By Flowing Waters: Chant for the Liturgy, on sale for $9.98 a copy!

http://www.litpress.org/Detail.aspx?ISBN=0814625959

http://www.pford.stjohnsem.edu/ford/by-flowing-waters/index.htm

I am prejudiced, of course.

The Anglican Use Gradual is only minimally satisfactory in regard to settings of the propers, mainly because the difficult chants are generally replaced with Psalm-tone settings. We used one of those for an Introit at one of the Holy Week liturgies, and the text was perfect, but the melody was just Mode VII recitation.

Dr. Ford's book is an excellent resource and actually contains propers to use at most Masses of the year. By definition, no book of substitutes is ideal, but BFW is a great place to start (or continue) a movement towards chant in your parish and with your choir. Plus it's a bargain . . . the Graduale Romanum is not.

Contact Fr. Weber. I have many of his Mass settings in simple chant form.

Lest anyone be deceived, BFW is not a resource that contains many “proper” chants, in the sense that “proper” means “appointed for a particular day”. What it generally gives are seasonal chants to be sung at the entrance, between the readings, offertory, and communion.

I am surprised Dr. Ford didn’t mention his “Psallite” project, which (IIRC) is essentially a new Mass proper. It has “proper” texts appointed for entrance, responsorial psalm, and communion for each Sunday (and solemnity and feast of the Lord) of the year.

You can find out more about Psallite on the Liturgical Press website, www.litpress.org There are music samples and an introductory video. Although the idea behind the series is noble, I find most of the music trite and not in line with the ideal of Gregorian chant. That is, the music is all in 2/4 or 3/4 time - no groups of two's and three's here. There are suggestions of modal music, but these are interrupted by dominant and chormatic harmony. And it does not pass my near fool-proof (there are a few noteworthy exceptions) lithmus test: syncopation. It's no wonder Dr. Ford first suggested "By Flowing Waters," which at its core is a translation of an official liturgical book, the Graduale Simplex. Until we have an offical English translation of all the propers, I wouldn't spend too much time having the congregation learn antiphons from a cellection like Psallite. You could, however, have the choir (two or more people) chant, for example, the offertory from the American Gradual (St. James press, $99 with permission to reprint freely).

Paul, thanks for that comparison. It's nice to know that I will be able to use the OT9 Propers. I may do an adaptation of a couple of Graduale chants if I have time, but I want to do a chant Mass completely in English as a demonstration at a completely OCP Parish.

OCP = Oregon Catholic Press

jdambuul asked:

So if I buy the By Flowing Waters then I will have all the chants that are listed as contained in The Simple Gradual but they will be in English?

Yes, and even more: Some of the chants will also be in their original Greek or Latin; there are also most of the Jubilate Deo chants; the readings tones of the Ordo Cantus Missae; the Apostles' Creed in question and answer form in the Ambrosian style (BFW 626) for use during the Easter Season; and one Englished chant from the Roman Gradual (the Antequam nascerer of the final commendation and farewell, one of the oldest parts of the funeral liturgy, BFW 546)

Paul,

Actually we will do much of this. Not sure if I can manage the procession since we have only a couple of weeks to polish up the chants. We are planning to sing all of the readings (they are letting us do whatever we want) and adding the doxologies. My group is used to doing this for the EF Mass, so now they don't need to work out the Latin and the chants are a bit easier. I'll be sure to send a report.

We have just ordered 8 BFW for the cantors at St. john Neumann, Knoxville. We eventually plan to outfit the entire choir with them, once we have the The Parish Book of Chant in the hands of each and ever choir members...and paid for.

noel at sjnmusic.com

I for one will be asking the members of my group to purchase a copy. I'm sure that we will use it frequently.

Thanks for this discussion. I've had a copy of BFW since a conference in 2000 and could never sell anyone on it. But right now the only person I need to convince is me.

While I'm shoving the neophytes in my schola toward neumes and Latin, I do have a heart. So this might be another way to give them a break from complexity and still have something that's not just an exercise. They're also having trouble mastering pointed text and these psalms, with their very clear pointing, might bring them along on that score.

So keep reminding us, Paul.

The Simple English Propers!

I, too, enjoy and have often used the Willan propers. But, it should be known that Willan never used these settings in his church. He was a chant man--all the way.

Can we choose not to "go there" yet in another thread ad nauseum? We always just end up chasing our tales. (Yes, that was on purpose.)

Charles

In my mind chant is the musical prayer of the Mass, is most natural to the idiom of the liturgy, requires no professional musician to be present, and can be employed by a priest and a one person congregation at any geographical point on or off the globe. That's why it's the best choice. However, polyphony shares a very close second because it is the first child of the plainchant form. But I would daresay there are less Churches that can or do employ polyphony just because of the musical resources needed. I recently read (might have been >•<) chant is employed in only 1% of parishes at the present, which means polyphonic choirs might be less than that. Would you tend to agree? Or do you think there is a greater use of the polyphonic form over chant?

Francis, I believe I've echoed those very sentiments repeatedly here, Cafe and my blog. I've gone to five colloquia and three intensives, and we chant weekly, though not exclusively. So, I really shouldn't have to re-iterate my personal preferences for the musical medium that, were it within my power, ought to be solely employed.
But I have neither been to the wine cellar this MORNING nor am trying to appear obstinate. I'm trying to remind ourselves and newbies/lurkers that we've debated these ideals and priorities hundreds of times over the years, that's all.
As a pragmatist, I don't see much exhortational value in preaching to the choir here about chant pre-eminence. We all know too well that the slow and steady progress that IS being achieved can be quashed in a heartbeat with the change of a pastor, or the release of a rock-solid choir director or DM for unfathomable or unknown reasons.
It's simple, really: someone with a modicum of interest, intelligence and a charitable, honest heart can tell if the music employed at a liturgy edified it with solemnity, integrity and beauty, not to mention humility (which is my personal bugaboo.) That same person could attend an "event" Mass featuring a Hadyn classical setting and discern whether they felt like they worshipped, or were relegated to being part of the audience at a show.
'Nuff said.

Francis, it depends on the season. During Lent, we use chant for nearly everything, and almost as much during Advent. Less, so at other times. We have polyphony, as well. The Anglicans perfected sacred music in English long ago, so their wonderful music is dear to us and often used. We are not a 100% Gregorian chant parish and have no desire to be. We have an EF mass weekly where that music is most in its element.

Miacoyne:

Thank you for your encouraging words.

It can only be a vain effort to steer people away from the desires of our Mother (Church), and one that will only appear foolish as time progresses. We MUST return to our roots, and GC is the root of prayer in the music of the liturgy. Our present circumstances will one day appear as the "silly blip on the radar screen of liturgical history" and will get nothing but a puzzling glance from the Church of the future as she becomes grounded once again in her traditions. The gates of hell will not prevail. I can almost hear them now saying something like, "what in the heck were the people in that era thinking?"

Until that time comes, Serva Fidum.

I have been posting my chant psalm settings for MWF daily masses, but not Sundays - on this site - Kevin

Charles, Charles and Mia:

I will whisper my thoughts to you.