Help! Has anyone got the music of...

[John Ainslie]

...'O Sacred Heart! what shall I render thee / For all the gifts thou hast bestowed on me' ?

Required by Sister Pauline Clarke to play at the Golden Jubilees of two nuns - this Saturday and she has only just been given the programme!

The first line goes E_ E E | G__ C | C B, B, D | F__ .

It's not to be confused with 'O Sacred Heart! My home lies deep in thee' and it's not in either Westminster Hymnal.

Answers if any prontissimo, please.

[docmattc]

You'll find the sheet music at the end of this link but it may not be the tune you describe.
http://www.catholictradition.org/Two-Hearts/hymn29.htm

[musicus]

Hmm. I reckon it is the same tune, you know. John's alphabetic notation has sanitized the grisly chromatic on the second note, but it is otherwise the same.

And what about the picture at the head of that webpage? (shivers)

[Southern Comfort]

This is certainly the version I remember singing in my long-distant childhood. But without the picture (brrrrr!) And it might be better in D flat (or even C) than D, to allow for the highest note in the refrain.

[musicus]

For more pictures and other such rot, click the 'BACK TO THE SACRED HEART' link at the bottom of that page.

[mcb]

...'O Sacred Heart! what shall I render thee / For all the gifts thou hast bestowed on me' ?

I went to the Sacred Heart primary school in your neck of the woods, John, and I remember the song from those days. We sang that I may love thee for the refrain instead of then I will love thee, though.

[quaeritor]

We sang that I may love thee for the refrain instead of then I will love thee, though.

That's the one! - but as I remember it the refrain was "that I may love thee" until the last verse when it became "Then will I love thee" (the reversal of "I will" is intentional - that's how I remember it.)

It was mostly played/sung from the folk memory, but I think it did occur in a rather unofficial-looking publication entitled "The ***** Hymn Book" where ***** was the name of a religious order ("The Redemptorist Hymn Book? . . perhaps) - something between A4 and A5, quite slim, and stapled, with a light blue "pastel paper" cover - could have been "The Notre Dame Hymn Book", because it was the right shade of light blue to match the colour of the local Notre Dame school, but I think I would have remembered that because of family connections. It had several other treasures not found elsewhere, including "Sweet Heart of Jesus". Anybody know what the proper title was?

Q

[keitha]

It was published in 'Hymns for Catholic schools' (pale blue cover) published by Burns & Oates and 'Authorised by the Catholic Teachers' Federation of England & Wales'! I have the accompaniment volume, but there is no publication date, and the refrain is 'Then I will love thee..' in each verse. It is in E flat. The tune is the same as the above link, but the second verse begins 'O Heart whose reign began upon the Tree'.

My primary school was Sacred Heart, Stopsley, Luton and, in the early years of the school the teaching staff consisted largely of Sisters of the Sacred Heart (St Jacut) under the leadership of the late (and much loved) Sister Columba (who once made the fatal error of telling me that I could not play the organ because my legs weren't long enough to reach the pedals, and I have been playing ever since!). It was sung every week at the Sunday school mass as the school hymn. I mention the verses in case the sisters in question may be more familiar with the version I have, and will scan a copy tomorrow as my home scanner is broken.

[Nick Baty]

(Only slightly OT, Mr Bear.)

I also went to a Sacred Heart School (and church) where we sang a hymn of which I can only remember the last two lines, "Sacred Heart bless every minute, all through the night" – and which, from memory of that snippet only, sounded like "Men of Harlech". Any ideas?

[quaeritor]

. . . sounded like "Men of Harlech".

Surely "All through the night"? - the quoted words wouldn't fit Men of H

Q

[johnquinn39]

For more pictures and other such rot, click the 'BACK TO THE SACRED HEART' link at the bottom of that page.

Is it a bit harsh to dismiss this as 'rot'? There is a need for devotions (obviously not in the Mass), and some of this sort of stuff was written by and sung by the Saints of the Church.

I think that there is a need for popular devotions - the prolification of Evangelical choruses shows that people like this sort of thing.

[John Ainslie]

Many thanks to all contributors.

I did chuckle at the 'BACK TO THE SACRED HEART' hyperlink on docmattc's script - and try clicking it for an even more romantic picture of Same. Not my style - I'll say no more.

[lesley wright]

"Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills" - what on earth is that about? As a convert of many years' standing, I'd say that's the sort of thing that gives the Roman Catholic church a bad name. And my parish is dedicated to the Sacred Heart too.

[Lakelark]

"Desire of the everlasting hills" - could this be connected with the promise of blessing referred to in Genesis 49:26? There is at least a chance that this is so, which would give this obscure quote a biblical precedent. OK, it remains obscure, and therefore of doubtful value. And it represents a form of biblical interpretation which is dead and buried. But it isn't simply obscurantism.

[docmattc]

Welcome to the forum Lakelark.

There are lots of texts that really would benefit from an explanation to move them from obscure and unintelligible to (maybe still obscure and) quite meaningful. See the thread Words we don't quite get for more examples.