Singing from the 1974 Graduale book
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,237
    It seems that a lot of folks print individual Sundays off from various websites for the their proper scores. But do any of you actually sing from the book itself? Your experience?

    I am contemplating the problem. I prefer to sing form the book but there may be unforseen problems.

    Merci d'avance.
    KF
  • AlwaysChant
    Posts: 2
    I always sing from my Liber Usualis, printed 1956. In the EF, this is always correct except some parts of Holy Week. In the OF this is usable together with Ordo Cantus Missae editio altera, printed 1988 (many reprints and available as PDF), which gives directions what to sing. Often it turns out to be just a similar Sunday as in the OF so you are spared excessive page flipping. My Liber Usualis has 5 ribbons so I can mark all the pages I will use in advance, though sometimes aided with an additional page mark. If you have a Graduale from 1974 (or a reprint), you do not even need the Ordo since it’s already in the right order.

    I greatly prefer to sing from the book. It holds that much better in my hands and the pages look and feel nicer. I feel it contributes to a good stance. A bunch of pages fresh from a printer tend to fly everywhere and almost always they are of awful paper quality. Besides, having your Liber means last minute changes or additions are no problem. You also get to see your own pencil remarks from the previous years which will help you. Lastly, I am the third owner of this book and it is nice to think how previous owners also used it to fill a church with prayerful song - a link to the past, tradition materialized.
    Thanked by 3kevinf tomjaw StimsonInRehab
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,210
    The disadvantage of using the 1974 GR specifically is that you have to flip for the Gloria Patri no matter what. The first bit and the EUOUAE are printed in the preconciliar books; obviously you have to memorize them, but most of the time there’s not a problem, which is helpful when the ending is unusual like on the I Sunday of Advent, and where being on the page with the proper and the EUOUAE at the same time is helpful.

    The disadvantage of books period is conducting is a pain. I prefer a binder unless I have to direct at the last minute and I don’t have it. This also allows me to make my chironomy separately. We sing for Requiems from binders because I marked up the scores. That’s an advantage of printing scores, independently of the fact that we’re all TLM. I prefer singing from a book though. It’s a better size.

    Also, my old parish used the Gregorian Missal, but having the full GR1974 gives you more options IMHO.

    Anyway it’s a tough call. I think that to not buy the books requires you to copy the scores early and keep master copies to fill binders with (later on) instead of doing it as you need it. It’s too much otherwise. At least if you use, say, the ICRSP scores for the most part due to the size you can insert and delete pages in a program like Preview on macOS to get the 1974 version.
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 641
    Singing from the book is great but very costly with a large number of singers. I like the comfort it provides: did I stupidly forget to print the Sanctus? It’s right there.

    I have found that it works well to print 2-pages-in-one on letter-size paper. When sliced in half, the sheet fits perfectly into the standard Solesmes books and can be used as an extra bookmark. On the front of the sheet I put the order of the Mass with page numbers for all chants, and on the back, some verses for the communion antiphon and anything else needed that’s not in the book, eg. a Marian antiphon.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,676
    I don’t see why there’s any advantage to using the actual book. Sure, keep a few on hand in case of an EMP or something, but for a regular music program? No. I want something I can print with instructions, my notes in it, etc, and hand to folks.
  • eduardopinzon00eduardopinzon00
    Posts: 10
    I have the 1974 Graduale Romanum and the 1975 Graduale Simplex. I sometimes use them at Mass, but mostly for reference. For Mass, I have a folder with the printed scores. We also have a booklet for the choir and people with the kyriales. For the choir, I make a booklet of the same size (A5) with the Mass propers. Besides fitting into the same size booklet and booklet, it's practically the same size as the Graduales I always take to Mass, even though we often sing from the booklet or folder (larger, A4 size).
  • Palestrina
    Posts: 501
    The disadvantage to singing from a printed book is the feeling that you can't write on it at all. Surely, for any musician, the ability to mark their score, erase, revise, mark again etc is a key requirement?
    Thanked by 1hilluminar
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,235
    What @AlwaysChant said is also my experience and opinion, point by point in detail.
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