Mass and Vespers with Gregorian Chant book
  • Hi
    Has anyone ever heard of this book 'Mass and Vespers with Gregorian Chant"? I have a copy of the book but cant find any info on it. Is it rare?
    Thanks for any info on it :)
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,198
    A 1957 book available for download on the CMAA site has that title.
  • Thank you. I think it is readily available thru download, but I have a hard back of it. I cant seem to find anyone else with an actual hard copy of the book. In it written by hand it says: 21 copies, #13.
    Its a lovely book:)
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    It is the greatest book in the world.
  • I think thats one of the first books to have good english translations and clear english instructions for the office.
    I can understand why someone would say it's the greatest book in the world.
    Especially if english is your mother tongue.

    I've always liked the 1960's liturgical books, up to 1969 , even when in english only they were so orthodox.
    Much of what the anglo catholics in the soon-to-be USA ordinariates desire is to use what is mostly identical to the "1965" Latin catholic office and mass books again, most of which was based on or nearly identical to anglican translations.

    The first generation of post-Vat II english liturgy was all due to the anglicans pioneering work.
    But by 1970 it was thrown out for our simplified ICEL of present,

    history is gradually repeating.
    A lesson is to be learned.
  • Hello,
    There is a French version of this "Mass and Vespers" book, it is called "Missel Vespéral Grégorien", available in a few online shops for 55 euros. I bought one two months ago and only yesterday I realized that it is actually the "Mass and Vespers" in French!... or the other way round if you consider Desclée dates and numbering:
    1956 - Desclée No. 804 - "Missel Vespéral Grégorien"
    1957 - Desclée No. 805 - "Mass and Vespers, with Gregorian chant"
    The page structure and page numbering is exactly the same, except that the English PDF has an addendum for the feast propers of the dioceses of USA, when the French one has the propers for France obviously.
    The French one also has a neat addendum in the end: 30 pages listing the correspondence between the EF extraordinary form and OF ordinary form (post-Vatican II) with eventually some changes for the propers; let's say you want to know what to sing on whatever Sunday of ordinary time, the addendum tells which Sunday it is "after Pentecost".

    The French one I bought is a reprint by the Barroux Abbey ; reprint from 2010, as you can see: very recent!
    The pages are "bible-type" thin so the book is not too thick. It has a preface by Cardinal Canizares Llovera, 18th November 2009 - Congregatio de culto divino et disciplina sacramentorum, who blesses the initiative of republishing this old book. More details here (Yep, it's in French).

    I haven't found the English "Mass and Vespers" as a real book. For the moment there is PDF as "chonak" mentioned above.

    Regards.
    Jacques
  • That book is incredible and I would love to own it in hardback (if it didn't cost a zagillion dollars.)
  • Could someone explain to me what the difference is between this book and the Liber Usualis? Is it just the English translations ("just"!) or are there other items?

    What does it contain that is lacking in the Liber ... and what does the Liber contain that is lacking in this book?

    Thanks, folks!