Mia: We should talk. I'll be glad to share tips/tricks/methods that have worked for me.

Mia, I get our propers from

Large format propers from the ICKSP (Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest)

I have been using Snipping Tool to cut-and-paste together the propers, using Mass and Vespers where possible (i.e., it agrees most of the time with the LU), and using the Communio settings here on Musica Sacra because they have the verses already set. (I wish they were formatted in the 8.5 x 11 page size, as there are several of us who need the propers larger--and most of the places we sing have totally inadequate lighting in the loft, so even the youngsters are grateful for the larger ones!) But recently I've been using ReneGoupil.org (the EF section of Corpus Christi Watershed; Jogues Chant is the OF section).

I include the collects and readings, so that when we put together our folders (The Black Folder with both rings and strings) one just keeps turning pages, and I put things that go together (Gradual and Alleluia) with the first page hole-punched on the right, so there is no page turn in between them. We have separate pages for the Asperges or Vidi aquam, the Mass parts, and the dialogues that go into their correct places, so we don't even have to use the PBC unless we want to. The only thing I have not printed is the Canon--most of us have hand missals or use the red paper missal.

Our schola celebrates its third anniversary this August, and we have assembled quite a collection of propers and Masses and repertoire (mostly PD and Creative Commons but also some purchased music--Durufle's Ubi caritas, for one) at this point! Everyone has a second large binder and keeps their own copies of everything so they have their own 'hieroglyphics' as I call them! I have extensive notes with my copies so that we know what we did last year on each day, what worked, what didn't, where the snares for the unwary were, if the celebrant had any requests/comments, and so forth. There is an Excel file with our repertoire database (not including propers) that I send out every so often, asking if everyone has everything or to let me know if they need it.

Thank you and these are all good, but it seems there's only one book of Gregorian Propers, as far as I know, Liber Usualis, which is kind of heavy to hold and sing from, and it doesn't have verses nor the translations. Since we have English Propers together in a book for OF, such as SEP and Simple Choral Gradual, maybe it's possible to put Gregorian Propers for EF together, especially since the Pope and the Church want to have more EF Masses in parishes? It will certainly make it easier and encourage more schola to sing Missa Cantata and help the directors to prepare. Maybe there are people already have them all together in their computer and willing to put them on-line to share?

(and thank you, CHGiffen, for the kind words. It's such a blessing that our schola, which started as a small Gregorian chant study group, is now singing EF Mass. What an honour for us. Through CMAA forum, Colloquium and the chapter meeting, I got lots of help. Daniel Page has been a big help, and Jenny whom I met through CMAA is also coming to sing with us. And my two boys are learning to serve Traditional Mass with the main server, a young man converted about 3 years ago ( while he was getting a graduate degree in history, he discovered the true Church.). It was truly moving when those three servers swept 40 some years of dust under the wood cover of the steps below the altar table, (which is used for OF Mass on other day,s and we have to put them back after EF Mass) and beautiful to see these young people and the celebrant learning to do High Mass step by step to make the liturgy more beautiful. There are so much to share.)

Mia, Go to MusicaSacra, click on chant books, go down to Latin chant books, and click on "Mass and Vespers". This is a 2000 page book published in 1957 that has every piece of chant you will ever need, completely translated on every page. It is far better than the gregorian missal. The only problem is that it contains all of the readings for the Mass, so you must cut and paste and enlarge the propers. But once you've done it for one year, you've got it. Enlarge every chant so that it fits the entire page. I also notate the salicuses and quilismas, for quick reading, and also the groups of three for rhythmic unity which makes for much faster learning. I downloaded the propers section of this book onto a flash drive and took it to a printing store to make it into a binder. They enlarged it for me. The first year, It took me about an hour a week to prepare the propers. Once done, it's mine forever. Now, I just pull the propers for each week. The keys to efficient teaching of chant, week after week, are rhythm and TRANSLATION. Not only is it spiritually beneficial to know what you are singing, but it cuts the learning time in half.

Dear frogman, I would be glad to share if I knew how to scan!!!! I'm sure I could figure it out. I could put just one Sunday up so you could see it. How do I go about this? Is this like asking someone over the telephone how to put the car in second gear?

Forgot to mention that pdf files open in Photoshop and you can save each page as a Tif file. Then crop them.

Often, a church secretary knows how to do this....

You must have worked at some pretty progressive parishes.

While I have a scanner at home, I've been moving more and more toward just cropping the parts I need from Mass and Vespers and pasting them into a Word file, then using PrimoPDF to save it as a pdf so I can send it to my scholistas and let them print it out in advance or if they miss rehearsal. I don't have PhotoShop so I use Snipping Tool (on a Toshiba with Windows 7; there are other screen capture utilities available, I'm sure). I play with the size of the original on-screen to get a really good readable jpg output, and because I use a large-screen laptop I usually end up with half a page of M&V or the LU per jpg, which actually helps in the paste-up stage as it gives some flexibility as to page breaks.

I am slowly starting to scan the ones I had previously done as paste-ups (but it's job #437...).

I do put in the collect(s) and the Epistle and Gospel so that we can follow along in our folders rather than having another book/missal/paper to juggle.

Patricia, rsven: I would be very interested in feedback regarding several online alternatives for providing chant scores for your scholas.

At the ICRSS website (no English translation): 7th Sunday after Pentecost
At Rene Goupil website (with English Translation):

These are both very nice resources. Yet I would still end up having to cut-and-paste a bit because:

1. I like to have the full Gloria Patri after the introit (ICRSS has only the abbreviated);
2. I usually use the gradual and alleluia with simplified verses from R. Rice's Simple Gradual;
3. I like to sing the offertory with a verse (from R. Rice's Simplified Offertory Verses) (neither ICRSS nor RG have the offertory verse); and
4. I like to sing the communion with a verse and Gloria Patri (neither ICRSS nor RG have the offertory verse).

These are not criticisms of either resource. They just reflect that the perfect resource is the one customized to my particular needs, and that in an age when the Graduale Romanum, Liber Usualis, Simple English Propers, Parish Book of Chant, R. Rice's Simple Offertory Verses and Simple Gradual and Communios with Verses, are just a click a way, I have the luxury of customizing them to my needs.

Actually, the Rene Goupil looks good. The last time I had checked them, some time ago, the Gradual and Alleluia were abreviated, but these are the full chants. The Gloria Patri for the Introit is missing, as well as Offeratory verse and Communion verses. But these are downloadable from the CMAA website, and could be pasted in place. The only advantage the Mass and Vespers from 1957 has is that the translation is quite prominent, in the upper right hand corner of the chant, hard to miss. Were I starting from scratch, I would gladly use the Ren Goupil if every Sunday is complete like this one. I do have hard copies, enough for everyone, in a file for every Sunday. I hand out two packets at rehearsal: one with Propers, four pages double-sided and stapled, easy to hold; and one for Ordinaries, held together with a clip so that I can change the Mass settings when needed. These are easier to hold than a binder, and it has worked for us. We need nothing else, except everyone has a Parish Book of Chant, and there are the polyphony handouts when we are together enough to be able to include that! The only other tip I can give is that I notate the Proper scores: quilismas, salicuses, and circled groups of three. Sometimes in rehearsal I have the schola circle the verbs in the text, which seems to bring home the textual structure. You have to be a bit of a third grade teacher here, sorry.

rsven, BTW, I have two teachers in my schola, kindergarten and high school, so jokes about what to mark and how abound...and because the majority of the singers are not trained musicians, but 'just' wonderful people, the group is hungry for any and all knowledge/teaching. They are a joy to train and conduct.

Just so everyone is aware: ReneGoupil is unique that we have always included (and continue to include) EVERY Gloria Patri (fully written out) for every Introit 100% of the time.

I thought I saw a comment that says ReneGoupil does not provide the written out Gloria Patri.

It absolutely DOES . . . just scroll down to the bottom of each page.

God bless.

JMO, I stand corrected: renegoupil does have the full Gloria Patri; I didn't scroll down enough. Patricia C., what is a work church Anglican? Sounds intriguing. When I started in my schola, they were used to singing the Rosinni's, and eyed me with great suspicion when I brought in the first real communio. I had to resort to help from a religious brother to persuade them that this was the preferred thing! I don't want to go too far afield from our topic here, but there are other issues I would like to discuss with this group about scholas that sing the propers often. Maybe someone can start a new thread? And Arthur Connick, these are beautiful renditions. Do you do them yourself? Are the Mass Propers translated as well? And, in particular, I am interested in the compline. I would be interested in purchasing a complete setting for it. I am only familiar with the novus ordo office, (in English), but want to learn the ER, which I assume this is. From this discussion, I see that there are some beautiful settings out there being cut and pasted for ER scholas, although no official book exists for practical use. There are some directors, especially with a religious life background, who insist on singing from the Liber U. But in my experience, this doesn't work with my group. And--all that I've done, I copied from Scott Turkington, whose teaching has been invaluable. Thank you, Scott.

Patricia Cecilia, Sounds heavenly. I, too, am a convert from the Episcopal Church. Now I know why you sound so familiar to me! May we all eventually be one. Do you do a children's choir?