Lumen Christi Missal Pre-Orders Now Available
  • Adam Bartlett
    Posts: 533
    The Lumen Christi Missal is nearing completion and pre-orders are now available at the new Illuminare Publications website. Much sample content available for preview and detailed descriptions. Check it out!
    Thanked by 1bgeorge77
  • bgeorge77
    Posts: 190
    Congrats on the Lumen Christi Missal, will be ordering one later today.

    An idea: If it's not too late, would it be possible to add a page somewhere in the missal that says which years are A, B or C, and how to tell which years are I or II? A small print little chart in the back somewhere. Even with people who should know, the question sometimes pops up, "Dang it, what year is this again?"

  • Adam Bartlett
    Posts: 533
    Ben: Absolutely, it will be there!
    Thanked by 1bgeorge77
  • benedictgal
    Posts: 798
    Adam, the only caveat is that, as far as I can tell from the preview page, the Memorial Acclamations are missing from the ICEL chants. Also, will the ICEL chants be in modern notation? The deal-breaker for a lot of the parishes down here is that they need to have modern notation. Other than that, the hymnal looks really good.
  • SanAntonioCath
    Posts: 77
    Congratulations, Adam. However, a few questions:

    a. Of the 1100 pages, how many pages currently have organ accompaniments, and can these be downloaded now? This is a deal-breaker, as far as the church organist (me!) is concerned.

    b. Are the readings for the daily Masses also included? This would be essential to get rid of our current missallettes.
  • darelmass
    Posts: 11
    Following after SanAntonioCath, will the Lumen Christi Missal offer the first organ accompaniments for the entire Kyriale of the Graduale Simplex -- 45 years late!?
  • Adam Bartlett
    Posts: 533
    Hello All. Sorry I'm a bit late to respond.

    "the Memorial Acclamations are missing from the ICEL chants."

    The Memorial Acclamations are part of the Order of Mass, not the Ordinary, so they are to be found in the Order of Mass section of the book.

    "The deal-breaker for a lot of the parishes down here is that they need to have modern notation."

    This is an absolute myth that boils down to, I believe, a music director's unwillingness to learn square note notation. No one in the congregation and more than 75% of the choir actually read modern notation anyway. Mine certainly don't, and sing from square notes every week. This is a great pedagogical moment.

    "how many pages currently have organ accompaniments?"

    Unfortunately none yet. This will be a top priority once the pew edition is done. They will be forthcoming very soon.

    "Are the readings for the daily Masses also included?"

    No, only Daily Mass antiphons. To include Daily Mass readings would make this a 2000 page book at least.

    "will the Lumen Christi Missal offer the first organ accompaniments for the entire Kyriale of the Graduale Simplex -- 45 years late!?"

    Yes. Not immediately, but very soon.
    Thanked by 1miacoyne
  • benedictgal
    Posts: 798
    "This is an absolute myth that boils down to, I believe, a music director's unwillingness to learn square note notation. No one in the congregation and more than 75% of the choir actually read modern notation anyway. Mine certainly don't, and sing from square notes every week. This is a great pedagogical moment."

    Adam, while I respect your opinion and your work, this is actually the reality down here in South Texas, in my parish, in particular. Our music director is part-time. That is actually the status quo for many parishes down here. While the MDs either play the organ/keyboard or the piano (or, sadly, the guitar), they also have to teach the choirs. In our parish's case, the MD is teaching them how to read music as well.

    In my dad's parish, there are three of us and each of us takes charge of music for our particular Mass. Since I am doing the SEPs at the Mass where I sing, the tutorials have been a God-send because they are helping me learn, even in the most rudimentary fashion. To my knowledge, I am the only one outside of the monastery to be doing chant down here.

    Adam, we are still taking baby steps down here. If we are to truly change the ship around insofar as using authentic, sacred music for the Mass is concerned, we also need to work with the faithful where they are at the present and with the limited resources. The Roman Missal is a solid, first-step in the right direction. Both the Vatican II hymnal and Lumen Christi are also great follow-ups, but, we need to help both the choirs and the faithful.
  • Adam Bartlett
    Posts: 533
    Absolutely agreed, Benedictgal. The issue of "helping" though, is an interesting one. Take, for example, GIA (stands for "Gregorian Institute of America"). 50 years ago they made the decision to forever abandon chant notation, and haven't published anything in neumes ever since, and refuse to in fact. Has this really "helped" people? I would say it has effectively barred them from having access to the Church's music, Gregorian chant. The expectation now is that everything has to be in modern notation because no one has published anything in square notes for a few generations. We are now changing this trend.

    I think that you are like many parish musicians. Most don't read anything, including modern notation. They might pretend that they do, but I guarantee that many of the people complaining about "not being able to read square notes" can not accurately sight read a simple melody in quarter notes using modern notation. Most parish musicians learn by imitation and repetition, plain and simple, whether what they are looking at is modern or square. Recordings help here certainly. But our task now is to embrace the forms given to us by the Church. If we don't how will we every be able to grow into them in time? The square note issue is really a red herring, I think. My parish uses them every week with joy, and had the Gather Comprehensive book in the pews just 3 1/2 years ago!
    Thanked by 1miacoyne
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