After Kathy Pluth set forth her "Hymn Tune Introits" idea, I wrote to her and we exchanged a few e-mails with the idea of putting together her Metrical Introit adaptations with Psalm verses (from the Revised Grail Psalter) set to Anglican Chant music that I have been composing. To get the ball rolling, I have already set the Advent I Introit and Verses, utilizing the hymn tune "Conditor alme siderum" together with an arrangement from Penitential (Anglican) Chant music that I have employed in the past during Lent (I plan use this music both for Advent and for Lent settings of the Introit Psalm verses).

Two PDF scores for this initial pairing are attached, one with the tune for "Conditor alme siderum" that most Catholics are familiar with and one with the ever-so-slightly different tune that comes from the Sarum plainsong and is prevalent amongst Anglicans (the only difference is in the fifth note of the tune). Kathy and I feel that having both versions makes this work equally accessible to tradtional Catholics and Anglican Use Catholics alike.

The chants are in their original "key" (F major/D minor) and match well the Mode IV tonality of the "Conditor" (transposed), even though the final of the chant is invariably on F and not on A. I thought about putting the "Conditor..." down a perfect fourth in its natural place, while keeping the chant where it is. This also works modally and places the Antiphon in a better vocal range, although the initial and final E in the resulting hymn tune then serve as the leading tone (dominant) into the F of the chant. It has even occurred to me that (say for the last time through the hymn tune) it could be sung in organum with the second voice pitched a perfect fourth below the written notes.

Kathy and I will be working the kinks out of the formatting process. In this version, the chanted verses have been rather carefully set as they should be sung (like speech!), and I may continue this process with all the chants for the major seasons and feasts (but simply use Anglican pointing with single and/or double chants for Ordinary Time). In particular, note the "three beat" measures in both the second and third verse groups: they would normally be notated with just two beats, the pointing indicating that two syllables are sung to one of the beats, although in chanting one should not sing these syllables twice as fast.

Chuck