Excellent, Richard!

Thanks for your work!

Could you please do a set of these for St Alphonsus Liguori, August 2nd? According to the Liber Usualis text? Please?

I like it too. This looks more like the "Simpler Gradual" that Vatican II actually called for. I still like the Graduale Simplex, but I think that this is more what the council fathers had in mind back in 1963.

This looks more like the "Simpler Gradual" that Vatican II actually called for.

I'm not sure about this. The short sentence “It is desirable also that an edition be prepared containing simpler melodies, for use in small churches” which appeared in the final version of Sacrosanctum consilium was preceded by much more detailed requests in a total of fourteen concepts of the text between 1961 and 1963. These detailed requests show us what de council fathers had in mind when they called for an edition with simpler melodies.

Overall, two solutions were proposed with respect to the Proprium Missae:
1) the use of psalm tones or recto tono
2) a very much restricted variability of the propers

The first option was dropped very quickly, because it would harm the Gregorian patrimony; text and melody should relate to each other.
The second option prevailed soon and, though it shows variation in details, always contained the following main points: a) the use of seasonal sets of propers, b) the use of simpler, yet authentic Gregorian chants.

From the preliminary texts of Sacrosanctum consilium 117, the outline of the current Graduale Simplex becomes readily apparent. The fact that the final formulation lacks these details doesn't alter the gross idea the council fathers had of an ‘edition with simpler melodies’. The use of general terms is characteristic of the entire final text of the constitution.

(This doesn't mean that I'm opposed to Richard's settings. I think they're wonderful! (Though I would like to see Latin ‘j’ spelled like ‘i’ …) I only wanted to make clear that we shouldn't look at this as something more like the edition of simpler melodies called for by the Council.)

As everyone else here has said, Richard, THANK YOU for setting to work on this, and bravo for what already appears to be very fine, beautiful, singable work.

"Out-of-tune fourth." Priceless.

Bunch of comics here. I'd say it makes it an imperfect composition!

I can't see re-sol ... and I'm quite comfortable with the clef!

Simple Propers for Aug. 2, St. Alphonsus (EF) attached.

Just a further thought - Could all the quarter bars and suchlike be dispensed with? The simplified chants are such that most textual phrases can be sung in a single breath.

Bar lines mark musical phrases, which often, but not always, correspond to marked textual phrases. One should be able to see these phrases, whether or not one chooses to breathe there. (The same applies to editorial dots; they help delineate musical phrases.)

Propers for the 19th Sunday are attached.

KM, I have not studied the Ratisbon edition, but doubt they were adapting the Proper texts to Office antiphon melodic types, which is what I do, in a free-hand sort of way. (Which makes my approach something other than Schenkerian, Palestrina.) Whether that makes my edition "better" is not really up to me to decide. I'll settle for "good" and "useful".

Take a look at the Ambrosian Gloria in the Chants Ad Libitum section of any Kyriale.

hartleymartin is referring to the Gloria on p. 793 of the 1974 Graduale Romanum. It's the text from the Roman rite, with the melody more ambrosiano.

I don't take "Schenkerian" as pejorative, Palestrina. I find it much easier, and less dangerous, to start with the authentic antiphon melodies, and shape them to fit the phrase structure of the Proper texts. Rather than looking at these antiphon melodies as somehow simplified melodies of the Propers, it's probably more accurate to see the later as an elaboration of the former, in a sort of inverted-Schenkerian way. (There are probably grad theses dedicated to this subject which I haven't seen.) But peeling back the layers of elaboration seems presumptuous to me, and way beyond my modest abilities. It's liable to leave you with an anemic sounding tune besides.

PeterJ: It's worth noting that there are already several pre-Conciliar propers collections that pertain to the EF. Most are not modeled on the chant itself (in my experience), though

donr: Consult Fr. Columba Kelly’s settings of the Missal propers.

But don’t do so before inquiring to your pastor as to why he allows only the Missal antiphons when the Missal itself describes them as being more for speaking than singing … ?

Felipe he wants the missal antiphons because the words are in our missalette and the pips can follow along.

I didn't know Fr. Kelly had the settings in Spanish.

Using the Latin texts at least has the benefit that the can be used in either EF or OF liturgies.

… except in the (several) cases of texts that the two forms do not share.

Simple Latin Propers for the 21st and 22nd Sundays attached (along with the 20th Sunday, a bit late).

We hail thee, Richard!

Many of us are indebted to Richard for his contributions to sacred music. Thank you, Richard, for all that you do for us.

Attached are Simple Latin Propers for September 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Other than the prayers, it is useful for both Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms (and for the latter, somewhat for Holy Thursday as well).

PS. David D.: Give me a chance to see how it goes first :)

I cannot resist saying that all these are all but sublime. No, not all but sublime, but actually sublime!

A dream I have, and which I have discussed with Fr Columba, is for a genuine, complete, English gradual, using good modern English transalations of all the texts in the GR, plus the option of the responsorial psalm or the gradual. We keep getting rather incomplete sets of propers from various persons, but no actual complete graduale.

Such a book would include for every Sunday and Solemnity, Holy Week, etc., the following, with good modern translations of the GR texts:

1. Introit - Antiphon with some psalm verses to Gregorian psalm tones.

2. Gradual, and, as an option, the responsorial psalm for years A, B, and C - The responsorial psalm would have easy chant responsories for the congregation and the cantor's verses would each have its own slightly more developed melos.

3. Tract - the traditional in directum tract set to a moderately developed chant melos, and as an option, the current responsorial Lenten Gospel Acclamation.

4. Alleluya - get rid of the rather tawdry and innovative triple Alleluya that has become all but de rigueur and is really historically appropriate only at the Easter vigil, and supply some real chant alleluyas that can be quickly learnt. The cantor's verse should be a moderately developed chant melos.

5. Offertory - Antiphon with some psalm verses set to Gregorian psalm tones

6. Communion - Antiphon with psalm verse set to Gregorian psalm tones.

It goes without saying that I would like to see the anciently responsorial propers (Gradual/RPs, and Alleluya) remain exactly that - responsorial. And, the anciently antiphonal propers (Int., Off., Comm.,) remain exactly that - antiphonal. This means the absence of the recent innovation on the part of some of simple congregational 'refrains' supplanting the antiphon in what is supposed to be antiphonal psalmody. I would assume that whoever worked on a project such as this comprehended and respected the historic differences between Antiphonal, Responsorial, and In Directum (Tract), psalmody, and respected their respective integrity.

This would undoubtedly be someone's Magnum Opus, but we need such an English Gradual for our time, for English masses of the Novus Ordo. From my observation of Richard Rice's work, which is almost ecstatically beautiful, he would be the one to accomplish this - a real English gradual, a complete set of propers for the Novus Ordo in English.

Pshaw, M. Jackson! Y'all make me blush. Anyway, as close as I can get to an English Graduale is my more of a Notated Missal/Lectionary, with Offertories from the last official iteration (ca. 1965). It will be ready in a few months or so.

I'm staying right out of the Gradual/Missal debate. Until someone hands me official translations for the Gradual and Tract -- along with a nicely unambiguous Vatican dubium or addendum to the current English edition of the Missale Romanum as to their legitimate use contra RPs and GAs -- I really can't be bothered.