New Complete Settings of Responsorial Psalms (Note: this is NOT CHANT.)
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 781
    In my opinion, these are very well-written, singable Psalms, complete for Year A with lectionary texts (with years B and C coming) for those who want more variety than psalm-tone verses. (can be adapted for use with the organ.)

    http://ilpmusic.hostasaurus.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=VA&Category_Code=printed

    Once again: these are NOT CHANT, (but useful for those who want to sing through-composed verses without singing the typical Haugen/Haas fare,) so since I have warned you, if you have anything negative to say then please keep it to yourself. thanks!
  • I sat at an Anglican service today and said to myself that it is time to wrest away the Reponsorial Psalm away from being sung poorly to poor music all in the sake of having the responsorial psalm sung and participated in by the people, and just sing the psalm.

    This music beats the heck out of the pulp psalm books.

    Let the psalms be sung.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,202
    Well, to agree with marajoy, these are certainly not chant. They are in what I suppose are called contemporary styles, for people who like that sort of thing. And I think they would be nice music for certain purposes. It would be interesting to find out whether any congregations in the world find it possible to successfully sing the refrains. If not, that might be considered as constituting a step toward the restoration of the legitimate role of the choir in singing the gradual psalm.

    There. I hope that was sufficiently free of anything negative! :-)
  • Donnaswan
    Posts: 585
    Frogman, I also sat in an Anglican service yesterday. In the choir loft! what a pleasure to look out at a congregation in which at least 90% were holding open hymnals and singing enthusiastically even a rather difficult Gerald Near hymn- Jesus came adored by angels- 'Newby'. The congregation here also sings the psalm- set to modified Anglican chant with a cantor on the first half, cong and choir on 2nd half.
  • BruceL
    Posts: 1,072
    In this vein, marajoy, you might look at this site: http://www.modernpsalter.com/songs

    They are free, which is a bonus. I have to admit, in all charity, that I don't see it as a way forward at Mass; perhaps in popular devotion, etc. At least the appropriate texts are being used, and I am acquainted with one of the composers and can vouch that doctrinally he is "with the Church". However, I'm not sure that these styles constitute what Paul VI might have considered "worthy of the temple".

    I agree that these don't have psalm tone verses, but when that particular trait is the qualifier, I tend to think of Fr. Chepponis's psalms or things like that. The psalms in your link not only have through-composed verses, but (I would argue...positively!) have a compositional approach which seems to favor music/melody over text...that would be my biggest gripe.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,466
    Anything that gets the Proper texts into mainstream use is welcome, in my opinion.
    (I would love to see contemporary-style setting of the introits, offertories, and communios, too... at least we'd have the right text).

    I know, I know... commence with the objections that such a thing would be awful