We introduced the Ignatius Pew Missal at Blessed Sacrament Church in Seattle the first Sunday of Advent (2015) with GREAT affect! The congregation adapted immediately to singing the Antiphons with absolutely no issues regarding the square note notation. As a matter of fact, several parishioners have commented in recent weeks that they find the square notes easier to read and sing. I could not be more pleased! I highly recommend this resource for Novus Ordo parishes.

I think the term "liturgical minimalism" serves very well in the instance of this pew missal. Sure, it's better than lame music. But it's so simplified, so reduced, that it's boring music.

Efforts like this make me wonder about the tendency to prize singing participation for its own sake, as if it's the top priority. This approach is at odds with celebrating or even utilizing the treasury of sacred music in order to praise God. You can't have both- the musical structure of the mass isn't set up that way. All do their own part, and weave their own threads in the tapestry of the sung sacred liturgy.

People worked hard to produce this hymnal, and try to steer away from the sacro-pop trends, and I appreciate that. I simply find the impetus for this kind of work to be greatly misguided and do not think it holds a realistic promise for restoring chant and splendor in the sacred liturgy.

I simply find the impetus for this kind of work to be greatly misguided and do not think it holds a realistic promise for restoring chant and splendor in the sacred liturgy.

This book weans people off the quarterly throwaways with the extremely poor choice of music and paraphrased psalms. At no more cost that the quarterly throwaways.

But it's so simplified, so reduced, that it's boring music.

Which greatly increases the possibility that people will sing.

We have been using this publication for two years now and have absolutely loved it, although it could use more hymns and chants (which we supplement with SMH). All in all, both the choir and congregation are easily able to sing the antiphons. The simple tones are people friendly. Bravo to Ignatius Press!

Thanks to mloucks for the comment!

I totally concur with MACW... the focus on minimalism in chant is the problem with the plethora of 'new resources' that steer toward orthodoxy. The real danger with it is that one has a 'good' excuse to never graduate to the real thing. That is true crime.

Taize is another good example of 'tased' chant. BORRRRRRRRRRRRINGGGGGGGG! (and Mozart is boring too, while I am at it - [running like h***! and ducking])

After six - seven short weeks of using the Ignatius Pew Missal, our Novus Ordo Parish (Blessed Sacrament Parish - Seattle) has embraced the singing of ALL the Entrance Antiphons and Communion Antiphons (in lieu of hymns). We have not abandoned hymns entirely...singing a Prelude Hymn and a "Hymn of Praise" weekly from the SM Hymnal. The excitement surrounding the singing of the Antiphons has marked the recent introduction of singing the CREDO ("Simple" and "Credo" III") as well as the Pater Noster(!). These developments within our parish opened the door to our inclusion of two Gregorian Masses from the SM Hymnal for the entire Christmas Season AND our Pastor then agreed to Ad orientem celebrations of the Mass (both Latin and English) for the Solemnity of the BVM, Mother of God. Glorious! The Pew Missal (contrary to comments above) has done nothing to hinder our weekly inclusion of 4-8 part Polyphony, Motets neither our regular singing from the Dominican Graduale, the Graduale SImplex and on occasion, the Graduale Romanum (when we must) :).