Sung Gospel for Funerals in English
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    Friends,

    Anyone interested in seeing and hearing a very beautiful Gospel Tone (Tone "C" in the Liber Usualis) which Bruce Ford has masterly set to the Gospel for Funerals need only VISIT THIS PAGE and look at the second column "Sung Gospel for Funerals"

    In the opinion of Bruce and myself, this is the most beautiful tone in the world.
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 431
    When Jeff asked me to set this Gospel to this tone, I was very pleased to do so.

    The Gospel tone most commonly used (Tone A in the 1974 Graduale Romanum) first appeared in Guidetti's Directorium Chori, which was published in 1582. It lacks a mediant cadence, and its final cadence is cursive. It does not respect the textual accents and is distinctly "un-Gregorian."

    Tone C is a "subtonal" formula, that is, the reciting note in it stands a whole step above the note below it. Tone B (like tone A) is a "subsemitonal" formula. Its reciting note stands a half step above the note below it. Subtonal chant formulas are generally older than subsemitonal formulas.

    Both tone B and tone C have accentual mediant cadences and accentual final cadences. The final candential formula of tone C, however, accommodates accented final syllables--which abound in English--better than the final cadential formula of tone B. In my view tone C is to be preferred over the two other tones for setting English Gospel texts.
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    This is beautiful. Chanting Gospel really enhance the beauty of proclaiming the Word of our Lord, and makes very special to the listener, not like reading any other books (Many of the average people on Sundays just don't have enough time and patience.)

    Could you please explain how the final cadential formuas of tone B and C different ? it looks the same to me, except one is semitone and the other is a whole tone, as you mentioned. (I'm looking at GR. p.807 and 808. sorry , I'm very new on this.) Thanks
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 431
    In tone B the final accented syllable is set to a two-note neume (do-la). In tone C the final accented syllable is set to a single note (sol).
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    Ok, I was looking at the very last cadence, (caelis est). I see it's at the first full bar. Thanks.
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