Introits left out of many chant books
  • unfatmatt
    Posts: 29
    Going through the various chant books on the site (in pdf form) I've noticed that at least one of them, The Chant Abreges, only includes the gradual, alleluia, and offertory chants, but no Introit or Communion chants. If the Introit and Communion chants are required, then why doesn't Chant Abreges (and others?) include them?
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    because this book is highly specialized. It provides easier Graduals, Alleluias, and some Offertories. That's its purpose. If you want all the chants, you have to go to the Graduale or the Gregorian Missal or Mass and Vespers.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    To expand on that a little: there is greater demand for simplified settings of the Graduals, Alleluias, and Offertories, because the Introits and Communions tend to be stylistically easier than them.
  • unfatmatt
    Posts: 29
    Okay. That makes sense.
  • Steve CollinsSteve Collins
    Posts: 1,022
    Another aspect - practicality. There is almost always plenty of time for the Introit at an EF Mass, and then the Kyrie. There is likewise, usually plenty of time for the Offertory. But the Gradual/Alleluia(Tract) can add so much time between the Readings that the ministers could sit down longer than during the schola singing the Gloria. We usually rely on Rev. Rossini for those Propers - because of time constraints - and go with the Graduale versions of the Introit and Communion.
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