Society of Saint Gregory

I am pleased to announce the launch of English Proper Chants - chant settings of the entrance and communion antiphons of the Missal, ICEL translation. You can find them at http://www.benedicamus.org.uk/chants - the first two seasons'-worth are available now, the rest to follow in due course. If you ...

As I wrote in a previous thread, I am all for eulogies at the beginning of a Funeral Mass, after the coffin has been received and the symbols of faith placed on it, and immediately after the priest's greeting and welcome of the relatives and friends of the deceased: at an emotional time in what for ...

Thanks, Gwyn.

I have a chant project in the pipeline, hopefully issuing forth in the next few weeks. Watch this space!

The whole article I found fascinating and inspiring. It's very important to read the context of extracts and quotes. There's enough material in it for a whole week's retreat - or spiritual exercises.

There is a continuity between the one I now adore in the form of the Eucharistic Presence and the one I will adore face-to-face, so think I can say to him while he is the Blessed Sacrament that I will love him for ever. That is exactly my point. If I was to say/sing that I will adore Jesus for ever...

However traditional 'Adoremus in aeternum' is - I see that Allegri wrote a setting of it - the words are not good theology. We will not be adoring the Blessed Sacrament for all eternity, nor should we wish to. When we are past this earth, we are past sacraments. "We are God's children now; what...

Gradual Hymn? Explain, please. A hymn between the New Testament reading and the Gospel. Interestingly the 1549 Prayer Book and the 1905 English Hymnal both contain the propers for each Sunday which includes the Gradual, translated into English which were chanted at some high very high Anglican chur...

Gradual Hymn? Explain, please.

I have just spoken to Anne on the phone. It was only a TIA (transient ischaemic attack). She was discharged from hospital after 36 hours and is now at home and active again. She is very grateful for the prayers of her many friends.

Anne Holt, secretary of the Society from 1988 to 1992, suffered a stroke earlier this week. Please keep her in your prayers.

Here you go:
http://www.gregofacsimil.net/01-Restitution/Repons-neumes/Repons-Hartker/01-Dom-I-Adv/01-Aspiciens-a-longe-N.pdf

What happens is that the people who have moved to England are not necessarily the ones who have much knowledge of or interest in their own Church music. I recall when the Westminster Music Committee was running a music day some years ago in a parish in central London. I discovered that the local ch...

Whenever the Entrance or Communion Antiphon is a psalm verse, you will find that this is taken direct from the Revised Grail Psalter, so not copyright ICEL but administered by GIA. Be careful here. Entrance and Communion verses are often not direct quotations of psalm or other scriptural verses, bu...

This is partly due to missal publishers including Entrance and Communion Antiphons without making it clear that these are not obligatory texts for singing... People like singing familiar things and different entrance, offertory, communion and recessional processionals each Sunday would probably hav...

Note in particular how with Mass Ordinary settings ICEL is prohibited from granting copyright permissions if the setting has not been 'approved' by the Bishops Conference music panel. My presumption (I hope flawed) is that this system is being steadily expanded to encompass more texts, including Pr...