The first principle of the Ordinariate is then about Christian unity. St. Basil the Great, the Church’s greatest ecumenist, literally expended his life on the work of building bridges between orthodox brethren who shared a common faith, but who had become separated from one another in a Church badly fragmented by heresy and controversy. He taught that the work of Christian unity requires deliberate and ceaseless effort...St. Basil often talked with yearning about the archaia agape, the ancient love of the apostolic community, so rarely seen in the Church of his day. This love, he taught, is a visible sign that the Holy Spirit is indeed present and active, and it is absolutely essential for the health of the Church.

- Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson, Homily on the Occasion of his Formal Institution as Ordinary

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Oh, the Coverdale Psalter...

Another entry from Mr. Uher, and my commentary.
Everyone says they love the Coverdale Psalter, the grace of its language, its majestic tone. Most people have never used Coverdale's Psalter exactly as he wrote it, but rather we have worshipped with it via various recensions and twigglings over the years.

The American recension of 1928 is to my mind one of the very best. It does have single problems with the elimination of the word "Satan". A closer reading of the Vulgate and Septuaginta also has suggested worthy corrections.

Currently, the best version I have encountered is in The St. Dunstan's Plainsong Psalter published by Lancelot Andrewes Press -- a press of the Western Rite Orthodox who are also of the Anglican Patrimony, my friends. Frankly, I recommend the adoption of this Plainsong Psalter as it is. It is a wise revised edition of Canon Douglas' great Plainsong Psalter. It includes Sarum tones and other ancient British tones. Its version of the Coverdale Psalter restores some things got wrong in the American 1928 recension, and it makes other slight alterations that make the text sing doubly in the mouth of a worshipper.

This press, Lancelot Andrewes Press, is one of the reasons to cheer among the Anglican diaspora. They have brought Dr. Neale's commentary on the psalter back into print. Deo gratias! They have published a gorgeous Western Orthodox edition of The Book of Common Prayer. They have made Lancelot Andrewes great prayers available in a beautiful edition. And the version of the Rule of St. Benedict in Latin and English sold by them is the one I use...

Read the rest of Mr. Uher's post at Tonus Peregrinus

I want to second Mr. Uher's recommendation of the St. Dunstan Plainsong Psalter. I have been using this for my personal singing of the office for about 2 years now, and included it for illustration in my lectures on Gregorian and Anglican chant at the summer sessions at Thomas More College in 2010 and 2011. I have a hard cover version, but there is also a soft cover version (not a paperback) now available as well. The notes are also quite valuable.

In a future Office Book for the Ordinariates, it would be good if this noted psalter could be included.

In addition to the Coverdale Psalter, the SDPP also has several settings of the Benedictus, Te Deum, Magnificat, Nunc Dimmittis and other canticles appointed in the Prayer Book that can be used to good effect in a sung Office. See below for an example.




3 comments:

  1. Saint Dunstan's Plainsong Psalter is quite beautiful but I wish they had the softcover printed with gold edges.
    Anyway, I have seen Mr. Uher post more items on his blog (http://tonusperegrinus.blogspot.com/) in June than he posted the whole previous year up until this month. Some of his posts show a man deeply hurt as seen by the one over on the Anglo-Catholic blog 6 -13 - 2012.
    http://www.theanglocatholic.com/2012/06/giving-up-on-the-ordinariate/

    Now his posts have been on a variety of subjects but his ones on the American Ordinariate and Anglican Patrimony are the ones most revealing. In a more recent one he talks about the naming of the Ordinariate as being so inappropriate to the U.S. (and Canada) in 'A Question of Collaboration'. I cannot in truth disagree with him but the one thing that stands out to me was the final statement:
    "How much more appropriate would the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Atonement under the patronage of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton be in comparison to what was chosen. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was of course a convert from the Episcopal Church, and it is her major relic that is in the High Altar of the gorgeous Our Lady of Walsingham Church in Houston, Texas which over many years was my home parish."

    "... ...which over many years was my home parish."

    So, Mr. Uher a long time supporter and defender of the Anglican Use and especially the parish of Our Lady of Walsingham has now abandoned the Anglican Use and the Ordinariates because things have not gone his way. How so very sad.

    So, Mr. Vincent Uher where do you go from here:
    http://fssphouston.org/

    or perhaps: SSPX - http://www.sspx.org/chapel_news/dickinson_tx-8-7-2011/dickinson_tx-8-7-2011.htm

    or even: Western Rite Orthodox - http://www.stpaulsorthodox.org/

    Since his blog doesn't allow comments and there is no e-mail address One may presume that these issues are not open for discussion.

    Have you left the Catholic Church as well Mr. Uher?

    Enquiring minds want to know!

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  2. I don't think Mr Uher left the parish of Our Lady of Walsingham for such reasons. He was quite ill for a long time, and I think that explains why his posting was relatively scant for the past couple of years. I did read in his posts that he describes himself as a hermit, and he may well live a too great a distance from Houston for regular visits at this point.

    I think that it is always best to make the most charitable assumptions. In fact, one of the reasons I have quoted several of Mr. Uher's posts is because I think that the two that have been reposted to the Anglo-Catholic blog (and much discussed they have been) should be seen in their context. It is not a context that can be truthfully described as being by someone who "has now abandoned the Anglican Use and the Ordinariates".

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    Replies
    1. Well, I read them differently based on his own wording. Maybe you should go back and reread them. He sounds betrayed and angry. If I'm wrong then I'm wrong. He obviously doesn't want to clarify his statements.

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