Some questions and thoughts about the Abbey Psalms and Canticles
  • marymezzomarymezzo
    Posts: 236
    I got to thinking today about the Chabanel psalms and indeed all the psalm settings now available in the Creative Commons--for example, Royce Nickel's work, which we use.

    Once the new Abbey Psalms and Canticles are added to the lectionary (whenever that might be), that will surely mean sweeping away the existing settings.

    I have a copy of the Abbey Psalms, and I do think the texts are an improvement. (No more dwelling in the house of the Lord "for years to come.")

    But--1. I wonder how long it will be before composers such as many of you create settings of the responsorial psalms for Mass. 2. I wonder whether USCCB will allow you to create settings of those texts without paying fees.

    I don't want to be forced to choose between using OCP/GIA settings or reading the psalm texts. Everything in our music program now is public domain or Creative Commons, and I like it that way.

    What are your thoughts?

  • francis
    Posts: 10,825
    sweeping away the existing settings.

    Everything in our music program now is public domain or Creative Commons, and I like it that way.

    Move exclusively to the Liber and you will NEVER have to worry about translations, abrogations, or copyrights.

    I purposely DO NOT compose in English for the very reason you have outlined.
    Thanked by 1CCooze
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    one wonders...

    Why should earlier versions must be taken out of use. They worked for X years. They did not deteriorate. If there are newer/better translations they should merely be optional.







    Thanked by 2Paul F. Ford marymezzo
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    Francis' talents, which are great - wonderful imagination - are being denied The Church because of a turgid river of changing translations.

    I am sure that those churches that have a sign KJV outfront are laughing at us.
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,471
    I certainly hope there is no attempt to impose a single modern translation, where it is unneccessary. Texts the people say in liturgy must be uniform, but not those we listen to, or those we read. In Latin the pre-Jerome psalms, and antiphons, remained standard for singing for well over a thousand years, while the Vulgate was the official text for most purposes.
    [Dum complerentur or Cum complerentur? Unimportant, just the most obvious because it affects the index.]
    Thanked by 1Paul F. Ford
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    I don't think there is anything in the GIRM that requires us to drop old settings with approved texts, though there will be some pressure to use the new version, so as to match what people read in the mass-produced worship-aid booklets or in hand missals.
    Thanked by 1marymezzo
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    For the USA, GIRM 61 grandfathers musical settings of translations of the psalms previously approved for liturgical use.
    Thanked by 5rich_enough WGS CHGiffen chonak marymezzo
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 548
    1) Psalm-tone the verses. I would think after X years of singing Nickel et al., it wouldn’t be that difficult a change to move to tone on top, words on bottom.
    2) For the antiphons – aren’t they theoretically separated in some way from the verses, and already retranslated in ‘11?
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    The antiphons were not affected by the Missal translation in '11, since they are contained in the Lectionary, which has not been replaced yet.
  • marymezzomarymezzo
    Posts: 236
    Thanks, all--particularly Richard C. and Liam. I would definitely appreciate it if we didn't *have* to change texts unless we wanted to. That said, there are some words I would change.

    Sometimes we sneak in Ted Marier's Psalm 23 (an extremely rare case of our singing something that is under copyright), but when I prepared it for a funeral some weeks ago, I changed the last line of the last verse to "I will dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days unending." The last four words reflect the new Abbey Psalms.

    OK, I guess I can stop worrying. :-)


    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    I wouldn't even change them; I think they qualify as having been approved already.
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