To be honest, and I don't intend this as a slight against your attempt to compose new music for the Church (which is admirable), I think the Church is in most need of authentic Gregorian ordinaries and propers.

For new compositions, I would wish for more English polyphony in the style of Thomas Tallis.

The St. Louis Musica Sacra event in 2012 was my introduction to Sacred Music, and when I heard the choir beginning to rehearse "If Ye Love Me" in that basement room the first morning, I was utterly, totally, absolutely blown away. Never heard anything like that. The whole experience changed my life forever. (And I love Tallis' music so much I would name a son after him, should God give me one.)

Polyphony is beautiful in Latin, and I love Latin (goodness, I teach Latin!) but there is such a need for people who are like I was, with NO background in Sacred Music, to have the immediate connection of understanding its language. Ahhhhh, thanks to all those wonderful souls who changed my life that weekend!

I think those of us who use responsorial Psalms would agree that's a rather large lacuna.

I had a harder time than I expected finding a Domine quinque talenta for last Sunday, Isaac being quite below his usual inspired level. Nobuaki Izawa has contributed quite a few motets to CPDL for SATB without divisi, many of them filling gaps in the 1970 Gradual. I was able to count on enough altos for Gallus' Domine quinque talenta à 5, but a 4-part setting in English could be welcome for funerals as well as OT 33 A. But in the style of Alex, please.

It's not the Catholic Church lacks music. It's what music is used in particular locations on the ground. In my experience over the years, what is most lacking is good, worthy settings of the Ordinary that the people who are willing to sing will, over time, come to know and sing well (even without any accompaniment) and, secondarily, responsorial psalmody. (There is actually considerable music already available, but it's not got the distribution oomph factor from major providers of worship aids - missalettes and hymnals - that are more interested in promoting their own stable of composers whose work is often at best serviceable but not much else - e.g., I am looking at you, Mass of Creation - and at worst is criminally banal - e.g., I am look at you, Mass of Christ the Savior.) Get those in *good* shape with the added support of celebrants singing the presidential orations at at least principal celebrations of the week and year, and the focus on what is sung at other points in the Mass recedes somewhat in salience. That focus has long been foregrounded because the music of the rest of the liturgy has not been up to snuff.

The Church doesn't need any more music. It needs competent performers, and liturgies that can make proper use of the existing patrimony.

Nonetheless. I need to write for the Mass. And increasingly, I try to look at what would be most useful for other people.

I would appreciate more settings of the propers in the vernacular. I see that there are many approaches for English propers, some very close to gregorian melodies, some simplified, then settings for multiple voices etc. In Germany we have close to nothing. Hymns have completely substituted the propers. You won't hear them neither sung nor read by the priest very often. As much as I love the gregorian heritage I don't think it is a solution for many places. Several complete, simple but beautiful settings of the mass propers would be a blessing. Unfortunately I can't see many efforts to reach that. We have a rich and precious hymn tradition, but it makes people don't miss anything without the propers.

If the reason is anything like in many parishes in the United States, it's because some very vocal people in the pews will cry "participation" if a parish introduces chanted Gregorian antiphons. Catholics have been conditioned by decades of experience to expect to sing devotional songs at a mostly spoken Mass, and they have been taught that singing at entrance, offertory and Communion are important for participation. So if the people can't sing it immediately, if it's not catchy, if it doesn't move them emotionally, then there will be complaints. Pastors and music directors have to be firm against such complaints, or else no progress will be made.

I generally agree with the opinions that the Church doesn't need any new music. There is ample repertoire for celebrating Mass well with music, at least in English and Latin. The church needs to conform the celebration of Mass to the rubrics better, starting with singing almost all of the Mass ordinary using the chants in the Roman Missal. When the people in the pews are chanting their proper parts from the ordinary, there are less likely to be complaints about not being able to participate in singing the propers.

While I am a fan of singing the propers, there is an inherent tension in doing so. GIRM Para. 48 reads:

48. This chant is sung alternately by the choir and the people or similarly by a cantor and the people, or entirely by the people, or by the choir alone. In the Dioceses of the United States of America, there are four options for the Entrance Chant: (1) the antiphon from the Missal or the antiphon with its Psalm from the Graduale Romanum, as set to music there or in another setting; (2) the antiphon and Psalm of the Graduale Simplex for the liturgical time; (3) a chant from another collection of Psalms and antiphons, approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop, including Psalms arranged in responsorial or metrical forms; (4) another liturgical chant that is suited to the sacred action, the day, or the time of year, similarly approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop.

If we take order in the paragraph as expressing preference, the highest preference of the method of singing is given to singing the introit antiphonally between the choir and the people. Then the choice of what is sung is given to the Missal Antiphon which has no musical setting. The next choice is given to the introit from the Gradual Romanum as set to music there. But in my experience, the Gradual introit is often far beyond the capacity of most congregations to sing effectively. In fact, if the introit from the Gradual Romanum is to be sung, it is likely going to have to be sung by the choir alone. But that is the fourth choice.

Perhaps this is another area for music to be composed.

I think people read the GIRM rubrics as if they are inspired scripture, with detailed meaning to be teased out and understood.
I think the reality is that something like paragraph 48. is a collection of guidelines put together by a committee that was largely making it up as they went along. It has to be read with a measure of common sense.

On the topic of vernacular propers, approachable and simple chanty settings in the style of the Lumen Christi propers using the Ordinariate translations would be a very useful tool. It would bridge the gap between the St. Peter Gradual (all psalm toned) and the Palmer and Burgess. This is very niche though, I concede.

then there will be complaints

who friggin cares... let the squeaky wheels begin! I always smiled largely, said nothing (because all they want is an argument and another reason to complain with a target on my back) and just continued on giving them meat and potatoes instead of milk and sugar. time to grow up!

From an article on a website I read yesterday...

For xxxxxxxx, the Second Vatican Council is the fons et origo of the Church of today and of the future. The Fathers adopted a new paradigm, that of a Church which has always been Catholic, but which has become global, freed from its coincidence with Europe. This had various consequences, such as the introduction of local languages into the liturgy and the legitimization of local theologies. The adjective "worldwide" is used to describe the Church, with an ambiguity similar to that of the adjective "ecumenical" to describe the Second Vatican Council, which was ecumenical because it was general and/or because it led to the triumph of rapprochement with the "separated brethren".

I oil all squeaky wheels with truth... they either fall off, stop making noise or run me over.

c'est la vie

Francis - don't make plans to leave just yet. We need you. :-)

A return to devotional hymns would be a good start. Hymns are a very efficacious way of teaching or passing on the Catholic truths and the catechism. Early hymn writers knew this and so their hymns were written to educate you in your Catholic faith.

Secondly, a study of these hymns, the poetry, the meter, etc., should be of paramount importance to anyone who is serious about writing hymns.

If you are looking for some modern sources to help you, try Anthony Esolen's Real Music or Father Rutler's Story of Hymns. There is also a wonderful Marian study avaiable through the University of Dayton Popular Marian Hymnsin Devotion and Liturgy, and finally the USCCB's Evaluating Hymn Lyrics

I have been asked for the texts missing music, they can be found in the following forum posts,
Propers for the Polish Supplement I have updated the post with new items posted to gregobase recently.

Chant needed for the local calendars for England I will post here

I also have texts for St Maximilian Kolbe, I will also add these to the above discussion.

Also it could be - Antiphon by choir, then - many versicles by all (either in latin or vernacular, either in the original gregorian tone or in another, simpler, of the same mode) - then gloria patri by all - then antiphon by choir.

Following off of what Lincoln is suggesting, there is a set by Fr. Columba Kelly (available through GIA, if memory serves) that supplies a full antiphon, a simple congregational refrain, and verses set to meinrad tones. I find them quite lovely in general.

At my ordinariate parish, the people sing the Gloria Patri of the introit with gusto. It's unusual, but I suppose I don't hate it.

Fr Columba Kelly's books of Introits and Communions are available from OCP.

I'm always interested in new choral settings of texts by saints and of the hundreds of sequences that are no longer used in the liturgy. The latter especially is among the most beautiful and profound poetry in all Christianity, and basically no one today knows any of it.

Wow. Just saw all these. So it looks like writing new Propers settings or digging out the old treasures are the most supported ways to go overall. Gratias!