Chanted Rosary in English?
  • Thinking about programming a chanted the Rosary this coming Feast of the Holy Rosary which corresponds with our First Saturday Holy Hour.
    I will have about 6 women who are familiar with Chant to lead, most of the congregation will be at the front of the learning curve.

    Does anyone do this, and how?

    I'm thinking about using 2 psalm tones and alternating them every decade. What would you do, or do you do?

    Or, beat me with a stick of filial correction if I'm off-base here trying to apply something liturgical to a devotional.
    Seriously, maybe I'm not finding anyone doing it 'cause I shouldn't.
  • Carol
    Posts: 851
    I am not qualified to answer your question, but I love the way you have posed it!
  • My view: this could get tedious (after all, there are 53 Hail Marys in a set of mysteries!) Im wondering if perhaps you could adapt what some hispanic communities do when they sing a verse of a hymn after each mystery is introduced, but sing an appropriate chant instead (Marian or relating to the mystery being prayed.)
  • davido
    Posts: 884
    Not everything need be sung.
    I bet there are grizzled rosary warriors at your parish who would be turned off by the novelty of a chanted rosary.
  • I would also agree that the rosary itself is probably better not sung. One could certainly precede or follow it with a chant, but in my opinion it is best to leave the rosary itself as a spoken prayer, in normal order, in either all English or all Latin.

    However in Cantus Selecti (and I know this is in Latin), starting on page 142* there are chants for the rosary, including an antiphon for each mystery, and a hymn for each set of five decades. I suppose if you really wanted some English chants you could see about translating those.

    Cantus Selecti is available on the Musica Sacra resource page, and hopefully this link also works: https://media.churchmusicassociation.org/books/cantus_selecti.pdf
  • francis
    Posts: 10,679
    I have a setting, and Aristotle has a setting. They are both on this forum.

    JonathanKK put this one together

    https://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/5349/booklet-for-sung-rosary-with-gregorian-antiphons-similar-to-vespers/p1
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 686
    @Sarah, In the Catholic Church Hymnal compiled by A. Edmonds Tozer's, there are hymns dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. These are not chants but hymns for the Sorrowful, Joyful, and Glorious Mysteries and a few that are generally about the Rosary and its power over evil.

    If this peeks your interest then I would be happy to scan them for you. Just send me a PM.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,679
    Many of my past posts are unavailable to me and those who visit this forum. Perhaps the moderator can help us.
  • In our Monastery, We typically would chant the Hail Marys "Directum" on one note, ending with a flex between the leader and response. For the Our Father, one of the chant tones, Begin Each decade with a Antiphon that matches the mystery (as in Cantus Mariales), and Sing the Glory be according to that tone. O My Jesus "directum" . Hail Holy Queen (Salve Regina at the end). I have been working on making a document, but it wont be ready in time for the feast. When its finished I can post it.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Thank you! I would be very interested in an outline. This is exactly along the lines of what what I was thinking! I was also thinking of having the ladies sit in choir formation.
  • Thank you to all who have answered! It was been a fruitful discernment process for me. I'm leaning on the "do it" side, but am open to re-evaluation in the future. I'll jump on an let you know how it goes.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • If this is helpful to anyone, I was at least able to finish transcribing English Antiphons.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,679
    I was able to contact Aristotle and he sent me his booklet. I will try to post mine soon.
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,712
    It is interesting that my children sing the Rosary regularly. Just not in English. On the traditional pilgrimages it is common to hear the Rosary sung in Latin, the French also have easy settings to sing as you walk. I think the Germans also have settings.
    This link is interesting, https://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/7204/sung-rosary/p1
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Update: The sung rosary was lovely. I was very uncertain how it would go. I found it lovely to sing as did the four other ladies who joined me. Our pastor liked it a lot and the feed back so far from parishioners is overwhelmingly positive even from people I wouldn't have expected. I'm sure there's a few who weren't a fan but are nice enough to volunteer that to me.

    The purpose was to singing it for the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary but, I've gotten some requests for us to do it each first Friday--- still need to think about that one.

    If anyone is interested, here is the singer's guide and also congregation guide that we did. I pitched the first two psalm tones beginning on C, but nobody joined the third when the highest pitch was A (when our pastor felt comfortable singing), so I intentionally transposed the 4th and 5th decade lower than as written.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen LauraKaz Carol