Friday, September 07, 2012

English Propers, 23rd Sunday

I'm pleased to announce a new book, the Parish Book of Psalms, by Arlene Oost-Zinner. It is a collection of a cappella Responsorial Psalm settings composed in the Gregorian tradition. These settings, already widely-used through the Chabanel Psalms project, are easy and accessible for congregations, and provide a way to introduce plainchant in English in the average parish. They employ Gregorian Psalm tones, and include all verses in form fully notated for ease of singing.

This volume includes psalms for the complete three-year lectionary cycle of Sunday and holy day Masses according to the liturgical calendar for the U.S.A. It can be used by a lone cantor or full choir.

I'll be posting them week by week. Remember when you hear these that these are an alternative not to the Gregorian Gradual but to the usual Psalm between the readings in average parishes. In many ways, this is the most regrettable aspect of the music at Mass. This new book enables a beautiful and liturgical Psalm to be sung in an parish.


And these are the Simple English Propers:






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