English Propers in Psalm Tones
  • larry rutherford
    Posts: 10
    While I was directing a polyphonic/Gregorian chant choir I thought that we should be singing all of the propers of the Mass. Since there was no satisfactory source in English, I began creating my own psalm tone propers for this purpose. The psalm tones are easy to learn and required little rehearsal time. We sang the propers in 4-part harmony although they could readily be sung in unison if the choir was less proficient. Attached is a sample of these English Propers, this one being for the 8th Sunday in Ordinary time. I have completed about 75% of the project and would appreciate your feedback.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    Nicely done! I think this could be helpful to many people, especially with the way you've formatted the texts and psalm tones.

    Welcome to the forum!
  • mhjell
    Posts: 32
    Very interesting! The formatting is indeed helpful in a number of ways.

    I am looking for psalm tones to substitute for Respond & Acclaim settings of the Responsorial Psalm & Alleluia. Repetition of the tone in response and verse is exactly what we want to do in our small parish setting. Repetition in the Gospel Acclamation might be especially helpful.

    How many different tone settings are you using for the complete cycle?

    -Mike.

    P.S. If you have Lent settings available, I'd LOVE to look at them since we want to do this for Lent as a trail run. My email address is on my profile.
  • larry rutherford
    Posts: 10
    My intent was to make it easy for even the smallest choir (or a single cantor for that matter) to sing ALL of the proper for a Mass. I believe a single psalm tone for each Mass also provides unity to the liturgy. I have set the liturgical year to 3 psalm tones; tone 6 for ordinary time, tone 2 for Advent and Lent and tone 5 for feast days. Mike, I will send you the Sundays for Lent as soon as I can proof them and put them into PDF format. I will also post them here.

    Larry
  • lmassery
    Posts: 405
    Very useful. Nice work!
  • Blaise
    Posts: 439
    Splendid work! :)
  • larry rutherford
    Posts: 10
    I have attached the proper for the first Sunday of Lent for anyone who would like to see how it works.
    Proper 1st Sunday of Lent.pdf
    581K
  • larry rutherford
    Posts: 10
    Here is the 2nd Sunday of Lent.
    Proper 2nd Sunday - Lent.pdf
    530K
  • mahrt
    Posts: 517
    Congratulations! You have just reinvented the falsobordone. In the sixteenth century, such harmonizations of psalm-tones were used frequently, and their natural progeny is the Anglican chant.

    When you are ready to aim for something slightly more melodic, try the Mass psalmody; examples can be seen in the psalm tones for the introit in the Liber Usualis and in those for the Communions in Communio, available on our web site. I think that just the slightly greater melodic activity in these tones makes quite a bit of difference in making them more solemn and more beautiful.
    Thanked by 2melofluent larry rutherford
  • larry rutherford
    Posts: 10
    Attached is the proper for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time. These are very simple particularly when the psalm tone is sung in unison. They provide the a choir with little experience or training the ability to sing all of the proper for a Mass. Since the psalm tone changes only by season, it is easy to put the words to music without extensive rehearsal time each Sunday. These are a great way to sing the entire Mass including the proper. The harmonies might remind one of the Russian Byzantine chant and are relatively simple as well.
    Proper 18th Sunday Off-Comm.pdf
    250K
    Proper 18th Sunday Resp Gosp.pdf
    563K
    Proper 18th Sunday Introit.pdf
    235K
  • Paul_OnnonhoaratonPaul_Onnonhoaraton
    Posts: 434
    (This post was supposed to go here, but was accidentally posted on a Dutch thread)

    You might also consider the Simple English Psalm Tones, which are almost complete.

    Here's an EXAMPLE, for the coming Sunday.

    The complete set (almost complete) can be found for each feast HERE.
  • felipe_789felipe_789
    Posts: 5
    Mr. Larry Rutherford, English Propers in Psalm Tones, can be adapted to another language? It is forbidden? I saw the books (two volumes) and I want to use the melodies with the Propers of the Mass in another language, if possible, of course. Thank you very much. (Sorry for asking a bit late.)
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    Larry has not used the forum in a couple of years, so he may not see your question, felipe_789.

    He did eventually publish his propers in book form:
    http://www.amazon.com/English-Psalm-Tone-Propers-Liturgical-Year/dp/1482716305

    Thanked by 1GregoryWeber
  • felipe_789felipe_789
    Posts: 5
    Thank you, chonak! I saw Larry publications. I'd like him to see the question. But if you can not, no problem! But can I adapt to another language?
  • larry rutherford
    Posts: 10
    Felipe. You can use the Psalm Tone Propers but I would appreciate it if you purchase the English edition first. What language are you planning to use? I now have a web site here https://notesandquotessite.wordpress.com/blog/ and a Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/Notes-and-Quotes-Classic-Study-Guides-and-Antiphonaries-147643222417635/ I am also currently working on similar psalm tones for the Traditional Latin Mass and a Tenebrae service. Let me know what you do.
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