Simple English Propers at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, La Crosse, WI
  • RobertRobert
    Posts: 343
    Nice order of worship! I think it is a great idea to put the music for the propers in the printed order, in modern notation. Some of these antiphons are simple enough that I can see at least some of the congregation joining in if the music were there in front of them. What program do you use for typesetting in modern notation?
  • I use LilyPond with a highly customized template for modern-notation chant. A bit arcane (okay, actually very arcane), but the visual results are completely worth it in my opinion.
  • cdruiz
    Posts: 26
    Aristotle,

    Do you mind if I use your catechesis in our Order of Worship? I'll have to edit it somewhat, of course.
  • cdruiz: Please feel free to use it; also, I'd really appreciate seeing any improvements to my original text.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,199
    Aristotle... this is amazing! Congratulations and best wishes from Hudson, Wisconsin (I've dear friends in La Crosse and a son at UW-Madison). My prayers and thoughts are with you.
  • A brief post-missam

    The schola and I were among the last to greet Cardinal Burke after yesterday morning's 11:00 Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the Marian Catechist Apostolate — it was well-attended, so we waited quite a while. After exchanging some brief words with the Cardinal, he noticed with marked interest that I was holding the copy of the SEP I used to direct the schola. When I told him that I was giving him that very copy as a gift, he was quite delighted and grateful for it.

    Inscribed in the front is something to the effect of:

    7 August 2011

    Dear Cardinal Burke,

    Please accept this as a token of our gratitude for your advocacy of the rights of Almighty God in His Divine Liturgy.

    Sincerely in Christ,
    KDM Schola
    Pine Bluff, Wisconsin


    which was in reference to the talk he gave at the Dominican House of Studies earlier this year.

    I warned him that he would find many typos in the SEP, but noted that a second edition is on its way very soon.

    As far as the Mass went SEP-wise, we sang:

    • all three verses of the Introit sans Gloria Patri (covered the procession and altar incensation)
    • all the verses of the Offertory plus a motet, (covered the liturgical action, including incense)
    • all of the verses of the Communion, repeating the antiphon after every two lines to lengthen the chant (also splitting the Gloria Patri), and then the Gregorian antiphon as a coda, then around a minute of silence before starting "Now Thank We All Our God" as the postcommunion thanksgiving hymn (GIRM 88)


    It could not have been better coordinated — the timing was perfect.

    The men were confident, and Cdl. Burke told us that many people told him how edified they were by the music.

    Sadly, I have no recordings to share with you, but a couple of photos are lurking on a seminarian's camera.

    The decision to use the "hymnal-minimal" composite chant ordinary (Kyrie XVIII–Gloria VIII–Credo III–Sanctus XVIII–Agnus XVIII) was the right one for the circumstances — the people sang out, many from memory. (Interestingly, they chose to listen to the proper by and large, even with the melody laid out for them in the Order of Worship.)

    Thank you for your prayers — they helped immensely.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,199
    How splendid and altogether fitting! You and the KDM are a blessing. Congratulations to all.