Yes, they are propers. Along with the readings at mass, there are 5 other antiphon texts which are specific, or "proper" to a feast day: Entrance, Gradual, Alleluia, Offertory, and Communion.

The responsorial psalm is customarily sung in place of the Gradual, the historic psalmic chant that followed the 1st reading. It is a characteristic of the new mass (a restoration or invention, depending on one's point of view). The brief OCP Alleluia replaces an alleluia chant, the identifying feature of which was the long series of notes called a "jubilus" or "jubilation," which was sung just on "ah," representing the ecstatic joy of the church in anticipation of the gospel.

The Entrance and Communion proper chants roughly correspond to the Entrance and Communion antiphon texts found in the current missal. The offertory text was left untranslated from the Latin.

A careful look at the texts of the Graduals in the GR will reveal that, formally, they consist of a Responsory and a Verse. These are all that remains of what was once a responsorial psalm. In light of this it is evident that the Responsorial Psalm of the OF of the Roman rite is a restoration of a practice that was 'trimmed down' many centuries ago, perhaps pre-mediaeval.

It would be appropriate, then, when singing the Responsorial Psalm (RP), for the cantor's verses to be actual chant-like melodies that differ from verse to verse. In this way the modern RP would be a truer likeness of the Roman Gradual Responsory (a peculiarly Roman form) of which it is derivative. Too, it is of the nature of responsorial psalmody that when the verses are sung by a choir they are, obviously, to be cast in polyphonic or choral form, preferably not one of the varieties of faburden or psalm tone-based music.

The same holds true of the Alleluya verse: it should be an actual chant-like melody which compliments the key or mode of its responsory, which is the alleluya (the alleluya [with a jubilus], not the alleluyas).

The current custom of having the verses of the RP sung to a psalm tone or a psalm tone derivative is misplaced. Psalm tones are by nature choral; they were devised for the choral singing of the psalter by large groups of monks, or a choir; or a congregation - they are not solo chants. The verses of an RP are solos and demand to be delivered in 'solo' melos. Using psalm tones for the verses of a responsorial form is to misunderstand both what a psalm tone is for, and what responsorial psalmody is.

Further, singing each verse of an RP to its own moderately (at least very moderately) developed melody would go far to recapturing the essentially meditative character of any responsorial chant. The beauty of the Roman Gradual Responsories is in the often ecstatc ejaculation of text by the solo cantor. We have a long way to go before achieving a true 'restoration' of the sublime dynamic of responsorial psalmody in the mass.
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I have composed (and Father Columba has composed for me) RPs and Alleluya verses with mildly elaborate neumatic chant (I have had talented cantors) which was different for each verse - contrasted with a relatively easy chant-like responsory for the congregation. The effect of this at mass is stunningly beautiful and has always been remarked upon positively. I have even had priests request that I compose such RPs for them for certain occasions, the most recent having been a priest-friend's 40th anniversary last July. I recommend this highly for those who have the resources. Of course what is good for the RP is good also for the Alleluya's verse. The Alleluya and its verse are a responsorial form, the alleluya being the responsory.

Jackson,

Would you concede that recovery of the responsory and psalm verses need not have led to the modern form of the Responsorial Psalm, and/or that whatever else it is, the current form of the Responsorial Psalm is a pretender, rather than a legitimate heir to the throne?

MJO, so as an experiment because I really like your idea, I attached something I did for 4th Sunday of Advent C, using the Guimont psalm refrain. People who use Guimont's collection know that the settings range from pretty good to awful. This one has a decent refrain but a very boring psalm tone for the verses.

I attempted what you suggested: set the verses to a melody that is chant-like as much as I could for it not really being a modal refrain, and each of the verses has a different melody but with some repeated musical phrases for cohesion.

What do you and others think of this? Is this the sort of thing you have in mind? Never mind that it's not high art... how is it as a first attempt at what you propose?

Can I drag in the witness of the Graduale Simplex. There the format of Introit, Offertory, and Communion is (and noted as) Antiphon and verses. The format of the RP is (and noted as) verses each followed by response. The Alleluia is described as an Antiphon, with verses, and is the only element where it is laid out as Cantor Alleluia, Congregation repeat, cantor verse, Cong. Alleluia, verse, Cong. Alleluia . (Which is of course how the RP is laid out in the Missal.) The Alleluia Psalm, is shaped as a responsory like the RP. And the Tract is just verses.
It may be, as I think I have seen suggested, that this structure corresponds to some dimly perceived original form.
It is pretty clear that the musical form has the complexity in the wrong parts, as MJO says. I suspect that this comes from neccessity in an age when reproduction of texts was extremely expensive, and literacy was low. I take the opportunity to repeat my suggestion that we use the music of GS best by having the congregation sing the verses, and the Cantor the Antiphon or Response.

Mark -

If I knew how, I would post some of my examples as you have done above. As Dr Mahrt has said, the RP really comes to life when the verses are composed with a degree (less or more) of neumaticism, even a degree of melismaticism, which would foster and be a vehicle for meditation. These verses can be written out, or improvised by those who are competent cantors.

Too, it is pertinent to observe that the Rorate caeli which you reference is, though it is not a psalm, a responsorial form, as is, also, the Lenten prose, Attende Domini. Both of these would be good examples, even though all their verses share basically the same melody - which ought not be the case in the psalm responsory at mass.

Sorry, Davido, I would love to, but I don't have a smart phone.
I'm beginning to think that I need to get one (but [ha!] they are so XXIst century).
Perhaps I could use a friend's smart phone. How, then, would I post it here?

Responsorial forms have responsories, which are sometimes also called responds.
Antiphonal forms, which are quite different, have antiphons.
This is a distinction of which all should be aware when tossing these signifers about.
Even some 'official' texts or directives often use these terms in error.
Responsory and Antiphon are not synonymous.
Each is referential to a specific style of performing psalmody.

Most of the time, the schedule of responsorial psalms is not based on the same texts as appear in the proper antiphons.

Nor would one necessarily so expect, the Gradual having evolved with the one-year cycle of Epistles and the RP intended to "foster meditation on" the Old Testament Lessons. In the Advent I pericopes one can make out pairings of Lesson/Psalm and Epistle/Gospel:

Advent 1A ("mountain of the LORD's house" "up to the house of the Lord')
("Hour now for you to awake" "hour of night when the thief was coming")

Advent 1B ("Why do you let us wander" "O shepherd")
("on the day of our Lord" "when the time will come")

Advent 1C ("fulfill the promise" "constancy toward those who keep his covenant")
("conduct yourselves to please God" "pray that you have strength")

The Gradual Universi qui te expectant on the other hand in the NO now precedes the Rom. 13 Epistle in Year A, but fits in a little better Years B & C.

For Gaudete the Gradual Qui sedes follows Phil. 4 "The Lord is at hand". The Gregorian Missal places it after Isa 35 & Zeph. 3 but replaces it with Fuit homo missus a Deo for Year B, apparently considering it a more 'apt' as a preparation for the Gospel. The RP though is matched to the preceding Lesson:

Advent 3A ("eyes of the blind opened" "gives sight to the blind")

3B ("Glad tiding to poor" "filled the hungry" also ""God the joy of my soul" "my spirit rejoices")

3C ("Sing joyfully" "sing praise to the Lord")
("Your kindness should be made known" "Whoever has two cloaks should share")

Fr Weber has some alleluia verses set to this style of melody
Examples: https://media.musicasacra.com/weber/propers/17 Sept. St. Robert Bellarmine.Mass.pdf
https://media.musicasacra.com/weber/propers/August 15.pdf
https://media.musicasacra.com/weber/simple_gradual/Gradual. 2011. XMAS. 1-82.pdf

I'm not at all cognisant of the relevance of reference to the smart phone in my regard; nor do I understand what prompted it after my above remark.
I'm sure that I have friends who have smart phones, but I don't have one.
Scores? I don't get it.

Jackson,

Here's the exchange

MJO could you take a picture of them with a smartphone? I would love to see one
M. Jackson Osborn November 2018 Thanks
Posts: 7,867
Sorry, Davido, I would love to, but I don't have a smart phone.
I'm beginning to think that I need to get one (but [ha!] they are so XXIst century).
Perhaps I could use a friend's smart phone. How, then, would I post it here?

It worked (Moto g7, Android 10).

(I always use the desktop version,/ of the forum, even on mobile.)