"Easy" Latin Propers ???
  • pulchritudo_musicae
    Posts: 30
    I am helping prepare music for Christ the King and for Christmas. The Bishop has requested that the antiphons be sung in Latin. The choir and organist are not very familiar with Propers and my task is to find simple settings for them, possibly with accompaniment/chords for the organ to support them with.

    What resources do you suggest? Any help is greatly appreciated!
  • Mark M.Mark M.
    Posts: 632
    Hello, p_m, and welcome! (And hooray for your Bishop!)

    For Christ the King, look here. That's for "Year A," but the Introit and the Offertory chants are the same for that year as for B and C.

    For the Year C Communion for Christ the King, look here, and scroll down to "Sedebit." And here's a scroll-along video. (Can someone else locate the NOH accompaniment for Sedebit?)

    And look for Christmas here.

    That's a start. Hope this helps!


  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Another thing you could try is the graduale simplex, found on musicasacra.com.
  • hartleymartin
    Posts: 1,447
    Go to the Simplex. It is the official "simpler" collection of chants.
    Thanked by 1ryand
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    http://blog.yankehome.com/liturgy/graduale-simplex.pdf

    It's also somewhere on musicasacra.com, but this is the link I have handy, for the same file on my server.
  • smvanroodesmvanroode
    Posts: 978
    Link to the Graduale Simplex at musicasacra.com: http://musicasacra.com/books/graduale_simplex.pdf

    The propers for Christ the King can be found on pp. 253-256:
    IN: Regnum eius
    OF: Ecce dedi te
    CO: Magnificabitur

    The propers for Christmas can be found on pp. 64-69:
    IN: Dominus dixit audio
    OF: Laetentur caeli audio
    CO: Viderunt omnes
  • ClemensRomanusClemensRomanus
    Posts: 1,023
    I also encourage use of the Simplex. It's a great stepping stone.
    Thanked by 1Ben
  • pulchritudo_musicae
    Posts: 30
    Thanks, all! Yes, I will have to frequent this forum more! And yes, we have a wonderful bishop and diocese!

    The NOH is exactly what the organist and choir director are looking for, I believe. I'm not actually involved with the Cathedral choir at this time, but hope to be at some point. When I am, I hope to use unaccompanied chants from the Gregorian Missal, but until then, they will be using the organ and learning as they go. At least the Bishop is requiring it!
  • MaryAnn Carr WilsonMaryAnn Carr Wilson
    Posts: 1,738
    Ideas, fwiw

    Maybe mix it up. Offertory from the Simplex, or psalm-tone, Gradual and Alleluia from Chants abreges, accompany the Introit, chant the Communion acapella. I'd bet the bishop would be most pleased if you sang at least one of the authentic propers.
    Easiest authentic chants are usually Communion and Introit.


    For Christ the King, the Communion is rather doable, Introit far less so...
    Christmas Day Introit is especially well-known and loved. And pretty easy. Communion is also fairly short and simple.
    Midnight Mass also has easier Introit and Communion.


    Be choosy and careful about organ accompaniments. They can be more confusing than helpful for new singers- especially if the strongest or most secure voice is on the organ and separated from them. They can also be really tacky, drippy with triadic harmony and/or slow down the natural, cantillated speech rhythms. Often chords are on unaccented syllables, again confusing for singers, and contrary to aims of plainchant.

    Consider pedal tones for support, or duplicating the chant line an octave lower than the bass. Loud enough so singers can hear, but not overpowering them or giving them a chance to slack off on effort.

    If your organist is not familiar with chant, maybe ask him/ her to accompany just one chant per Mass so they can focus on style and listen more in rehearsal to how the line works without organ.

    Make recordings for the singers, to get the sounds in their ear. Choose the key they will sing in, or make your own mp3 files for them to absorb. Make it beautiful and doable.
    Thanked by 2BruceL Patricia Cecilia
  • CGM
    Posts: 690
    Also, for easier settings of the Gradual (or Tract) and Alleluia, don't forget the Chant Abrégés:
    http://media.musicasacra.com/pdf/chantsabreges.pdf
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Does anyone else use the Abrégés on a regular basis? I'm using it with my schola, until we get into a better groove. Seems like a really useful collection, particularly for the gradual, since it's often possible to use the full alleluia with a psalm tone verse.
  • MaryAnn Carr WilsonMaryAnn Carr Wilson
    Posts: 1,738
    Love the Chants abreges, a short and lovely bridge (har har) when a schola is in building stages or needs an easy Gradual and Alleluia/Tract.
    We use them once in a while for Alleluias and at least half the time for Graduals. We used to use both every week, but the group is progressing well and this year's focus is the Gradual.
    Thanked by 1Ben
  • hartleymartin
    Posts: 1,447
    The ultimate aim is to use the Graduale Romanum. There are a number of simpler chant collections which should be used if the Graduale Romanum is beyond your capabilities.

    If all else fails, you can Psalm-Tone the Antiphons and then sing additional verses from the Psalm to the same tone. It isn't the ideal, but it is simple and works.

    I've often thought that we need someone to compose simpler antiphons to the Latin texts. Something like the SEP or the Fr Columba Kelly Propers but in Latin.
  • jpal
    Posts: 365
    We used to use Chants Abreges all the time, but now more often we use Richard Rice's simplified graduals, tracts, and alleluias. My singers actually find this usually easier than the Chants Abreges, for some reason. And it does simplify the most difficult part of these chants down to a psalm tone.

    N.B.: Richard's editions are often available on Corpus Christi Watershed's music lists as well.
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