Planning software for a traditionally celebrated Ordinary Form Mass?
  • sergeantedward
    Posts: 186
    Hi all,

    I have been using spreadsheets to schedule musicians, music, and liturgies for...a very long time.

    I am ready to look beyond spreadsheets though... I am aware of more than a few competing cloud-based options for planning services and scheduling musicians, but they all seem extremely geared towards the P&W "Oh hey you can access your four guitar chords from anywhere on the world on your iPad" kind of stuff. All the proclaimed features are about MP3s and chord charts and other stuff I have zero use for.

    SO. Does anyone here use a cloud-based software solution (preferably with an iPad app) to plan their music? This is what I'm looking for:
    - can be tweaked on a per-Mass basis for feast days, special liturgies
    - can import or automate Catholic liturgical calendar
    - can VERY EASILY schedule musicians (cantors, organists primarily) and in a way that 60+ year old cantors will find easy to navigate (i.e. places a premium in user experience)
    - can manage a hymnal and my top 100 hymns, or SOMETHING that helps with the hymnal choosing process (I keep a spreadsheet with title and # of every hymnal and their best hymns)
    - can export the list of scheduled musicians somehow, to help with payroll

    Random cool feature would be:
    - directly accesses CPDL and IMSLP libraries, to drop PDFs of sweet Tallis tunes into my spreadsheets

    I've attached the printout for what I have for every single Mass. It changes quite a bit of course based on the feast or special Mass, etc. etc. etc. But creating about 650 of these a year is, uh. Tiresome.

    Also, my music program uses hymns for some Masses and 90% chant for other Masses...all very traditional, but with a wide variety of repertoire between Masses.

    [Admin note: updated the title of this post to be more clear, since "traditional Mass" usually refers to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite]
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Sargeant Edward,

    I'm puzzled, as will others be when they see this.

    Your attachment shows what is clearly an Ordinary Form Mass preparation sheet.

    Your heading of this thread is "traditional Mass".

    These two ideas are in seeming conflict with each other. Could you explain in more detail what you mean by a "traditional Mass", since knowing this will help the fonts of wisdom around here to flow effectively and helpfully.
  • JesJes
    Posts: 574
    I generally just design a website and everybody gets a log in and we use that. In past I've used google calendar too which is pretty neat.

    My actual finding is that I'm the only one using it between rehearsals and mass and they only use it when it's time.

    So if you want to save time you should get a screen share option between multiple devices like what harry connick Jnr uses for big bands.
  • sergeantedward
    Posts: 186
    @Chris: this is just one of our NO Masses. All of our Masses, Latin or NO (we do both), use traditional music which means traditional hymnody, Gregorian chant, Propers, motets, etc.
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    At the risk of bringing down the wrath of various interested parties, I must point out that "Latin or NO" presents a false dichotomy, since the Ordo of Paul VI clearly intends to be celebrated in Latin, since pastors of souls should do everything in their power to make sure that the faithful can make their responses in Latin.
    Thanked by 2Ben WGS
  • sergeantedward
    Posts: 186
    @Chris: I just need some great planning software and I'll leave the wrath making to others.

    Does everyone else on the forum just use spreadsheets too? I thought more than a few people would have different solutions up their sleeves.
    Thanked by 1Spriggo
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Sergeant Edward,

    Thank you for not raining down sulfur upon my head.

    In an EF universe, a database is more useful than "planning" software, because the texts are all prescribed. The database would include polyphonic settings of the prescribed texts. Only once that has been accomplished is there the adding of optional work.
  • sergeantedward
    Posts: 186
    So everyone on this forum only uses spreadsheets, Excel or Google Sheets or something like that? I've been using the search bar to try to find what other solutions people use...is someone here on the forum at a large program and uses something that is more powerful *and* easier when managing large numbers of Masses and people?
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Well, let's be honest: Traditionally celebrated OF Masses aren't exactly a booming market. It's not surprising that a software developer hasn't put in the large amount of time needed to make something.
  • PaxMelodious
    Posts: 425
    I use spreadsheets for tracking my stuff (lists of materials, what musicians know what).

    But I use regular word / docs documents for producing rosters, and do all scheduling manually. Half of my musicians don't even "do" email. Another quarter of them are capable of using a scheduling system, but wouldn't - "why would I log to an impersonal computer on when I can just tell you?". The other quarter both could and would - but it's not worth the effort when it's only a quarter.
  • davido
    Posts: 873
    I use a spreadsheet to plan the hymns. I need to be able to see what I've done the few weeks before and the few weeks after in order to provide variety without too much repetition.

    Have you looked at Cloud Hymnal? It has some great potential, but I'd be interested to hear from people that are using it. It also looks to me like it could be time consuming to input everything.
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,464
    There used to be a software thing called Precentor which was put out by GIA. It was fairly useful. It had the lectionary readings (no Introits or propers though) and with spaces to list music. I used it for years, but I am not in parish now. I don't know if they still have it, or may have something else. You could have all the details of the music on one sheet which you could then pass out to choirs etc.
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,464
    GIA has something called Planner I remember I used to use it. Its heavily oriented towards GIA materials, so it may not work for you, but here it is
    http://www.giaplanner.net/
  • davido
    Posts: 873
    Those are both interesting. In today’s internet world it seems like an awful thing to pay money for though
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