On Thursday, November 12th, Fr. Robert Fromageot, FSSP will be speaking about Music and the Liturgy on EWTN’s show for young adults, “Life on the Rock.”

Fr. Fromageot is a professor of dogmatic and moral theology at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary (the Fraternity’s seminary) in Denton, Nebraska. He is in-residence at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Lincoln, NE where he also directs the schola. He is a fantastic singer, an accomplished flautist, and a very eloquent advocate for the place of Gregorian chant and beauty in the liturgy.

This is a show not to be missed! It airs at 8:00 p.m. ET.

(For entertainment purposes only; trust, but verify. Corrections and clarifications welcome!)

Here’s a question for you: for daily Masses, where do you find the propers?

For daily Masses, look for propers like this:

• Is it a feast day? If so, look in the Graduale Romanum in the sanctoral cycle (Proprium de Sanctis)
• If it is not a feast day, use the propers from the preceding Sunday. In the seasonal cycle (Proprium de Tempore), chants are arranged according to week (hebdomada) and not by Sunday. Note too that there are two cycles of daily Mass readings (Anno I & Anno II), and sometimes the Graduale will specify different chants for a particular day (feria). Ferias are numbered, so 2 = Mon., 3 = Tue., 4 = Wed., 5 = Thu., 6 = Fri., and “Sabbato” = Sat.

I’m basing this on what I remember from a translation of the instruction given (in Latin) in the front of the Graduale Romanum. But it seems to make sense to me without resorting to the legislation.

To do an English proper, can I look in a missal and find the Introit, Offertory and Communion and use a familiar Psalm Tone??

We are starting Thursday evening candlelight mass tonight … I would love to do the propers.

As I understand, the antiphons provided in the missal (and missalettes) are intended to be spoken (I know, strange). Also, only Introit and Communion verses are supplied (since the prayers at the Preparation are recited aloud at a spoken Mass). You certainly may use them if it’s expedient.

I know that I’d tend towards the collections in or based on the Graduale Romanum. I’m a bit of a maximalist when it comes to these things. :¬)

Hope this helps!

Awesome … thanks.

You wrote this: Note too that there are two cycles of daily Mass readings, and sometimes the Graduale will specify different chants for a particular day (feria). Ferias are numbered, so 2 = Mon., 3 = Tue., 4 = Wed., 5 = Thu., 6 = Fri., and “Sabbato” = Sat.

What is it that am I thinking of that has a 3-year cycle?

The three-year cycle is proper to Sundays and some holy days; the two-year cycle is proper to weekdays (ferias).

As my mother used to say, HELP US AND BLESS US AND BIND US WITH CHEESE … Will I ever figure out this stuff??

Well, one could always go to the one-year-cycle Extraordinary Form… :•)

BINGO!

You may also want to read a 2002 post of mine regarding the dubious simplifications in the Ordinary-Form Roman Rite.

Selections of the Victoria Requiem for Six Voices was led by David Adam Smith; the score from which the choir sang may be found here. The chanting of the Tract Absólve, Dómine, Sequence Dies Irae, and Responsory Libera Me were led by this blogger; notation was taken from this edition [PDF].

Victoria, Requiem for Six Voices — Introit: Réquiem aetérnam (6:04, 5.6 MB)

Victoria, Requiem for Six Voices — Kyrie (2:05, 1.9 MB)

Victoria, Requiem for Six Voices — Gradual: Réquiem aetérnam (2:56, 2.7 MB)

Gregorian Chant — Tract: Absólve, Dómine (2:17, 2.1 MB)

Gregorian Chant — Sequence: Dies irae (5:26, 5.0 MB)

Victoria, Requiem for Six Voices — Offertory: Dómine Iesu Christe (4:16, 3.9 MB)

Victoria, Requiem for Six Voices — Benedíctus (1:36, 1.5 MB)

Pater Noster (chant); Pax Domini (chant); Victoria, Requiem for Six Voices — Agnus Dei (5:34, 5.1 MB)

Victoria, Requiem for Six Voices — Communion: Lux aetérna (6:04, 5.6 MB)

Motet: Victoria, Versa est in luctum (3:27, 3.2 MB)

Responsory: Líbera me, Dómine (chant); Kyrie eleison (Victoria); Prayers at the Catafalque (7:31, 6.9 MB)

Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion,
et tibi reddetur votum in Ierusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam;
ad te omnis caro veniet.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.

A hymn becomes you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall a vow be repaid in Jerusalem.
Hear my prayer;
to you shall all flesh come.

• Composer: Orlande de Lassus
• Choir: Hilliard Ensemble

NB: For liturgical use, “Requiem aeternam” is repeated until “Te decet.“

• More information: Alma Mater: Music from the Vatican