy we, who thus united. The Holy Family. 3. Hark ! angelic songs resounding. St. Alfonso. 4. Holy Spirit! Fount of wisdom. Whitsuntide. 5. Let those who seek the world to please. The Holy Family. 6. Yes, heaven is the prize. Heaven. Of these Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 appeared in Hymns for the Confraternity of the Holy Family, 1854, in Hymns for the Year, 1867, and others ; while No. 4 is in the 1885 C.SS.R. Appendix to the Hymns for the Year, No. 336. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

Adam, de Saint-Victor

1100 - 1146 Person Name: Adam of St. Victor Hymnal Number: 37 Author of "Spirit of grace and Union!" in The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book. Singers' ed., Melody ed. Adam of St. Victor. Of the life of this, the most prominent and prolific of the Latin hymnists of the Middle Ages, very little is known. It is even uncertain whether he was an Englishman or a Frenchman by birth. He is described by the writers nearest to his own epoch, as Brito, which may indicate a native of either Britain, or Brittany. All that is certainly known concerning him is, that about A.D. 1130, after having been educated at Paris, he became, as quite a young man, a monk in the Abbey of St. Victor, then in the suburbs, but afterwards through the growth of that city, included within the walls of Paris itself. In this abbey, which, especially at that period, was celebrated as a school of theology, he passed the whole of the rest of his life, and in it he died, somewhere between the years 1172 and 1192 A.D. Possessed of "the pen of a ready writer," he seems to have occupied his life in study and authorship. Numerous as are the hymns and sequences satisfactorily proved to have been written by him, which have come down to us, there would seem to be little doubt that many more may have perished altogether, or are extant 'without his name attaching to them; while he was probably the author of several prose works as well. His Sequences remained in MS. in the care and custody of the monks of their author's Abbey, until the dissolution of that religious foundation at the Revolution; but some 37 of them, having found their way by degrees into more general circulation, were pub. by Clichtoveus, a Roman Catholic theologian of the first half of the 16th cent, in his Elucidatorium Ecclesiasticum, which passed through several editions from 1516 to 1556, at Paris, Basel and Geneva. Of the rest of the 106 Hymns and Sequences that we possess of Adam's, the largest part—some 47 remaining unpublished—were removed to the National Library in the Louvre at Paris, on the destruction of the Abbey. There they were discovered by M. Leon Gautier, the editor of the first complete edition of them, Paris, 1858. The subjects treated of in Adam's Hymns and Sequences may be divided thus :— Christmas, 7; Circumcision, 1; Easter, 6; Ascension, 1; Pentecost, 5; Trinity, 2; the Dedication of a Church, 4; Blessed Virgin Mary, 17; Festivals of Saints, 53; The Invention of the Cross, 1; The Exaltation of the Cross, 1; On the Apostles, 3; Evangelists, 2; Transfiguration, 2. Although all Adam of St. Victor's Sequences were evidently written for use in the services of his church, and were, doubtless, so used in his own Abbey, it is quite uncertain how many, if any, of them were used generally in the Latin Church. To the lover of Latin hymns the works of this author should not be unknown, and probably are not; but they are far less generally known than the writings should be of one whom such an authority as Archbishop Trench describes as " the foremost among the sacred Latin poets of the Middle Ages." His principal merits may be described as comprising terseness and felicity of expression; deep and accurate knowledge of Scripture, especially its typology; smoothness of versification; richness of rhyme, accumulating gradually as he nears the conclusion of a Sequence; and a spirit of devotion breathing throughout his work, that assures the reader that his work is "a labour of love." An occasional excess of alliteration, which however at other times he uses with great effect, and a disposition to overmuch "playing upon words," amounting sometimes to "punning," together with a delight in heaping up types one upon another, till, at times, he succeeds in obscuring his meaning, are the chief defects to be set against the many merits of his style. Amongst the most beautiful of his productions may be mentioned, perhaps, his Jucundare plebs fidelis; Verbi vere substantivi; Potestate non natura; Stola regni laureatus; Heri mundus exultavit; LaudeB cruets attollamus (Neale considers this "perhaps, his masterpiece "); Aye, Virgo singularis; Salve, Mater Salvatoris; Animemur ad agonem; and Vox sonora nostri chori. Where almost all are beautiful, it is difficult, and almost invidious, to make a selection. Of his Hymns and Sequences the following editions, extracts, and translations have been published:— i. Original with Translations: (1) (Euvres Poetiques d’ Adam de S.-Victor. Pat L. Gautier, Paris, 1858. It is in two vols. duodecimo, and contains, besides a memoir of Adam of St. Victor, and an exhaustive essay upon his writings, a 15th cent. tr. into French of some 46 of the sequences, and full notes upon the whole series of them. (2) The Liturgical Poetry of Adam of St. Victor, from the text of Gautier, with trs. into English in the original metres, and short explanatory notes by Digby S. Wrangham, M.A., St. John's Coll., Oxford, Vicar of Darrington, Yorkshire, 3 vols. Lond., Kegan Paul, 1881. (3) In addition to these complete eds., numerous specimens from the originals are found in Daniel, Mone, Konigsfeld, Trench, Loftie's Latin Year, Dom. Gueranger's Annee Liturgique, &c. ii. Translations:— (1) As stated before, 46 of the Sequences are given by Gautier in a French tr. of the 15th cent. (2) In English we have translations of the whole series by Digby S. Wrangham in his work as above; 11 by Dr. Neale in Med. Hymns: 15, more freely, by D. T. Morgan in his Hymns and other Poetry of the Latin Church; and one or more by Mrs. Charles, Mrs. Chester, C. S. Calverley, and the Revs. C. B. Pearson, E. A. Dayman, E. Caswall, R. F. Littledale, and Dean Plumptre. Prose translation are also given in the Rev. Dom Laurence Shepherd's translation into English of Dom Gueranger's works. iii. English Use:— From the general character of their metrical construction, it has not been possible to any great extent to utilise these very beautiful compositions in the services of the Anglican Church. The following, however, are from Adam of St. Victor, and are fully annotated in this work:— (1) in Hynms Ancient & Modern, Nos. 64 and 434 (partly) ; (2) in the Hymnary, Nos. 270, 273, 324, 380, 382, 403, 418; (3) in the People's Hymnal 215, 277, 304 ; and (4) in Skinner's Daily Service Hymnal, 236. -John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ==================== Adam of St. Victor. A second and greatly improved edition of his Œuvres Poetiques by L. Gautier was published at Paris in 1881. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

Francis Stanfield

1835 - 1914 Person Name: Father Stanfield Hymnal Number: 124 Author of "Hear Thy children, gentle Jesus" in The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book. Singers' ed., Melody ed. Stanfield, Francis, s. of Clarkson Stanfield the artist, was b. in London Nov. 5, 1836 [sic. 1835], and educated at St. Edmund's College, near Ware. Since his ordination he has principally been engaged in conducting missions and retreats, but he was for some time stationed at Hertford, and has been lately priest in charge at Old Hall Green, Herts. A collected edition of his hymns is being issued by the Benedictine Fathers at Ramsgate. They include:— i. From his Catholic Hymns, pt. i. 1858, ii. 1860:— 1. All hail, bright feast of jubilation. All Saints. 2. All ye who love your fatherland. Prayer for England. 3. Drear is the nightfall. B. V. M. 4. Hail, Virgin Queen of May's bright gladdening hours. May. 5. Hear thy children, gentlest mother. B. V. M. 6. O Sacred Heart, all blissful light of Heaven. Sacred Heart. 7. Sweet Jesus! Thou a haven art. Sacred Heart. 8. Sweet Sacrament divine. Holy Communion. 9. There is a land of peace and love. Heaven. ii. In the Holy Family Hymns, 1860 :— 10. Bright Queen of Heaven, Virgin most fair. B.V.M. 11. Hail, feast of deep celestial joy. All Saints. 12. Hear Thy children, gentle Jesus. Evening. Also in the People's Hymnal, 1867, and others. In the Supplement to the New Congregational Hymn Book, 1874, it begins "Hear Thy children, Heavenly Father." 13. O Sacred Heart, our home lies deep in Thee. Sacred Heart. iii. In the St. Patrick's Hymn Book, 1862 :— 14. At hour of silent midnight. Christmas. 15. O Mother, welcome is the feast. Immaculate Conception. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)