Solo cantor for EF, this is all new and I have so many questions
  • lamaterfamilias
    Posts: 2
    I keep finding myself here with so many questions and unable to find the answers I seek. At the beginning of Lent I began doing the music for High Mass at my very small parish. It's just me, no organ, no one else. Just me, up in the choir loft, all by my lonesome. I am happy to do it, and have done the best I can with the resources I have been given and directed to. My priest has the desire to do everything right, but I think we have reached a point where his knowledge on the music and mine are equal. The more I read, the less I know, and the more confused I am. There is so much conflicting information, and some of the reputable resources seem to contradict themselves, and I find myself unsure that what we are doing is technically correct, or what we should even change to make it correct.

    I'm not even going to ask any specific questions here, because there are too many and it is too late at night. The more I read on the website and forum, the dumber I feel. There does not seem to be anything set up well for a brand new person with the desire and talent to go to get started from scratch. Let's pretend I know nothing and want to do the music for High Mass in EF...where do I start? What do I read? What should I know??

    Currently we do Missa de Angelis and for the propers I am doing all Rossini. My only music book is the newest edition of Parish Book of Chant. I have been to sacramissa.com and here with the CMAA and spoken to a few people who know some things and have helped me as much as they can.

    Please be nice and use small words. Thanks.
    Thanked by 2tomboysuze CeciliaJulia
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    Get a Liber Usualis.

    Begin adding real propers as you are able, while still using the Rossini for those propers you don't have time / the ability to learn right now.

    As long as you keep it up, you'll continue getting better and will eventually be doing full Propers.

    Also, its likely more folks will join you eventually.

    I would also advertise your schola (call yourself that even when you're by yourself and hope you have 2 or 3 soon) in local newspapers/internet sites that are free.

    If you can't read neumes take one of Arlene Oost-Zinner's online courses.

    Oh, and make sure you come to the Colloquium this June.
    http://www.musicasacra.com/colloquium
  • Protasius
    Posts: 468
    Pretending you know nothing, I would point you to Musical Guidelines for the Traditional Roman Rite and the needed books at Gregorian Chant, both from sanctamissa.org. Supposing you didn't know how to sing Gregorian Chant, I would perhaps direct you to A New School of Gregorian Chant by Dominic Johner.
    Thanked by 1lamaterfamilias
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    There does not seem to be anything set up well for a brand new person with the desire and talent to go to get started from scratch.


    Churches in the USA heard Mass sung daily just as you are doing - propers by Rossini and a Mass such as de Angelis, ever since the Rossini propers were published. Day after day, week after week.

    I wouldn't worry about this - your goal possibly should be to perfect what you are doing by constant repetition. Singing from the Liber is a lofty goal - you may even at this point want to ignore that, otherwise you may end up singing alone for a long time if your goal is to have a schola.

    Your next goal should be to begih using the Graduale Simplex. It was written for you.

    The simpler you keep it now, the faster you will find other people wanting to sing with you. People need to get it in their minds that "I could do that". Matthew's right, you may find the Colloq very helpful - however, Chant Intensive in Pittsburgh may be right for some if attending both is not possible.

    You are absolutely right - there is no simple guide to start from scratch. Someone needs to create one. This sounds like a job for Superman Ben Yanke who has a brilliant mind and the ability to step back and then leap tall buildings at a single bound.
    Thanked by 2tomboysuze lamaterfamilias
  • Paul_OnnonhoaratonPaul_Onnonhoaraton
    Posts: 434
    you might find the "Complete Psalm tones" useful here:

    http://renegoupil.org/
    Thanked by 1lamaterfamilias
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Haha, Thanks, Frogman. I wish I could take on another project right now, but it's not going to happen, at least right now...on top of that, I don't know enough about the EF to undertake a project like that. I'm learning more and more about it though...

    Unfortunately, small correction here, the Simplex is only for the OF, I believe. However, for the Alleluia and Graduale in the EF, it may help to start with these simplified versions from the chants abreges:

    http://media.musicasacra.com/pdf/chantsabreges.pdf
    Thanked by 1lamaterfamilias
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Just a few pieces of advice:

    1) While you have Missa de Angelis, you should hope, even expect, to learn other settings of Ordinary, because Missa de Angelis loses its special value when it is used all the time.

    2) If you have to sing the Propers using a recto tono approach, there's nothing inherently evil in this. Before you take part in the Iron Man competition, you need to learn to walk effectively.

    3) Don't EVER lose sight of the fact that the Mass (or any of the liturgies) is directed to GOD, not to the people. If you make the mistake of assuming a horizontal approach, you'll feel forever as if you have to find what makes people happy, instead of what the Church tells us about the liturgy.

    4) Remember that you're involved in a mystery, not a didactic exercise. It takes time to appreciate and understand. Holy Mother Church tells us that "normal" should be a High Mass, not a Low Mass.

    5) PRAY. Ask for help in forming a scola.

    God bless,

    Chris
    Thanked by 2lamaterfamilias expeditus1
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    Is the Simplex only for Extraordinary Form? CNP seems to differ, unless the Graduale Romanum is only for the Ordinary Form.

    Ben may be right....who can confirm this one way of the other.

    The main objection, the price of the GS, is gone with this:

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/128884542/Graduale-Simplex
  • Protasius
    Posts: 468
    The Graduale Simplex is only for OF, where there is the alius cantus aptus-option (cf. Seasonal propers); for the Graduale Romanum there are EF- and OF-editions.

    Using Rossini or other psalm-tone propers or recto-tono is perfectly OK.

    Time after time you could start with introits, as these are usually the most simple of the propers, then communios. For the Gradual/Alleluja/Tract one can stick to the Simplified Gradual.
    Thanked by 1lamaterfamilias
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    smvanroode wrote in 2009:

    I'm not sure if this is of any importace, but the Graduale Simplex was first published in 1967, two years before the N.O. and Ordo Lectionum Missae were promulgated (the introduction of De oratione communi seu fidelium (1966) even refers to a 1966 edition of the Graduale Simplex - does anyone know about this edition?). In 1975 a revised edition was published to reflect the changes in the new Missale Romanum, Ordo Lectionum Missae and Ordo Cantus Missae. However, for some reason the initial choice of the psalms for the responsorial psalms remained unchanged.
  • lamaterfamilias
    Posts: 2
    Thank you for all your responses. I was on vacation this last week so haven't been back until now. My main concern right now is doing everything correctly, according to the rubrics. I think there are some things we are doing incorrectly and my priest and I and the servers need to all get on the same page, have a refresher course I suppose, on the rubrics. I think this will happen when our priest gets back from a trip in a couple of months.

    I do hope to learn some different Mass settings in the future. I am not sure which ones, or why, and it will probably be in the distant future unless more people start attending our TLM, but that is another topic for another day.

    I think we ordered a couple copies of the Edmund Campion hymnal to start using for the music, but either they haven't arrived yet or Father hasn't gotten around to giving me a copy. I hope to convince him to switch the parish over to them soon for the TLM, but baby steps is how it goes. We are on the right track.

    This forum is so full of information, thank you!
  • Paul_OnnonhoaratonPaul_Onnonhoaraton
    Posts: 434
    lamaterfamilias

    1. You will want to download "Psallite Sapienter" in PDF format from here.

    2. Corpus Christi Watershed will be producing Psalm Tone versions of the Extraordinary Form Propers, but these will take time to complete.

    Many Mode ii versions have been posted here: http://renegoupil.org/

    (but they will be revised as time goes on)
    Thanked by 1lamaterfamilias
  • Scott_WScott_W
    Posts: 468
    1. You will want to download "Psallite Sapienter" in PDF format from here.


    This should be stickied, blinking, with a giant arrow pointing to the link with "READ THIS FIRST" on it on this forum. It would have saved me many questions.
  • mahrt
    Posts: 517
    Look also at the introduction to the Liber Usualis.
  • expeditus1
    Posts: 483
    lamaterfamilias, your opening post above sounds just like me a couple of months ago, when I started to reconstruct an EF Holy Week for choir, congregation, and priest. I said something in a previous thread along the lines of "Lord, deliver us from lay people such as myself trying to reconstruct an EF Holy Week!" I torched my brain sorting through papal revisions and texts. My choir co-director and I finally got together at her house on a Saturday, because she has an 11-ft. long table, and we spread out all of our compiled materials, and cobbled the thing together. We actually have an aerial photo of the sight, taken by one of her children from the upstairs balcony! My thanks to folks on this forum who were able to direct me and shared materials with me.

    It's probably too late for this year, but I see that Angelus Press has published the "Sacred Triduum Missal" in Latin/English at a very reasonable price: http://angeluspress.org/Sacred-Triduum-Missal
    It probably would have saved me some real exasperation a couple of months ago.

    What's the probability that the choir or I will bungle something in our first EF Holy Week? Pretty much guaranteed. We have, however, done our very best to prepare, and more than that I cannot expect. In future years, we will add on chant extras. For example, for today's Palm Sunday procession, we focused on only the first three antiphons and "Gloria Laus." All seven antiphons, another year. And while I would love to do the Liber Propers for everything, that's magical thinking for us, so Rossini for some, Liber for others.

    Many blessings to you, lamaterfamilias, for being willing to take this on.
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