The one group I sang polyphonic Propers with tended toward B, though they'd sometimes follow with the chant version if they needed extra time.

BTW, what's this "rehearsal time" that you speak of?

But here's the thing, Richard - would you potentially sing the polyphonic version of one proper as a motet at another point in the mass?

As example: Let's say I sing the Gregorian chant version of Justorum Animae for Communion on All Saint's Day, but for the Offertory motet prior, sing the Byrd or Saint-Saens version of the same proper?

P.S. Am I the only person who thinks Justorum Animae is the perfect name for a self-storage service for Japanese cartoon memorabilia?

My suggestion was going to be along the lines of what Dr Mahrt said. Begin with the chant, then alternate verses with the polyphony, or better yet: true organum! Organum is not particularly difficult and is akin to learning a descant in terms of rehearsal time.

We sing
- a harmonized setting of the Introit chant (I've composed SATB of all the Gregorian Introits for the "choral year")
- the Offertory chant, followed by a motet, usually Latin, but occasionally English (sometimes on the same text as the chant, but usually on a different text - sometimes the psalm verses given in the Offertoriale, sometimes reprising a piece of text from elsewhere in the Mass - the Gospel, the Responsorial Psalm, another proper, etc. - or sometimes a thematically related but unprescribed Biblical text)
- the Communion chant, followed by a motet (sometimes more than one), usually Latin, but occasionally English (sometimes on the same text as the chant, but usually on a different text - sometimes the psalm verses given in the Communio, sometimes reprising a piece of text from elsewhere in the Mass - the Gospel, the Responsorial Psalm, another proper, etc. - or or sometimes a thematically related but unprescribed Biblical or devotional text)

When we do polyphonic propers, we just do the polyphony and not the chant. If it happens during OT, Easter, or Christmas - it's usually organ, then polyphonic proper, then more organ (if necessary). During Lent or Advent it's polyphonic proper, then another motet.

Kathy, so do I!!

Palestrina set (I believe) all the offertories (SATTB), and a choir that I sing with has used some of these - they replace the SEP offertory. BTW, Antonio Salieri also has a great setting of "Confirma hoc Deus" for Pentecost - SATB & Orch./Org.

Stimson: the Gradual is, along with the Alleluia and Offertory, a responsory, not an antiphon. There are some wonderful settings of gradual-alleluia sequences (that's "sequence" as in two or more things following each-other immediately, not "sequence" as in Dies Irae) by Michael Haydn, W.A. Mozart and others from the Classical period. They are usually scored for SATB and Accomp. (Originally usually Strings and Continuo), and could be used as free motets during the Mass. I sang M. Haydn's "Prope est Dominus" in a secular chorus a number of years ago, a good piece.

middle ground is for LOSERS!

What would Jesus do with lukewarm music?

Not sing it. SPIT IT OUT

I heard that someone needed this. Please let me know if it's accessible or not.

Also, there is this.

This, Aristotle, is why Dante called you the "Master of those who know".

I probably don't qualify as someone who "has experience in this sort of thing" but thought I would throw in my 2 cents:

It seems it would be the "best of both worlds," if one wants to sing polyphonic propers, to sing both the chant version and a polyphonic version. That way, one does not have to ignore the actual Latin Gregorian chants assigned for the text.

I am aware this only represents my personal strong preference for hearing the chanted texts of the Mass in full, no matter the occasion - but although replacing chant propers with polyphonic propers is allowed and obviously is objectively beautiful in its own way, to me something is always missing when a chant is left out and replaced with another version of the text. At least this option of doing both is possible in full with the propers, unlike for the ordinary, when you must do one or the other, or at best half the chant will be replaced (i.e. Gloria and Credo when chant/polyphony is alternated).

This is why, where it is possible, I think it is ideal to have a schola focused solely on mastering every chant in the gradual (or at least every one that is regularly sung each year, i.e. every Sunday and major feast) - separate from a SATB choir that can sing music in addition to the liturgical texts. It seems better to be able to sing all of the texts to their proper chants, and then when there is time to sing polyphonic versions of them or other appropriate texts. But then again I have always been an idealist and have (probably rightly) been accused of "letting the good be the enemy of the perfect"...

C'est la vie.

Charles,

One needn't always choose between the chant and a polyphonic setting. The collected works of Heinrich Isaac, for example, use the chant melody (shoulder tap to Corinne Cooze: is it always or just most of the time?) in a polyphonic setting.

But some Propers are worth learning more than others, The ones for the third Sunday after Epiphany, as they are also used for the 4th, 5th and 6th Sundays. Also the Offertory is used for Maunday Thursday. The same applies for the Propers of the 24th and last Sunday, they also are used repeatedly on the additional Sundays after Pentecost.

This year on one of the Sundays after Epiphany we only sang one Proper the Gradual to the Chant! We are building up some Sundays each year to be polyphonic Proper Sundays, where we are learning each Proper, O.K. this approach takes a few years but means we only need to learn a couple of new pieces per quarter.