What can (should) they sing? I think the assigned text is "Terra Tremuit". The chant is too difficult for them. Anyone know of any settings of this that a unison (and possibly) 2pt children's choir can sing? Any alternative suggestions?
> The Terra Tremuit offertory antiphon in the Grad. Simplex is much...well...simpler than that in the Grad. Roman.
Undoubtedly. See p. 647 of the 1961 Liber Usualis (p. 793 of the .pdf file). (And, if you are among those who find that English adaptations of chant are something acceptable, you can even use that melody as adpated to an English translation in «By flowing waters», p. 152.)
PS - You can sing Alleluia at the end of the antiphon, according to the common tones. In this way you will have exactly the same words prescribed by the Graduale Romanum. While I cannot now find the Alleluia at the end of office antiphons in the common tones of the Liber Usualis, you can always check that in p. 53* of the 1912 Antiphonale Romanum (p. 1072 of the .pdf file). It will not be hard to paste the two images together. Or you may check p. 32 of this collection of antiphons by Sandhofe (p. 33 of the .pdf file), where the antiphon already has the Alleluia at the end. (The small melodic difference arises from his having followed the Hartker codex. The site is currently down but I hope this is only temporary.)
> The site is currently down but I hope this is only temporary.
It seems this is not temporary, and so I am including here the first file prepared by Sandhofe. (Notice that in this file the Antiphons of the Liturgia Horarum are followed, in lieu of those prescribed by the 1983 Ordo Cantus Officii.) I hope there is no problem with my posting this file here. (If someone minds that, with a good reason, I will of course put it away.)
To participate in the discussions on Catholic church music, sign in or register as a forum member, The forum is a project of the Church Music Association of America.