Emergency situation: Laetare Sunday coming up, and I have no organ music
  • Imperator
    Posts: 11
    Greetings, everyone. I just joined this forum; I'm a young male college student and a regular choir member at a very typical suburban parish church (which will remain nameless) that has just recently implemented the motu proprio, and is having high Tridentine Masses every Sunday.

    I have a major problem, though: this church has next to nothing when it comes to musical literature, other than the green Gather hymnals, and that just isn't going to cut it. We've sung the past two Masses a cappella, and in my opinion, we (except for a smaller group of singers who sing Gregorian and polyphony regularly at another parish) sound horrible and even afraid to sing lest we sound even more off key than we already are.

    I'm here to ask a few questions on behalf of my church's organist (who is a Franciscan friar and doesn't use computers). They are:

    1.) What books should I get that have full organ accompaniment of the Ordinary and Proper chants of the Mass? Responses, too (like "et cum spiritu tuo").

    2.) What books can I get for organ interludes (Offertory, Communion, before and after the sermon) and anthems for before and after Mass?

    3.) What books would you recommend for traditional Latin or vernacular congregational hymns for processionals and recessionals?

    4.) For the Offertory Proper chant, are there any psalm verses to sing at the end of them in order to repeat the antiphon, like the Communion Proper verses?

    5.) And finally for now, the next choir rehearsal is this Thursday. Sad to say, I need this stuff by then, or we're in trouble. Can anyone direct me to an online, printable source for these things? Or is anyone charitable enough to be willing to scan and email some of these for me? I will purchase the books in any case, but they really are needed as soon as possible. If anyone is willing to do this for me, I will send your parish a small donation and offer up my personal Mass intention for your parish.

    Thanks for your time, in any case. I'll add here that I'm not really musically literate (I neither sightread nor play any instruments). I just sing on a volunteer basis. I have, however, studied a bit of Gregorian chant under Dr. Susan Treacy at Ave Maria University for the one semester I was there.
  • G
    Posts: 1,400
    I would recommend the Benoit Elevations for 2.)
    Unfortunately I don't have the capacity to scan or email, sorry.
    There are a few sites on line to download keyboard music.
    http://icking-music-archive.org/ByComposer.php
    is one to check out. Good luck.

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
  • Jscola30
    Posts: 116
    I'd reccommend these: http://www.pcpbooks.com/new_books_pages/proprium_de_tempore_organ.htm for the propers

    http://www.pcpbooks.com/new_books_pages/kyriale_organ.htm and this for the kryiale



    You could try and overnight them, sorry I don't know of any online sources. What mass ordinary are you using? I may be able to copy some things out of the St. Gregory Hymnal for you. Email me at Jscola30 AT aol DOT com (done that way to prevent spam)
  • Jscola30
    Posts: 116
    (The stuff from the St. Gregory Hymnal I can scan and email hopefully)

    As fas as books for hymns....right now for the Extraordinary form, you're kinda stuck. Some people have used the Traditional Roman Hymnal, by the SSPX and inserted a notice saying our parish doesn't agree with the aims of the SSPX. After that I would say the best hymnals out there are probably Adoremus, Collegeville, St. Michael's and Worship III. (I would also add the People's Mass book, but I don't think that would help you that much.) I would guess, although in some ways it is limiting, Adoremus is probably the best for you. You might also look into Laus Tibi Christe, by OCP of all places, a book of Latin hymns and chants.
  • incantuincantu
    Posts: 989
    I don't know these. What are they like?

    >I would recommend the Benoit Elevations for 2.
  • Jscola30
    Posts: 116
    entry deleted
  • G
    Posts: 1,400
    The Elevations by Dom Benoit are modal, impressionistic. Generally quite short. There is, within their similarity in all being gentle, "thoughtful" sounding, a great variety: some are nearly diatonic, some so chromatic that I've had people ask me if I was "playing wrong notes."
    It is not licit to use them for the purpose they were intended, but they work beautifully at other points in the Mass.

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
  • Imperator
    Posts: 11
    Reply to G:

    Wow, that site looks like a treasure trove. (this one: http://icking-music-archive.org/ByComposer.php). Does anyone have recommendations for pieces that I could print out and show to my organist? Remember, I'm not literate in organ music, so almost none of these titles are familiar to me. You'll have to break it down to me Barney-style and say [so and so title] is appropriate for a prelude, etc. BTW, does the title "Elevations" imply that those pieces were originally intended to be played at the Elevation of the Host and Chalice, as some churches did back in the old days? I was wondering if those are the same pieces that another (much more traditional) church I go to plays during Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Very climactic and dramatic as the priest lifts the monstrance over the people.

    Reply to JScola: Alright, I'll see to it that those two books are purchased. The Mass setting we're using is VIII-de Angelis and III for the Credo. Actually, we've only been using VIII for the Kyrie so far; this church has been using "Jubilate Deo" for the Sanctus and Agnus Dei, even though I'm pretty sure those are intended for the Latin Novus Ordo Mass. I'll send you that email shortly.

    Regarding the hymnals, I don't mind buying books from Angelus Press. Printing the notice sounds like a good idea. I ordered the Adoremus Hymnal organ edition but I'm still waiting for it to come in. At Ave Maria, we had hundreds of these books.

    Still begging for good organ resources for next rehearsal!
  • Jscola30
    Posts: 116
    The Sanctus and the Agnus are from Mass XVIII, besides being used in the Requiem Mass, they are pre-Vatican II as well.
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 968
    I have a copy of the Nova Organi Harmonia that I recently received from a bookseller in Germany. It has the propers only -- no Kyriale, etc. Perhaps I could scan them and send to you? contact me at: gorbitzoj at bellsouth dot net.
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 968
    Postscript... I could swear there was a website with accompaniments for all the propers out there in the world wide web.

    Prior to putting together the music booklets for our workshop, I had found a site with all the accompaniments there and used them for my booklet I prepared (just in case) for organ accompaniment. I had accompaniment books, but liked the idea of just preparing handout books, rather than messing around with trying to prop open my hardbound books (and having to haul them around). Now I cannot find where I found it. I apparently didn't save it in my favorites and am very frustrated with looking for it... I was going to send the link to Imperator for future use, but haven't been able to locate it... help, anyone?
  • Imperator
    Posts: 11
    Jscola said:

    "The Sanctus and the Agnus are from Mass XVIII, besides being used in the Requiem Mass, they are pre-Vatican II as well."

    Thanks, I didn't know that. I thought they were composed specifically for the Novus Ordo Mass because they're so short; since the priest can't begin the Canon until the singing is done in the NO.
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