Latin Responsorial Psalms
  • Pax
    Posts: 13
    My parish is starting a once monthly Novus Ordo in Latin and I am struggling to find resources for the responsorial psalm and alleluia. I know we could chant the gradual and alleluia from the GR but I'm looking for something simpler... Does anyone know if there is a collection of responsorial psalms in Latin that we could use? If it has the alleluia verse set in Latin too that would be also really helpful.
  • trentonjconn
    Posts: 713
    There are settings of both in the Graduale Simplex, though they are mostly seasonal as opposed to being the ones from the lectionary.
    Thanked by 1Andrew_Malton
  • DOAdvocate
    Posts: 19
    May I suggest the graduale simplex? I have no experience of using it, but I have the book and it is indeed much simpler than the GR.
    Thanked by 1Andrew_Malton
  • DOAdvocate
    Posts: 19
    My apologies @trentonjconn, I didn’t see your post when I posted my own comment.
    Thanked by 1trentonjconn
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,207
    In my opinion the Graduale Simplex is the very best choice, better than the Roman Gradual, for use with Novus in Latin. Modernized from traditional sources, designed for ease of use and for lay participation;, it goes with the Missal of the Novus rite perfectly.
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 587
    I imagine you are already aware of it, but perhaps Chants Abrégés might be useful. https://archive.ccwatershed.org/media/pdfs/15/11/18/11-19-50_0.pdf

    It provides the gradual in a psalm tone, and then the alleluia with some or all of its characteristic melisma intact, with the verse in a psalm tone.

    It was made for the old Mass, but all one has to do is look up in the index the gradual or alleluia prescribed in the new liturgy.

    Or Bloomfield’s Propers tool will let you select a psalm-toned gradual, and varying degrees of simplification on the alleluia.

    https://bbloomf.github.io/jgabc/propers.html#sundayNovus=Nativity+Mass+at+Midnight#styleIntroitus=psalm-tone#styleGraduale=psalm-tone#styleTractus=psalm-tone;1f#styleAlleluia=psalm-tone#styleOffertorium=psalm-tone#styleCommunio=psalm-tone
    Thanked by 2trentonjconn AngelaR
  • smvanroodesmvanroode
    Posts: 1,038
    If the Gradual and Alleluia from the Graduale Romanum are too difficult to sing, the Graduale simplex is your next source of Gregorian chant. I would discourage to use a psalm tone for the Gradual; that this method wasn’t adopted as a suitable remedy for the more challenging parts of the Graduale Romanum is the sole reason the Graduale simplex was put together (see Eckhard Jaschinski, Musica sacra oder Musik im Gottesdienst?)

    Just look up in the index if the responsorial psalm is somewhere in the GS and use that one. Otherwise, you can look for one of the seasonal psalms (which is allowed according to GIRM).

    Sometimes, I compose a responsorial psalm in the style of the GS myself. There are a couple of melodic families, and each uses a flexible formula to set the refrain. @Paul F. Ford has made a practical overview a long time ago.
    Thanked by 1Andrew_Malton
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,538
    One thing to note about GS, the Responsorial psalms are responsaries(!) The intention is (or was) that the congregation should repeat the respond directly after its first occurrence in the first verse, not that the cantor should start by stating it as if it were an antiphon as is done in the lectionary.
    Thanked by 2Roborgelmeister M. Jackson Osborn
  • igneusigneus
    Posts: 406
    There is a collection of GS-style Latin responsorial psalms by Jiří Kub, covering a large portion of the liturgical year, but unfortunately the website has been down since several months now and the webarchive didn't harvest the actual music.
    Thanked by 1smvanroode
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