Full in the panting heart of Rome

[John Ainslie]

Just received by email:

PRESS RELEASE

New Hymn for Pope Benedict XVI - offered FREE OF CHARGE

When Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005, two journalist friends (Joanna Bogle and Fiorella Nash) felt that it seemed all wrong that there was no hymn that could be sung.

“The Wiseman hymn Full in the panting heart of Rome is stirring stuff in its way”, said Joanna Bogle, “but we wanted something that spoke about the Pope as Peter’s successor, as guardian of the truths of the Faith, something that would really lift our hearts.”

So Joanna and Fiorella set about producing an updated version, using the first line of the original hymn only (Full in the panting heart of Rome) – and taking up the theme of Catholics in Rome and worldwide praying for the Pope. Catholic musician Jeremy de Satgé then produced a new tune for the new hymn.

Since 2005 the hymn has been sung annually at Holy Ghost Catholic Church Balham (South London), where Jeremy is Director of Music, on the closest Sunday to 29th June (Feast of Ss Peter & Paul).

With the forthcoming Papal Visit to the UK and all the current horrors in the press, it seems more appropriate than ever that we pray earnestly for the Holy Father – and what better way to pray than by singing! The authors have therefore slightly revised the words and are making it available FREE OF CHARGE for anyone wishing to perform it. It is also hoped that the hymn might be especially sung before, during and after the Papal Visit this autumn.

“It’s easy to sing, and ideal for parishes, youth groups, large or small gatherings, or schools” said Jeremy.

For those interested in the hymn, full details may be found at http://www.themusicmakers.org, including downloadable melody and harmony copies. Visitors to the site may also listen to the tune in mp3 format.

April 2010
Joanna Bogle, Fiorella Nash & Jeremy de Satgé

The Music Makers
Tel 020 7207 5501
http://www.themusicmakers.org

[musicus]

It's a nice idea, but this very traditional tune is very poorly harmonised:

bar 2/beat 1: consecutive 5ths between T & A ("passing notes do not get you out of consecutives, but they can get you into them");
bar 2/beat 4 -> bar 2/beat 1 -> bar 2/beat 2: three second inversions in a row, all approached and quitted incorrectly;
bar 8/beat 3: another (incomplete) second inversion, quitted badly;
bar 10/beat 1: doubled third (easily avoided);
bar 10/beat 3: yet another second inversion, approached badly;
bar 11/beat 1: doubled third (also easily avoided);
bar 12/beat 1: another doubled third (assuming chord I - but no root);
bar 12/beat 4: another second inversion;
bar 15/beat 3 -> beat 4: consecutive fifths between T & B;
bar 15/beat 4 -> bar 16/beat 1: consecutive unisons between A & T.

The aural result (which is the important thing) is unconvincing and rather 'wobbly'. Alas, copyright considerations prevent me from suggesting a more correct and (to my ears) more musical version.

[Southern Comfort]

It's a nice idea, but this very traditional tune is very poorly harmonised:

I assume we're looking at the same thing: de Satgé's new tune (Holy Ghost Balham), not traditional ? I found even more faults with it than you did!

bar 2/beat 1: consecutive 5ths between T & A ("passing notes do not get you out of consecutives, but they can get you into them");

Actually between S and T, but you are right about the passing notes.

bar 2/beat 4 -> bar 2/beat 1 -> bar 2/beat 2: three second inversions in a row, all approached and quitted incorrectly;

(I think you mean bar 1/beat 4.)

And even worse, bar 3/beats 1-3: horrible consecutive 5ths between S and B for three whole beats;
bar 6/beats 2-3: consecutive 5ths between S and A;
bar 7/beat 2: very strange chord results from B flat, C, D, G on the half-beat

bar 8/beat 3: another (incomplete) second inversion, quitted badly;

bar 8/beat 4: a chord with no 3rd in it at all;
bar 9/beat 2: doubling the bass of a 1st inversion (again)

bar 10/beat 1: doubled third (easily avoided);
bar 10/beat 3: yet another second inversion, approached badly;
bar 11/beat 1: doubled third (also easily avoided);
bar 12/beat 1: another doubled third (assuming chord I - but no root);
bar 12/beat 4: another second inversion;

bar 14/beat 3: another second inversion;

bar 15/beat 3 -> beat 4: consecutive fifths between T & B;
bar 15/beat 4 -> bar 16/beat 1: consecutive unisons between A & T.

The aural result (which is the important thing) is unconvincing and rather 'wobbly'. Alas, copyright considerations prevent me from suggesting a more correct and (to my ears) more musical version.

Probably no one will sing this tune anyway, preferring the traditional "Wiseman" tune. But, like you, I'm very surprised that de Satgé, who claims to be a trained musician and whose work so far seems to be well-crafted (if liturgically inappropriate), should have slipped so far down the "Go back and do it again, or you'll never pass Grade V Theory" path. Maybe he just can't do 4-part harmony.

[musicus]

(I think you mean bar 1/beat 4.)

Sorry about the confusion with the bar numbers. I wanted to number the first full bar as 1 (after the anacrusis) but the score has bar numbers and counts the anacrusis as 1. I got confused!

[musicus]

And even worse, bar 3/beats 1-3: horrible consecutive 5ths between S and B for three whole beats;

I didn't count those, 'cos the second one is diminished (which sort of lets him off) - but they do sound horrible.

[musicus]

I assume we're looking at the same thing: de Satgé's new tune (Holy Ghost Balham), not traditional ?

Yes, that's the one. I meant 'very traditional in style', by the way - whatever that means!

[Southern Comfort]

Another thing: it's not clear from the PDF what the wording of the refrain is.

I'm assuming they mean
God bless our Pope x 3 followed by God bless our Church, which is slightly awkward.

Or perhaps it's God bless our Pope, God bless our Church, God bless our Pope, the great, the good.

And why anyone would want to perpetuate the words "Full in the panting heart of Rome" (which is, admittedly, true if you're there in high summer heat) is beyond me. They could have gone for something like "Within the joyful heart of Rome", 'joy' being a word noticeably lacking in the new text.

[gwyn]

Indeed. The word "panting" has always set me wondering. A panting heart is a peculiar metal image at best. I've sort of assumed that it is the Breath of the Spirit, but even that doesn't completely work. Hmm...

[Gabriel]

While noting all the errors listed above I suspect that de Satge is more a singer than an organist. My impression is that he has attempted to write singable ATB from which the harmony is a consequence. The singability of the melody means there is a (unconcious) reference to Conditor alme siderum (Creator of the stars of night) in the second and third phrases.

Less it seem that all this sour grapes it is worth adding to Musicus' comment. A 'traditional-style' hymn tune sets up an expectation of a competent traditional style harmonisation. This poor harmonisation means that the aural experience is weak and unconvincing. One might even paraphrase: good harmony nourishes melodies; poor harmony weakens them!

[Lakelark]

I think you may find that "panting" was, a century ago, one equivalent of our contemporary "exciting". I can't imagine anyone disagreeing that Rome is an exciting city. Travel on the 64 bus from Termini Station to San Pietro, and you certainly find the buzz increasing all the way. Whether that is what we want to sing about in the liturgy these days is another matter altogether. To me, it's on a par with those (apocryphal) outbursts of "God bless the Holy Trinity, and up with the Blessed Sacrament!"

[nazard]

While "panting heart" does show a total misunderstanding of anatomy, it does have a certain poetic resonance about it. I get its meaning in spite of its being nonsense. I think it was the Pirate King who asked "What is life without a bit of poetry in it?"

The main point that strikes me about this tune is that it isn't very tuneful. Enough nits have been picked from the harmony already, but when I played the tune without the harmony it seemed to me that it wanted to modulate into the dominant in bar 5, ie a B natural sounds better. Play it with the harmony and it just seems lost altogether. I feel that the harmony is just meandering without any sort of scheme to it, a bit like the tune really.

I like the new words, except for the chorus. Since nit picking seems to be the order of the day, I think in verse 1, "the pilgrim's and the stranger's home" should read "the pilgrims' and the strangers' home."

[musicus]

Lest it seem that all this [is] sour grapes it is worth adding to Musicus' comment. A 'traditional-style' hymn tune sets up an expectation of a competent traditional style harmonisation. This poor harmonisation means that the aural experience is weak and unconvincing. One might even paraphrase: good harmony nourishes melodies; poor harmony weakens them!

Quite so, Gabriel. I was keeping that argument in reserve in case anyone thought I was being pedantic.

[Southern Comfort]

One might even paraphrase: good harmony nourishes melodies; poor harmony weakens them!

That is very good!

[Southern Comfort]

in case anyone thought I was being pedantic.

It's usually I who am tarred with that particular brush — I think you're quite safe.

[Gabriel]

I am aware that many good hymn texts which are happily sung by many do necessarily not read well. Rhythm and rhyme, which can help the sung line, can make them sound like doggerel when read.
So as a sung text I would note that the phrase 'Peter's successor asks' has a high sibilant rate.

Again it is worth having a guess about the author's intentions. They have jettisoned all of Wiseman's hymn except the first line. I am sure neither the authors or the composer would think of themselves as modernisers or wishing to provide something more relevant - but that, in effect, is the result. The purpose of the hymn is a prayer for the Pope and in a similar way to the Missal texts for the Pope they make the link with St Peter. But unlike the Missal texts there is no scriptural imagery here. A quick look at the Stanbrook Abbey hymn for St Peter and St Paul in Laudate - suggests they at least missed out on the rock/flock rhyme!

The one other thing I would note is the spatial imagery: Rome, there, every land, every age and place, where Peter is. No mention of 'here and now' - given the purpose I would have expected to see a last line of a verse go something like: 'Our voices join with theirs:'.

It is obviously inspiring the pedant in us!