Excellent!

2 items: 1) Every hymnal I have seen has ended that third line of SWABIA with a quarter note, not a dotted half-note. 2) VOM HIMMEL is different than the versions I've come across . . . I presume there are variations in the melody? Bottom line, this version may be less familiar to Catholic congregations.

I *love* this project, guys!

I'm attaching PDF of the Christms Introits with the Long Meter version of Kathy's Antiphons for the Vigil and Midnight Mass of Christmas (set to VOM HIMMEL HOCH) added in (so there are now two versions, the other Short Meter version set to SWABIA). I've also corrected a couple of misprints along the way. This isn't the final version, since I have to take care of Caps/SmallCaps issues in the underlay and Psalm verses (I usually do this at the end). Anyway - enjoy!

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Thanks, Heath!

To answer your two items, second first: There are at least half a dozen variants of the VOM HIMMEL HOCH tune (melody) - Worship II and III have different versions, The Hymnal 1940 and 1983 (Episcopal) have different versions, The Lutheran Book of Worship (Missouri Synod) has yet a different version, and there are a two or three more at CPDL. The particular version of the melody which I chose is the same as that of J.S. Bach in the second part of his ChI'ristmas Oratorio and which is used (in a different harmonization) in The Hymnal 1940. And, of course, my harmonization is also different. The melody as it appears in Worship III is supposedly harmonized by Hans Leo Hassler, although it actually is slightly different (as seen in other versions of the Hassler). I chose the version of the melody because of it's significant appearance in the Christmas Oratorio to the words, "Schaut hin! dort liegt im finstern Stall."

Schaut hin! dort liegt

As to SWABIA, I'm well aware that the final note of the third line is usually given as a quarter ... but often enough (especially if the text suggests it) this note is held and/or a pause made before proceeding to the final line (I've even seen a fermata over the quarter note!). So this is an instance of my taking "poetic/musical" license to lengthen the note to a dotted half, lengthening the cadence on the subdominant (G), which is a different cadence than the usual one. Who knows, though? - sometime down the road I may change it back to a quarter note!

I really appreciate your comments, and am happy to explain where I'm coming from, because I'm a hymn-composer, hymn-harmonizer, hymn-descant writer. Working on this project, reharmonizing old tunes and composing Anglican Chant music takes be back nearly thirty years when I was composing/arranging music almost weekly for small but talented choir for the "8:00 traditional mass" (with no resources because of the predominance of "folk mass" music at all the other liturgies). Indeed, I'm drawing on some of the Anglican Chant that I had composed back then (I sometimes used a Single Chant for the response and a related Double Chant for the verses at the Responsorial Psalm).

Chuck

Charles - you are so right (and even visionary) in using the rite II psalter. Though the Coverdale is far and away better as language and as sung language, I do agree that there should be a more or less uniform style of language throughout a given liturgy. This is why I never sing Latin ordinaries or propers at English masses (any more than I would do English ones at a Latin mass): this results a pastiche, an aesthetic jumble which has no defining continuum of ethos. (I make an exception for anthems and motets, which are gems from our musical heritage that are not intrinsic to the mass, but adornments of it - so: they can be in Latin, Greek, German, or....... Old Church Slavonik, or um, Urdu - they are extrinsic ornaments.

Since you declared yourself to be open, here are some alternatives I would suggest for a few of your pointings: (Vom Himmel version)
1. Ps24.1 - The earth is the Lords and | all that . is | in it

2. Ps24.3-D - of those who seek your | face . O | God . of | Jacob

3. Ps24.Glorybe-C - As it was in the beginning, is | now and . ever | shall be (though the way you have it works fine)

4. Ps24.Glorbe-D - world | with-. out | end . A-| men. OR world without |end . A-| - - | men.


Many of the better choirs are in the habit of being rather inventive with pointing, particularly by moving the cadence further back for greater variety of rhythm.

Here is what some might do with your D-Major double chant:

1. The earth is the Lord's and | all - that is | in it
the | world - and | all - who | dwell therein
For it is he who founded it up-| on - the | seas
and made it | firm - upon the | rivers - of the | deep.

2. I would leave this verse as you have it

3. He shall receive a | blessing - from the | Lord
and a just reward from the | God - of | their - sal-| vation.
Such is the generation of | those - who | seek him,
of those who seek your | face - O | God - of | Jacob.

4. Glory be to the | Father and - to the | Son,
and | to - the | Ho- ly | Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is | now and - ever | shall be,
- | world with - out | end. - A-| men

One rather universal rule is never to put a weak syllable on the strong notes of the cadences.
Depending on the psalm you are working with, quite a lot of variation in pointing can make the chant more musical and interesting, and disguise the repetitive nature of the chant. Contrasting syllables in triplet against duplets is challenging and can yield very musical results.