Introduction to
Latin Hymnody


Hymnody of the Western (Latin) Church to ca. 1550

The earliest Christian hymns are of two types:

  • certain passages of scripture which are thought by scholars to be liturgical hymns (see Early Hymnody)
  • "extra-Biblical" hymns which have remained in use in either the Eastern (Greek) or Western (Roman Catholic) church

The earliest extra-Biblical hymns were in Greek but are known in the West today because they were translated into Latin sometime before c. 300 C.E. and incorporated into the the early Latin (Roman Catholic) liturgy

Other early Latin hymns (before c. 400 C.E.) were original to the Western Church and are modeled after the Biblical hymns and early Greek hymns. They are doctrinal and credal in form and content:

The earliest known writer of Latin hymns was Bishop Hilary of Poitiers ( c. 310 - 366). However, none of his hymns survive into modern usage.

The earliest writer of Latin hymns whose hymns survive into modern usage is Bishop Ambrose of Milan (c. 340 - 397). Ambrose is known for:

1. creating the first METRICAL hymns (8.8.8.8).
2. putting hymns to existing popular melodies (marching songs of the Roman soldiers).
3. Ambrose's best known hymn is O Lux Beatus Trinitas (O light, O blessed Trinity).
4. Ambrose wrote hymns to counteract heresy, particularly Arianism.
5. In the Roman Catholic tradition most early metrical hymns are known as "Ambrosiana."

Many of the early Latin hymns which are in use today and appear in modern hymnals are English translations of hymns used iin the Roman Catholic liturgy known as the Divine Office (liturgy of the Hours).

Of the Father's love begotten - Prudentius (348 - 413) UMH 184
The royal banners forward go - Fortunatus (c. 530 - 609)
Welcome happy morning - Fortunatus (c. 530 - 609)
All glory, laud, and honor - Theodulph of Orleans (c. 760 - 821) UMH 280
Veni, Creator Spiritus - Rabanus Marus (776 - 865) UMH 651
Jesus, thou joy of loving hearts - Bernard of Clairvaux (1091 - 1153)
Jesus, the very thought of thee - Bernard of Clairvaux (1091 - 1153) UMH 175
Jerusalem the golden - Bernard of Cluny (died c. 1150)
Humbly I adore thee - Thomas Acquinas (c. 1227 - 1274)
Come down, O love divine - Jacopone da Todi (1230 - 1306) UMH 475
All creatures of our God and king - Francis of Assis (1182 - 1226) UMH 62
O sons and daughters, let us sing - Jean Tisserand ( 15th cent.) UMH 317
O come, all ye faithful - John Francis Wade (18th cent.) UMH 234
The strife is O'er - Anon. (17th cent.) UMH 306

Several important Roman Catholic developments greatly influenced Latin hymnody before about 1500. See references in A Survey of Christian Hymnody:

Antiphonal singing
Gregorian chant (p. 11)
Sequence hymns (pp. 11 - 12))
Laudi Spirituali (p. 14)
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