What we need for the EF: Antiphonale Simplex
  • hartleymartin
    Posts: 1,447
    I've seen a serious need for simpler editions of the gregorian antiphons for use in smaller EF mass communities where the Traditional Gregorian Chant is proving too difficult. Something that would mean less resorting to Psalm-Tone or even Recto-Tono Propers.

    What we really need is something like the SEP, but in Latin. I propose that we create the "Antiphonale Simplex" (Simple Antiphons) for the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Are you thinking of something comparable to the Chants Abreges? It provides simpler chants for the Gradual and Alleluia, but does not address the Introits or Communions (not that it's needed for the latter.)

    (Just as an aside, "Antiphonale" books usually relate to the Office, so some other title might be clearer.)
  • hartleymartin
    Posts: 1,447
    Thanks. I'll take a closer look at this.

  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    "Just as an aside, "Antiphonale" books usually relate to the Office, so some other title might be clearer."

    Hmmm... How about Graduale Simplex?

    :D
  • MaryAnn Carr WilsonMaryAnn Carr Wilson
    Posts: 1,738
    I wonder... the more options we have I'm afraid choirs get stuck in the easier options, partly- let's be honest- so folks can spend time on polyphony and more of their favorite pieces. The authentic propers are daunting.

    Rather than more simlified options, I advocate taking on one group of propers every year or every other year until one has a schola that has assimilated all propers. The chants abreges (and psalm-tones when necessary) work well as a stop-gap.

    I speak from experience. We are a smallish EF parish. I serve as music director, and I've taken this route with the choir to very good effect. IIRC, this approach was suggested to me by Prof. Mahrt. We are on our fourth year, learning the Alleluias. Next year, the plan is for half of the graduals and tracts. There are now about 15 of us, several teens included.

    Rather than more middle-steps I'm in favor of hiring music directors who are devoted to restoring the authentic chants AND have the skill to lead amateur singers in that direction.

    IMO, this type of focused dedication to restoring the authentic propers is lacking in both the OF and EF. The bulk of directors seem to want the simple and easy- and they often stay with that.

    Buckle-down with competent leadership, extend your rehearsals by a little bit, and go for the gold. You won't be sorry.
    Thanked by 5Chrism Jahaza CHGiffen Felicity gregp
  • hartleymartin
    Posts: 1,447
    Unfortunately, my situation doesn't lend itself well to that solution. EF masses are week-day masses at my college, once per week and it often changes (usually a Thursday or Friday). I don't have a regular "choir" or "schola" as such as they are mostly volunteers who are members of the main college schola. They usually have much more enthusiasm than experience.

    For Alleluias I am more or less sorted since I adopt my OF practice of using one of the standard Alleluias (found in the PBC) and then chant the acclamation to the matching Psalm Tone.

    We usually don't have problems singing the SEP for our OF masses, since they are simple enough to almost be sight-read. We were hoping that something similar suitable for EF could be made available.
  • Chrism
    Posts: 872
    The Introit and Communion are near the same difficulty as the SEP. Congregations can usually sing these on the second or third repeat.

    The Offertory can be sung to a Psalm tone.

    Alleluias and Graduals are found in the corrected 1955 Abreges.

    As far as writing our own chant melodies for High Mass, this is not a permitted option.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    EF masses are week-day masses at my college, once per week and it often changes (usually a Thursday or Friday).


    Forgive my total ignorance here, but-
    wouldn't those circumstances suggest a Low Mass approach, with Hymns and perhaps a motet or some ad lib chants, not a full cycle of propers?
  • hartleymartin
    Posts: 1,447
    Well, technically it is a Missa Cantata, which in in-between the High Mass and Low Mass. I'm not entirely certain of exactly how to approach it.

    Plenty of Traditionalists out this way assume that a sung mass is a Solemn High Mass, but most don't know the difference.

    I'm approaching this whole affair having been most familiar with the OF mass, which is much more flexible in this regard, and has largely done away with the distinctions between Low Mass and High Mass in most regards.
  • SkirpRSkirpR
    Posts: 854
    As far as writing our own chant melodies for High Mass, this is not a permitted option.


    I'm curious about this. I thought (perhaps incorrectly) that it was possible to sing a polyphonic setting of the proper texts. If this - or using a psalmtone - is an option, why couldn't one use a simplified chant melody?
  • Arthur Connick
    Posts: 496
    Given that polyphony is okay, why not simplified chant compositions? The rubrics as put forward in De musica sacra et sacra liturgia do not allow this. In fact, technically the Chant Abrégés (1926) is not allowed which is why the revised edition Chrism links to above was published in 1955. There are 3 options for chant melodies for the proper of the Mass: as printed in the Graduale Romanum, psalm tone and recto tono. That said, I'm sure that if anyone bothered to ask permission to sing simplified chants, they would receive it provided there was some assurance the melodies met some standard of worthiness.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    This is very odd.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • MaryAnn Carr WilsonMaryAnn Carr Wilson
    Posts: 1,738
    Chrism's response makes sense for your situation.
    If there isn't a stable choir to sing the plan he describes, perhaps the chaplain could also make it more doable by offering a Missa Cantata only on days when a votive mass could be sung. The propers wouldn't change as much. Other days a Low Mass could be offered.

    It seems limiting not to allow many types of simplified propers, especially if one's frame of reference is the OF, where there are many, many options for music. Newly composed collections of music (even in chant-style) have become the prevalent custom in the OF, despite the fact that the Council clearly called for a restoration of the Gregorian propers.

    One can understandably get the impression that singing a version of the proper text (taken from the Graduale) means that one is singing "the" propers. In actuality, such compositions-helpful and easy though still on the beautiful, more reverent side- still fall under the fourth option and are not what the Council nor the GIRM means when the term "propers" is used.

    Perhaps in the future an authorized simplified set of the propers, like the Graduale Simplex for the OF, can be made for the EF. But the current situation is how Chrism describes it. Personally, I think choir directors can think of good reasons for such rules.
  • Pedro d'Aquino
    Posts: 128
    We sing the Latin Mass twice during week with a volunteer schola, as a rule, and with pros and volunteers on Sunday. During the Easter Octave we will sing the Mass every day. We have not resorted to simplified chants, except perhaps in the beginning when there were concerns (mostly from the sanctuary) that the chants between the readings would unduly prolong the Mass. For the past several years, however, I have insisted that the authentic melodies be used, and we have not had complaints from clergy or mc's.

    I tend to agree with MaryAnn that we often err on the side of caution, which may really just be timidity. When the repertoire becomes more familiar, the singers recognize patterns, motifs, and melodic formulae. In other words, much musical material is repeated, especially in the more melismatic chants between the readings.
  • JahazaJahaza
    Posts: 470
    To Pedro's excellent comment (I sing the same place he does, though not as frequently as I once did), I'd add that due to the density of the sanctoral cycle in the EF, you will likely sing some of the common sanctoral propers quite frequently. We sang the Mass for Doctors, "In medio ecclesiae" quite a few Wednesdays the first year we were at it.
  • mahrt
    Posts: 517
    Harley Martin says that "the OF mass . . . has largely done away with the distinctions between Low Mass and High Mass in most regards." He is correct in that this is the state of affairs. Whether to OF was meant to do so is another question. Musicam Sacram (1967) states clearly that the distinction between the high and low Mass is to be retained, and the OF (1970) did not abrogate Musicam Sacram. Musicam Sacram proposed degrees of employment of singing, but these were clearly meant to be a means of achieving a high Mass and were not meant to contravene the distinction between low and high Mass. I believe that the interpretation of Sing to the Lord that these degrees of singing are now to be employed to express the degrees of solemnity of the particular feast is an erroneous interpretation of Musicam Sacram. I think that all this means for the practice of the OF is that we should hold the high Mass as the ideal to be eventually achieved. If this ideal is taken seriously, it could be achieved fully in some places in a reasonable time; in other places only partially, where it would probably have to remain a long-term ideal.
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