New (and free) propers online from Fr. Columba Kelly
  • Adam Bartlett
    Posts: 533
    Announcing the Sacred Music Project. (www.sacredmusicproject.com)

    Fr. Columba Kelly, OSB, of St. Meinrad Archabbey is now sharing with the world his chant settings of the antiphons of the Roman Missal, among other settings--for free. Read a complete description here. The chants are arranged in pdf booklets that are ready to be printed for liturgical use. They contain the Introit, Responsorial Psalm (for privileged seasons) Gospel Acclamations and Communion antiphons as given by the Roman Missal. The complexity of the chants falls somewhere between the Introits and Communions of the Graduale Romanum and the chants of the Graduale Simplex. This work is masterful and it is very exciting to publicly release it for the first time.

    About the Sacred Music Project: It is a project that I have been considering for several years now. Aspirations for the site might enter into the "liturgical cpdl" conversation that is happening in this forum. If anyone has an interest in discussing this more or in getting involved in the project please email me at adam@sacredmusicproject.com.

    [note: the project website is no longer operational, so the links listed here don't work any more. See below for more information. --admin]
    Thanked by 2HeitorCaballero GregoryWeber
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    Of course this is a wonderful thing, inauspiciously announced. He has been working on this project for decades, and, suddenly, it appears before our eyes. Everyone please go to see what has has done. This is certainly the way of the future, both in content and mode of delivery.

    Thank you again Adam for all of your hard work!
    Thanked by 1HeitorCaballero
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 431
    Columba Kelly has provided an extremely useful resource. His antiphons hold considerable musical interest; yet , unlike the proper chants of the Graduale or versions of them adapted to English words, these chants are easy enough for amateur choirs to sing without an unreasonable amount of rehearsal.

    These pieces are truly other APT replacements for the propers in circumstances where the propers cannot be sung--and they rarely can be in most parish churches.

    I don't understand why Jeffrey said that Fr. Kelly's antiphons have been published at an "inauspicious time." Is he concerned the imminent adoption of the revised Grail psalter as a replacement for the NAB psalter? I think it will matter only with respect to the Responsorial Psalms. The processional chants are covered by the "alius cantus aptus" rubric.

    Having composed/centonized, adapate responsorial psalm refrains for a three-year cycle in the space of three months, I am confident that Fr. Kelly will be able to replace his psalm refrains in a comparable amount of time.

    What do others think about his decision to "publish" the propers for each day separately? Should I publish the revised edition of The American Gradual similarly?

    One other observation... People in this forum have said that the antiphons in the missal/sacramentary are intended only for recitation and not for singing. They MAY be right. But Fr. Kelly's entrance and communion antiphons can be used, nevertheless, under the "alius cantus aptus" rubric. I hope that some Episcopal churches will also use them.
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    I just meant that it was announced with little fanfare.
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 968
    what a wonderful thing... I have it bookmarked and will,no doubt, use many of the chants in the future. Thanks, Adam and much thanks to Fr. Kelly.
  • Felipe Gasper
    Posts: 804
    It’s worth asking: why did Fr. Kelly choose the Missal texts rather than those of the traditional (Gregorian) Proper?
  • Andrew Motyka
    Posts: 946
    Probably for the same reason most make that choice: because the Missal texts have a concrete, approved translation, and the Gradual doesn't.
  • lagunaredbob
    Posts: 161

    Yes, I am trying the same links above and it brings to another website where "/st-meinrad-chant/index/" does not appear.
  • smvanroodesmvanroode
    Posts: 997
    The links provided above are from 2009. I think all at sacredmusic.com/st-meinrad-chant/index/ has been moved to http://www.saintmeinrad.edu/the-monastery/liturgical-music/downloads/
    Thanked by 1Andrew_Malton
  • lagunaredbob
    Posts: 161

    SMVANROODE ... spot on! Thank you!
  • PeterJ
    Posts: 90
    Thanks for the updated link. Fr Columba Kelly's settings are beautiful - this is a great resource.
  • HeitorCaballero
    Posts: 92
    Very grateful for Fr. Kelly's beautiful work!
  • Felipe Gasper
    Posts: 804
    Andrew: But the Graduale texts don't need an official translation. No bishop seems to be so particular as to mandate such.
  • donr
    Posts: 971
    These are great and I will be using some of these settings this week.
  • Andrew Motyka
    Posts: 946
    Andrew: But the Graduale texts don't need an official translation. No bishop seems to be so particular as to mandate such.


    Oh, I agree. That's just likely why people use the Missal texts. That, and those are the texts that show up in most missalettes.
  • Felipe Gasper
    Posts: 804
    … or the fact that a lot of clergy, whatever other charisms they may bring to their ministry, do not seem to know the Graduale.
    Thanked by 4Andrew Motyka Adam Wood CHGiffen Ben
  • CGM
    Posts: 697
    FYI, these collections are still available via the WayBackMachine:

    — Entrance Antiphons
    — Communion Antiphons
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen GregoryWeber
  • ryandryand
    Posts: 1,640
    FIVE YEARS
    Thanked by 1MichaelDickson
  • MichaelDickson
    Posts: 419
    2009. Revived in 2014 Re-revived in 2019. Next up 2024.

    (And for the record, one needn't go 'way back' to get them -- they are still on the monastery web site, just not at the link provided above. Poke around and you'll find them.)
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen petrus_simplex
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