Plainsong for Schools Pt 1 & 2
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,704
    This book is edited by the Musical Commission of the Archdiocese of Liverpool, with the approval of the Archbishop. It purpose is to provide a good selection of Plainsong for use in the Schools of the Archdiocese, in which the standard of Plainsong is the Vatican Edition in four-line notation, with the Solesmes rhythmic signs.

    Originally published in c. 1930 , I have copies from the 1930's to the 1960's.

    I have now scanned Plainsong for Schools Pt1 and Pt2. These have been scanned at 300dpi, most of the content has been already coded in GABC. An Organ edition was also published, I have access to the Pt 1 copy, which I hope to scan at some stage.

    Plainsong for Schools Pt 1

    Plainsong for Schools pt2

    Here is the forward by the Archbishop of Liverpool,
    It is with great pleasure that I commend this little manual to the notice of the English-speaking Catholic public. It is something that has been wanted in connection with the recent movement to popularise Plain Chant. Here in Liverpool, and I am told also in Birmingham, Cardiff, and Nottingham, many people have been converted to the Plain Chant movement by simple lessons and practical demonstrations given by members of the Society of St. Gregory. Since then our main need has been for a reliable text-book suitable for use in schools, and I am happy to think that this need has now been adequately supplied. It has been gratifying to see that way in which the music of the Church has been appreciated by those who have taken the trouble to master its principles and method. Like the Liturgy it is in itself a prayer, and act of worship. It cannot be judged by ordinary musical canons, for it is more than music, and has higher aims than nearly to delight the aesthetic sense. It must be studied in its rudiment as carefully as mathematics, and the student obviously needs the anchorage of the printed word. This instruction is excellently given in the introduction which has be compiled by the Benedictine Dames of Stanbrook Abbey. +Richard July 4th 1930.
    Thanked by 8OMagnumMysterium CHGiffen Lars StimsonInRehab a_f_hawkins ServiamScores Joseph Michael francis
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,724
    In the interest of perhaps making this a little more portable from one device to another, as well as making it searchable, I've combined all the images into a single master PDF file (vols. 1&2) as well as applied OCR so it is searchable. Since, at the moment, the forum isn't accepting this 60mb file, here is a dropbox link. Perhaps one of the admin can take this file and host it on the CMAA resources page, at which point I'll pull the link.

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/299q5bxlbu96jo68djzgl/Plainsong-for-Schools-Vols.-1-2-OCR.pdf?rlkey=kmb1fkcuuoc1dzp6bex7z48yw&dl=0
    Thanked by 3chonak OMagnumMysterium tomjaw
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,724
    here's a 21mb "compressed" version, although there is visible artifacting compared to the original.

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/v7uq51xnacf1jew4xgwve/Plainsong-for-Schools-Vols.-1-2-OCR-compressed.pdf?rlkey=e32w1c40pc14vo4lrb2uaa6zb&dl=0
    Thanked by 2OMagnumMysterium tomjaw
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,704
    I have been looking through my copies,
    My earliest edition is from 1931 (part 1 hardback) the second edition was published around 1934, my earliest edition is from 1937. I have editions in either paperback or hardback from 1940, 1953, 1960 and 1961.

    The pages with the Marian Anthems were modified to add the versicle, response and prayers adding page 72A and 72B and the prayer for the king was swapped for the prayer for the queen in the 1953 edition.

    The Foreword from the second edition I have typed below, Dom Dominic Willson, O.S.B. "labour of love" was in print for 30 years. He is mentioned in The Caecilia Feb 1937 pg. 64 and here in New records Vol 4. Priest’s Chants with Responses (Vatican Chant) In Latin.

    I have great pleasure in recommending to the public the second volume of "Plain Song for Schools". The reception accorded to the first volume has been most gratifying, and we trust that these two volumes will become widely known and extensively used. This second volume contains the Proper Masses for Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, Christ the King, the Immaculate Conception, and the votive Mass of the Blessed Sacrament for use at Quarant' Ore, also the Litany of the Saints; and Sunday Vespers, and an excellent collection of hymns and motets for various occasions. We congratulate Dom Dominic Willson, O.S.B., on the success which has so far attended his labour of love, and we feel sure that this second volume of his work will achieve the wide circulation which it deserves. +Richard 20th January 1934.
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