That is a stroke of genius, Ralph! Bravo!

Psalm-tone ordinaries? I understand the function, but... winning people to chant takes more than making it easy. I've heard people who don't know much chant and are first exposed to overly simple bits and pieces use the word "boring". It get tedious really fast, and has turned people off to chant, especially if they don't want to like it.

For small groups or ad hoc events that call for the simplest chants, that's what the composite mass "Jubilate Deo" was intended to provide.

This will make me unpopular, but I strongly feel the use of psalm tones at mass for the people's prayers as a regular thing or even a prolonged stepping stone misses the point of decorated prayer. Psalm tones serve the office, but are not elevated enough for the mass. Bill Mahrt has written much more eloquently on this topic.

Agree that it would be boring to regularly use psalm tone ordinaries. And for that very reason I would avoid expanding this for all the ordinary parts to create a Mass set like the Belmont or Missa Simplex. Our congregation is small and of course so is the schola.. I just like the feeling of rest in mode 6 and how it really contrasts to our Orbis Factor, Mode 2 and ICEL Mass mode 4. All offer a nice contrast in character.

Ralph's offering is really quite interesting! The St Meinrad tone in question does provide more melodic interest and development than a Gregorian tone would for the matter in question*. In fact, owing to the number of reciting tones and the variety of cadences, it works out not too differently from highly formulaic Gregorian Glorias. With a smart accompaniment and imaginative registrations, it would be far better than some I have seen.

Too, I take exception to the unfortunate insinuation that musicians who are not bored have congregations who don't participate. This is hogwash, and I am surprised at some of the folk who signed on with a 'thanks'. This attitude is one amongst many complex factors contributing to the shabbiness of Catholic music in most parishes. Its assumption that 'the people' are musical idiots is also insulting and so utterly tiresome and mean.

*Back to St Meinrad tones vs Gregorian tones for psalmody, I am aware of all the arguments and excuses to the effect that they are wedded to Latin syntax and 'cannot' be sung successfully to English. This, however, is also hogwash. I have been singing Miles Coverdale psalmody to Gregorian psalm tones all my Anglican life, and, as a respectable musician, have found them to work quite beautifully together. It is also my experience that the variety of tones invented for modern English tire very quickly and lose their initial lustre quite rapidly, leading to pained participation from some of us. Gregorian tones?: at one nearby very highly academically regarded Episcopal school the entire student body of nearly 700 sing the appointed psalmody to the Gregorian tones every day at chapel - with different tones for each and every psalm every day. If you could hear it, you might revise your hasty prejudice.

Didn't those used to be called the Rossini Propers (back in the day when us dinosaurs roamed the Erth)?