"Breaking news": Bartlett's Lumen Christi Simple Gradual is available
  • Bob_Nardo
    Posts: 19
    Please forgive the over-enthusiasm, and for stealing Adam Bartlett's thunder, but I thought folks might be interested to see that the next element of the Lumen Christi series is new available for order: Both the Choir and Assembly versions of the Simple Gradual.

    http://www.illuminarepublications.com/products/lcsg/

    (I am further delighted to share that I know I was the first to place an order! Several people here beat me to the Jogues order the other week...)

    After having used the SEP for some time, we have been using these improved chants and organ accompaniments from his website for our choir for weeks now, and have received compliments from the congregation. So I have been lurking around his website to order these ASAP.

    His website has a good amount of detail, but just in case folks need clarification, the choir edition is a full set of sung Propers, along with Order of Mass and numerous Ordinary settings, while the assembly edition is an abbreviated version of the LC Missal, containing the simple chants that are already in the back of that book, plus the other music, minus all of the lectionary material. In other words, this assembly edition is for those who want the assembly to be able to sing the antiphons but already have a different Missal; whereas his Missal would work for those who want a whole package (in which case you would not need this assembly edition). We may be pursuing the LC Missal for our congregation (either that or Jogues), and will definitely use this Gradual for our choir, as it has the full Responsorial Psalms and pointed proper verses and such that the congregational Missal does not include.

    Coming on the heels of Ostrowski's announcement about the Isaac Jogues Missal/Gradual, this has been a great few weeks for those of us amateurs toiling to help restore the beauty to OF Masses.

    Let the parsing begin!
    Thanked by 3Kathy Ally CHGiffen
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    Just a quick correction - the Gradual does not contain Responsorial Psalms. It is a setting of Introits, Offertories and Communions, with verses, as well as the Order of Mass and Kyriale.

    It is the perfect book for someone using the SEPs right now who wants to go to a better book with NO EFFORT. If your choir can sing a setting from the SEP, they can sound better singing from the LCSG and the change can happen over night.

    Put the SEP up on a high shelf as a historical reference and order this book! I have mine on my desk right in front of me right now! THE FUTURE IS HERE!
    Thanked by 7Kathy Ben Ally ClemensRomanus CHGiffen doneill Adam Wood
  • Bob_Nardo
    Posts: 19
    Ah, interesting - the downloads from the score library do have the RP's. Will that be in the forthcoming, full Gradual, or no?
  • Bob_Nardo
    Posts: 19
    Question just answered by Adam... RPs and Acclamations were left out of this edition because of size and to make it useful in other English-speaking conferences, which have separate Lectionary translations. Forthcoming, full LC Gradual will integrate them, but they will also be available in "accompaniment editions" that could be used in conjunction with Simple Gradual.

    I hope that posting these clarifying details here is useful to others - I'm new here, so apologize if it's not the right kind of detail.
  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 904
    Will all antiphons in the assembly addition be made available on the website for inserting into worship programs?

    It seems that the Simple Gradual includes antiphons for Sundays and major Feasts. Will the forthcoming Full Gradual include an English version of every single antiphon in the current GR? Weekdays, Commons, Masses for Special needs, etc. ?
  • a1437053a1437053
    Posts: 198
    My copy arrived yesterday, and it has not left my side. Some initial observations.

    1. It is perfectly bound and sized.

    2. Its flexibility will allow it to fit in many places. For its cost and its size. Most of all, for its simplicity.

    3. I think it does what the Parish Book of Chant may have tried to do, but focused on the Ordinary Form. I remember throwing the PBC to everyone, only to realize that because it was mainly in Latin, and mainly in full-Gregorian majesty, it would remain out of reach.

    My wife is a cantor at your typical 4-hymn parish, and while the PBC v.2 is a huge improvement, it remains on the shelf except for special occasions. I anticipate that this book will see much, MUCH more light of day.

    3.1. The only thing I wish I'd see is a small sampling of Latin-English hymns. For Benediction, Marian Compline, and the Veni Creator. 10 at most. Oh, and the Requiem. A dozen pages of PBCv2 at the end.

    4. By adding the Order and a bunch of Ordinaries, it goes beyond what the Simple English Propers tried to do.

    5. Last, and to me very important: it keeps the square note notation.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Adding hymns would be sort of beside the point for this book: it's got the aim of getting people to sing authentic Mass texts.

    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Gavin
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sPMHIiNNgA
  • a1437053a1437053
    Posts: 198
    Chonak: It might be helpful to have a couple so one could pull out the same book for a Benediction or something else. But you're right, that is outside its intended goal.
  • a1437053a1437053
    Posts: 198
    The Choir Edition arrived Friday. This is the volume that wholly replaces the Simple English Propers.

    There is excellent introductory material on "how-to" chant the music in the book. It is more detailed, compared to the Assembly Edition, which only discusses the bare minimum. Differentiation is good.

    Showed the books to a choir director, 30+ years, who praised the binding and quality of printing. Will ask the parish to order him an evaluation set. He was pleased with the purpose and quality of the research.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    This is the volume that wholly replaces the Simple English Propers.


    Yes!

    The SEP was a very important book, but this one supersedes it in every sort of way.
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    What is the difference between the music of the LC Simple Gradual and that in the LC Gradual? I assume one is less... simple. But is the music of the Gradual significantly more difficult that it may only be sung by choirs?
  • Adam Bartlett
    Posts: 533
    Gavin, the LC Simple Gradual only contains a base repertoire of antiphons for the Entrance, Offertory and Communion. It does not reflect the fullness of the Proper of the Mass, as there are often many options for a single chant. Additionally, some of the lengthier antiphons of the Simple Gradual have been excerpted, with the missing text transferred to the first verse of the Psalm. They are also in a simple, mostly syllabic, antiphonal style. This is the nature of the "Simple Gradual" genre.

    The LC Gradual, on the other hand, will contain all of these "simple" antiphons, but will additionally cover the fullness of the Mass Proper, including all Responsorial Psalms, Alleluias and verses, and every option for every proper antiphon. The musical style will at times be a bit more complex—especially when there is a "simple" alternative—but not much more complex. The settings will be just as accessible as the Simple Gradual, but there will be many more options provided, and every text given that go beyond the repertoire of the Simple Gradual will represent the antiphon texts in their fullness, i.e. no excerpting.

    We are still exploring additional features, such as a simple, psalm tone option for every antiphon in addition to these, which would assure that the proper antiphon can always be sung, even if it is used in combination with an excerpted or seasonal antiphon from the Simple Gradual.
    Thanked by 3Gavin Heath CHGiffen
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