Gradual or Psalm
  • rreilly
    Posts: 2
    How does one get around the problem in the GIRM where on the one hand it is saying 'use the Gradual from the GR 1974' and on the other hand it says 'sing the Psalm from the Lectionary'...
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    Is this the GIRM passage you're working with? Since you're down under, I'm quoting it from the .au GIRM:
    61. After the First Reading comes the responsorial Psalm, which is an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word and holds great liturgical and pastoral importance, because it fosters meditation on the word of God.

    The responsorial Psalm should correspond to each reading and should, as a rule, be taken from the Lectionary.

    [...]

    The following may also be sung in place of the Psalm assigned in the Lectionary: either the responsorial gradual from the Graduale Romanum, or the responsorial Psalm or the Alleluia Psalm from the Graduale Simplex, in the form described in these books.


    If it says the Gradual in the GR "may also be sung in place of the Psalm", is there some obstacle to doing it?
  • Clearly, one has a choice betwixt the Lectionary's psalm responsory, the GR's gradual responsory, or the GS's 'Alleluia Psalm'.
  • CCoozeCCooze
    Posts: 1,259
    I've always thought it would be interesting to use the Gradual as the responsory, as is clearly mentioned in various places. I don't see a gregorian version working for the congregation, though. Perhaps if one were to use a Psalm tone for the antiphon, gregorian verse, repeat psalm tone antiphon? Does anyone actually do this, or do they defer to just a responsorial psalm?
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    The GR and the Lectionary are on different schedules (one-year vs. three-year), so the texts are usually unrelated.
  • Clever ideas, Cooze. But the GIRM nor the rubrics say anything about 'mix and match'. I believe that each form has its own integrity, which ought to be respected. Clever ideas, though!
  • CCoozeCCooze
    Posts: 1,259
    Well, I was thinking more along the lines of how CCWatershed will often show the optional Gregorian antiphon with psalm tone verse to things - see the end of this document: http://www.ccwatershed.org/garnier/pdfs/7955-simpler-versions/download/ - and that maybe we could just do the opposite. I don't mean to mix and match texts, just forms of chant.

    Our St. Isaac Jogues missal includes the Gradual and alleluia chants + translations for the day (which, of course, can also be found in the Gregorian Missal), so when such an option is so visibly appropriate, you'd think that someone would employ it. The GIRM seems to really want the post-1st-reading to be a responsory, though, so just having a psalm tone with that text in the bulletin/worship aid should make it doable...?
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen