Telling, isnt' it! That an Entrance and Communion for presumedly spoken masses are included in the missal. One would think (logically, it seems) that in addition to the RespPs and the Alleluya&Verse, there would have been an entrance (introit), offertory antiphon with psalm vv., and communion antiphon with ps vv in the Lectionary and the Missal to be sung at sung masses. This is what would make sense. But, our superiors are not noted for making sense. They give us the RespPs and the Alleluya in the Lectionary to be sung, but no other propers to go with them. indicating that at sung masses the powers couldn't care less if there were not also the introit, offertory, and communion. All we are given for propers is resp. psalm and alleluya/verse - a rather incomplete set of propers for a sung mass. The missing ones should also be in the Lectionary and what I am envisioning here as the Novus Ordo Graduale.

What we desparately need is a COMPLETE Vatican II, Novus Ordo Graduale (In other words, a complete set of propers for every Sunday, Feast, Solemnity and occasion for years A, B. C. in one book: The Novus Ordo Graduale. All these texts should, as of old, be put in the missal and sacramentary so that their integral relationship to the mass cannot be overlooked.

This, obviously, would include 1) Introit, 2) choice of resp ps in 3 yr cycle, or the gradual, 3) Alleluya and Verse 4) Offertory Antiphon with ps. vv., 5) Communion Antiphon with ps. vv. (Excepting the resp. ps. these texts are all translations from the Graduale Romanum

In other words, all the propers: Int, Resp Ps OR Grad, Off, Comm would be together in one book and be expected to be sung at any sung mass. This should be in an approved English translation of the psalter. Editions could be 1) direct adaptations of the Gregorian music (a la Palmer-Burgess), 2) simplified chant, 3) psalm tone editions, Anglican Chant editions, 4) SATB motet style editions, 5) + ???, etc.

I had spoken to Fr Columba about this need and I believe that he is working on it. Too many, though are actually setting those missal antiphons to music and muddying the waters. We don't need antiphons intended to be spoken at low masses to be set to music. We need the actual propers (ALL of them!) that were meant to be sung at sung masses.

This Novus Ordo Graduale would be just like its Latin cousin except that, at the gradual one would have a choice between the gradual itself, or the resp. ps. A, B, or C.

A variety of editions would manifest a variety of musical settings, as outlined above.

The Ordo Cantus Missae can be obtained through www.paxbook.com.

It lists the chants in the following way, referring to the 1908 Graduale Romanum:



But concerning the example above, I can already see some differences between the chants prescribed by OCM, and the ones that eventually appeared in the 1974 Graduale Romanum...

Thanks, but I'm looking for something which lists the texts for Feasts. The proper of the saints in that book are only for Solemnities.

Steven, that would be an awesome resource. If you were to do this, could you also put all the texts in something like an excel or Google docs spreadsheet? That would make it even more useful.

1.) Why are there no offertory antiphons provided in the missal?

Page 387 of The Reform of the Liturgy: 1948-1975 by Annibale Bugnini might help. It says:

A description of the parts of the Mass follows: introductory rite, liturgy of the Word, Eucharistic liturgy, concluding rite.

To be noted in particular is the wide range of possibilities offered for singing. This allows both the full preservation of the traditional patrimony (Gregorian and polyphonic) and, at the same time, a genuine openness to new musical creations for new texts.

Thus, for the entrance song, in addition to the texts in the Roman Gradual and the Graduale Simplex, it is possible to use other texts that are liturgically adapted to the season or feast and are counterparts of the old texts. They are to be approved by the episcopal conference. The same holds for the offertory and communion songs.

All these songs accompany an action. It is therefore possible to allow a certain flexibility, especially with an eye on the heritage of popular song in the various countries and the various modern languages. This means in turn that the texts must be to some degree adaptable to new and different musical requirements.

The document (referring to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal) prescribes how each 'sung' text is to be handled when the Mass is actually a Mass with singing and when the Mass is simply read. The entrance and communion antiphons, for example, are to be sung or read for their value in showing the meaning of the celebration and feast. The offertory antiphon, on the other hand, may be omitted if it is not sung, because it then loses its value as accompaniment to a procession and to the offertory rites; if it is simply read it would create a textual overload of this part of the celebration.

But concerning the example above, I can already see some differences between the chants prescribed by OCM, and the ones that eventually appeared in the 1974 Graduale Romanum...

Seriously? I did not know that ...

But concerning the example above, I can already see some differences between the chants prescribed by OCM, and the ones that eventually appeared in the 1974 Graduale Romanum...

Perhaps this has to do with the fact that Solesmes, as a matter of principle, wished to exclude neo-Gregorian compositions if at all possible, while the OCM did not seem to be concerned with this.

The problem is that, unfortunately a lot of priests believe that if it's not in the Missal, it doesn't belong in the Mass.

The problem is.... a lot of priests believe that if it's not in the Missal, it doesn't belong in the Mass.

Where are these priests?
It seems that many think nothing at all of doing bad 'hymnody', songs, and chit-chat that not only are not in the missal but are of questionable orthodoxy and incredibly poor liturgical fitness.

Yes but the book for the loft seems to get ignored. Good point, MJO.

All the propers in the new missal are different from what is foubd in the Graduale.

This is a bit of hyperbole. I didn't do any quantitative research here, but my sense is (for Sundays and feasts) at MOST 25-40% are different. Quite a ways from "all the propers."