What to do when texts are missing?
  • FelipeRR
    Posts: 5
    Hello everyone! I've been reading some threads in this forum for a while and I've learned a lot. Thank you all!
    I hope you can help me to solve a question I've been pondering for a long time.

    I'm working on composing some Masses to accompany the milestones that occur during Seminary: Admission rite, ministries, diaconal and priestly ordinations. For the proper antiphons I'm using the translations published in the Missal and the Pontifical (In my diocese most of the clergy is not very fond of Latin). In the pontifical, the antiphon is always accompanied by a psalm, so I just have to take the text and set it to music, it may no be an easy task, but at least it is straightforward. The problem arrives when the antiphon is only present in the Missal, because I have no psalm suggestion and these kind of Masses have long entrance and communion processions (specially the ordinations!) and the use of incense makes the offertory longer than usual as well, so using the antiphon and the doxology wouldn't be enough. What should I do? I've sketched some solutions but I'm not sure if they are appropriate:

    1. When the antiphon in the Missal coincides with the Graduale I just use the psalm that is suggested by the Graduale.
    2. When the antiphon in the Missal doesn't coincide with the Graduale, but it is a psalm versicle, I tend to use the rest of the psalm.
    3. When the antiphon is not from a psalm and isn't in the Graduale, I tend to select a psalm that reflects the theme of the antiphon or the rite (psalm 33(34) for communion, one that talks of offering for the offertorium, etc.).

    Do you think this is a reasonable and appropriate solution?

    PS. The interest in these particular Masses is because I'm a seminarian.
    PPS. As you might have guessed I'm not a native English speaker, so Ii apologize for any mistakes in grammar or spelling.
  • Anna_BendiksenAnna_Bendiksen
    Posts: 244
    As you might have guessed I'm not a native English speaker, so I apologize for any mistakes in grammar or spelling.


    I do not know the answer to your questions, but I am a teacher of English as a Second Language and would say that your written English (as evidenced by this post, at least) surpasses that of many native speakers.
    Thanked by 6WGS amindthatsuits tomjaw CHGiffen FelipeRR Elmar
  • amindthatsuits
    Posts: 860
    Ditto from this ESL teacher: good job. And I, too, have no idea of the answer. Sorry!

    Kenneth
    Thanked by 2tomjaw FelipeRR
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,311
    That's exactly the way to do it, I think, and it's more or less the way that the actual Gregorian propers work, although for (3), the propers have a fairly narrow range (e.g. you hear "Cantate Domino canticum novum quia mirabilia fecit" a lot at the Introit).
    Thanked by 3a_f_hawkins FelipeRR Elmar
  • FelipeRR
    Posts: 5
    Thank you all for the advice and the encouragement!
    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
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