Continuing with the effort to draw attention to Mass settings that are in English, plainsong, and hold up for long-term use, I offer now two Glorias based on Psalm tones. They can be learned very quickly by congregations, and require no accompaniment. If you heard them in any parish in the English-speaking world, they would not somehow remind you of themes that live in the secular world but rather are compatible with true liturgical sensibilities. They sound like "church." Any parish can use these.
The first is set by Kurt Poterack. It uses the most minimal melodic motion possible but that which is the there is quit penetrating. It has a certain dignity to it that most English Glorias currently in print lack. I don't offer this as an ideal, though it is very good, but rather as a welcome relief from what most Catholics in this country endure week to week. Here is a downloadable pdf.
The second one is slightly more elaborate, based more strictly on the Psalm tone but equally dignified. It is put together by Richard Rice. If you sang this one for a good part of the year, it would hold up in every way. Again, it calls for no accompaniment. Here is a downloadable pdf.
Again, I offer these not as somehow the height and the ideal; the ideal is, in fact, Latin, and it is embodied in the Kyriale or the great polyphonic works. Rather, my purpose here is to show that any parish can have solemn, authentic liturgical music that is easy and accessible to everyone. And any parish can start this process this weekend.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Two Glorias
Jeffrey Tucker
More recent articles:
A New Edition of the Monastic Breviary Available SoonGregory DiPippo
The printing house of the Monastère Saint-Benoît in Brignole, France, Éditions Pax inter Spinas, is pleased to announce the re-publication of the two volumes of the last edition (1963) of the traditional Latin Monastic Breviary.The Breviary contains all that is necessary to pray the complete Monastic Divine Office of Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, S...
A Mid-Western Saint from Rome: Guest Article by Mr Sean PilcherGregory DiPippo
Thanks once again to our friend Mr Sean Pilcher, this time for sharing with us this account of the relics of a Saint from the Roman catacombs, which were brought to the cathedral of Dubuque, Iowa, in the 19th century. Mr Pilcher is the director of Sacra: Relics of the Saints (sacrarelics.org), an apostolate that promotes education about relics, and...
Fons et Culmen Sacred Liturgy Summit - July 1–4, Menlo Park, CaliforniaJennifer Donelson-Nowicka
You are cordially invited to the Fons et Culmen Sacred Liturgy Summit, which will be held from July 1-4, in Menlo Park, California!Fons et Culmen Sacred Liturgy Summit gathers together Catholics who love Christ, the Church, and the Church’s sacred liturgical tradition for: - the solemn celebration of the Mass and Vespers; - insightful talks on...
A Lenten Station Mass in the Roman ForumGregory DiPippo
Today’s Mass is one of the series instituted by Pope St Gregory II (715-31) when he abolished the older custom of the Roman Rite, by which the Thursdays of Lent were “aliturgical” days on which no Mass was celebrated. The station appointed for the day is at the basilica of Ss Cosmas and Damian, which was constructed by Pope St Felix IV (526-30) in ...
Do Priests or Religious Need Special Permission to Pray a Pre-55 Breviary?Peter Kwasniewski
On occasion, I receive an email like the following (in this case, from a seminarian): “Do you happen to know of any sources/authoritative references which you could point me to that explain why praying the Pre-55 Breviary definitely satisfies the canonical obligation for clerics or religious? As I am strongly desirous of the Pre-55 Liturgy, I ...
Early Bird Registration Discount for CMAA Colloquium Ends March 31st!Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka
Join us this summer for world-class training in the Church’s treasury of sacred music.Early bird registration discount ($50 for colloquium, $50 for Vocal Intensive course, $150 off for Chant Intensive) ends March 31st!Here’s a special invitation from our new president, Fr. Robert Pasley.The Church Music Association of America is pleased to announc...
The Annunciation 2025: Dante and the Virgin MaryGregory DiPippo
The specific date of birth of the great poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) is unknown, but this Thursday, March 27th, is the anniversary of his baptism, which took place during the Easter vigil of 1266. The language which we call “Italian” today originated as the dialect of his native region of Tuscany (more specifically, of the city of Florence, but...
The Messenger AngelMichael P. Foley
Anonymous, the Archangel Gabriel, depicted on the predella of the high altar at the subsidiary church of Pesenbach, Upper Austria, 1495In the traditional Roman calendar, the feast days of saints are sometimes clustered together to form archipelagos of holiness that allow the faithful to meditate longer on a sacred mystery. These archipelagos do not...
The Third Sunday of Lent 2025Gregory DiPippo
At that time: Jesus was casting out a devil, and the same was dumb: and when he had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke: and the multitudes were in admiration at it: But some of them said: He casteth out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. And others tempting, asked of him a sign from heaven. But he seeing their thoughts, said to them: Every ...
Pictures of Montecassino AbbeyGregory DiPippo
Following up on yesterday’s post of pictures of the crypt of Montecassino Abbey, here are some of the main church and some of the things around it, starting with the most important part of it, the burial site of St Benedict and his sister St Scholastica, behind the high altar.As I am sure our readers know, Montecassino Abbey was heavily bombed duri...
