Welcome: To go directly to music and recordings select HYMNS tab.
The Roman Catholic Church has a rich tradition of hymns and other devotional chants that have been used for centuries at Feast Days and the Liturgy of the Hours. Many recent hymnals retained a few hymns (e.g., Adoro te Devote, Ave Maria) in either Latin or translated versions; therefore, some hymns continue to be sung in the liturgy. Many beautiful hymns have gradually been forgotten, yet are sung in monasteries and fondly remembered by older generations.
A renewed interest in chant has been followed by an increase in teaching of chant hymns to choirs and congregations. Contributors to this website are schola directors who are riding this wave of enthusiasm. We have benefitted from and are grateful to others who created websites with free music and audio downloads especially for the Mass Ordinaries and Propers. When teaching, we observed that choristers were very interested in and easily learned hymns, but we also noted a lack of easily accessible free downloads. We also learned that recordings are a very effective way of teachig both choristers and the congregation.
Recordings are the modern conveyance of an aural tradition. Hymns that may seem unattainable upon a quick glance at a score, can easily be taught to adults and children. Individuals with minimal music training are very capable of learning challenging hymns. In one example, we taught "Te saeculorum principem" (Vesper hymn for the Feast of Christ the King) to a volunteer choir. This hymn became a first step for many who (a) realized that they could learn new music, (b) became aware of the existence of many beautiful Catholic hymns, and (c) were introduced though these hymns to the Liturgy of the Hours.
This website focuses primarily on hymns and devotional chants. It serves as an educational tool for all ages and purposes (e.g., teaching individuals, choirs, parishioners, or for listening pleasure).
Please enjoy this website. If you have any questions, send email to:
DONATIONS: This website was developed by volunteers and made possible by the generosity of listed contributors. If you benefit from this effort and would like to express your gratitude, we suggest that you contact and make a donation to one or all the Abbeys listed. We also encourage you to visit these Abbeys.
Every effort has been made to obtain permissions for all sheet music and audio recordings, and/or use sheet music in public domain.