Latin psalms pointed and translated
  • rarty
    Posts: 96
    When people are called upon to participate in the liturgy by singing psalms in Latin from a pointed text, in nearly every context and crowd, I've found that a translation of the psalm on the same/facing page is welcome (or would be if possible).

    So, for a general/non-specialist resource, it seems ideal if: 1) the psalm-tone is given, 2) the Latin text is pointed to the tone, and 3) the translation is given.

    It is a lot of info to put together nicely, but has anyone ever seen/created a resource (one-off handout, booklet, book, etc.) in which this is particularly well-done and worth imitating?

    What works best surely depends on the size of the page, but attached are some examples, in a medium/small format, of what I've tried before in handouts for parish Vespers, Compline, etc.
    latin psalm examples.pdf
    59K
    Thanked by 3StimsonInRehab CHGiffen CCooze
  • CCoozeCCooze
    Posts: 1,259
    I like the ones where the English is beside, rather than within.

    Also, it wouldn't be a terrible idea to point the English text, as well. You never know when someone might have the need to sing both (maybe women on Latin, men on English (especially if you have a lot of time to fill / a priest who might not let their choir do the Latin, otherwise) type thing?).
  • JonathanKKJonathanKK
    Posts: 542
    I like a certain method which I have worked out and am using for my book-project; for example, see p. 20 and onwards, here. (The link is to a old draft which I happened to post on the forum a couple of years ago, but anyhow, it is still representative, at least as far as the psalms go.)

    I would stick to the Solesmes italics & bold for the pointing, as it is standard and expresses clearly what is going on with the formula as far as accents and preparatory syllables.

    As for my method of laying out the psalm verses, I think I got the vertical space / non-indentation combination from some examples in the Campion Missal. Using the numbers only on the Latin verses, as I see you have done, was 1) because it is less cluttered, and 2) because I wish to give the Latin priority. The vertical line is there because it is needed for clarity; but in breviaries and antiphonales you will often see the psalms put in columns even when there is no translation. Finally, I thought it best to keep the fonts the same size for both languages, in case the user wished to read the prayers in English.

    [However, I leave my English verses un-pointed, because 1) if a user is going to start making personal adaptations like singing in English, there are many different ways they might want to do this, which I can't anticipate, and 2) I don't particularly want to encourage this sort of thing much anyhow, beyond providing asterisks and daggers in the appropriate places.]


    Thanked by 3smvanroode rarty CHGiffen
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,020
    https://bbloomf.github.io/jgabc/psalmtone.html

    [Actually, they must insert their translations manually into their editions. But seriously, just search the name "Bloomfield" and Vespers, or Tenebrae, or Psalms, and almost everything is solved at once.]
    Thanked by 1StimsonInRehab
  • rarty
    Posts: 96
    Thanks NihilNominis, the Bloomfield Vespers book looks well done and handy.

    As for the psalms, it seems as though setting the texts side-by-side, one way or another, is the most clear solution.
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,930
    Wait. A. Cotton-pickin'. Minute.

    Nihil, are the Bloomfields who made this Vespers booklet and set up this website the same ones who we sang with for the historical recording???
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