Chant Resources for Parishes

by Unknown

"Good music helps to promote prayer, to raise the minds of people to God and to give people a taste of the goodness of God . . . Gregorian Chant is marked by a moving meditative cadence. It touches the depths of the soul. It shows joy, sorrow, repentance, petition, hope, praise or thanksgiving, as the particular feast, part of the Mass or other prayer may indicate. It makes the Psalms come alive. It has a universal appeal which makes it suitable for all cultures and peoples."

— Cardinal Arinze
from Language in the Roman Rite Liturgy: Latin and Vernacular
Keynote address to Gateway Liturgical Conference, November 2006
(see www.adoremus.org/CardinalFrancisArinze.html)

For those interested in exploring the use of chants, here are some useful resources:

The Adoremus Hymnal — contains five Latin chant Masses, and five English settings, a core collection of hymns in both English and Latin. A set of 4 CDs with recordings of all Masses and one verse of each hymn is available. Hymnal info: www.adoremus.org/Hymnal1.html.

"Jubilate Deo" — provided by the Vatican as a "minimum repertoire" of Gregorian chant for every parish, includes Mass chants and selected hymns. See new section on Adoremus web site (www.adoremus.org) for printable music (from The Adoremus Hymnal) plus mp3 files. (Booklet format of Jubilate Deo is available online from St. Cecelia Schola Cantorum - www.ceciliaschola.org/notes/jubilatedeo.html).

Graduale Romanum — (The Roman Gradual) — the complete set of Gregorian Mass chants in Latin, in square notation. Published by the Abbey of Solesmes, the book may be ordered from CanticaNova (www.canticanova.com).

Graduale Simplex (The Simple Gradual) — a collection of simpler Mass Chants in Latin, in square notation (neumes). This collection is an official alternative for smaller parishes, published by the Libreria Editrice Vaticana, and is also available from CanticaNova.

English Chant Project — a work in progress by Father Samuel Weber, OSB, in anticipation of new English texts for Mass. Permission to use copyrighted musical settings and texts are granted to participants in this project on a "for educational purposes only, not for profit or resale" basis. (Permission to use copyrighted texts of the current Sacramentary and Lectionary must be obtained by individuals from the copyright holders). Participants receive copies of this work, and agree to provide feedback that will aid in producing a full version when new translations are approved.

To participate in this project, contact:

The Rev. Samuel F. Weber, OSB, Wake Forest University Divinity School, Box 7719 — Winston-Salem, NC 27109-7719. Ph: 336-758-4289; E-mail [email protected].

Mundelein Psalter — the first complete one-volume edition containing the approved English-language texts of the Liturgy of the Hours with Psalms that are pointed for the chanting of the Divine Office. The music consists of simple yet beautiful Gregorian-based modes composed for this Psalter. Developed at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary and edited by Father Douglas Martis, the new Psalter is being published by Liturgy Training Publications (available April 2007).

Communio Project — The Church Music Association of America (CMAA) has made Communion chants for Sundays and Holy Days available on its website, Musica Sacra. To view this and other chant resources, visit www.musicasacra.com.

© Adoremus — Society for the Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy

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