An Awesome English Collection for the Entire Gradual

Many Catholics don’t realize that the Mass has its own official music book, called The Roman Gradual, or “Graduale Romanum.” When Vatican II calls our Sacred Music “A treasure of inestimable value,” it clearly has this book in mind as a large part of that treasure. If you know about this book, you’ll know that it contains 5 Latin proper antiphons for each feast:

1. Introit

2. Gradual (Now the Responsorial Psalm)

3. Alleluia (or Gospel Acclamation)

4. Offertory

5. Communion

All of these may (and should) still be used at Mass, but realistically, you probably won’t hear them often. They are, after all, in Latin, and highly melismatic. Brian Michael Page, in his project called “Psalm 151,” sets EVERY ONE of these chants to a responsorial style chant for the assembly. It is the ENTIRE GRADUAL in one resource which is very rare among English chant editions. Here some some things I like about them:

1. They are beautiful and use authentically Catholic chant motifs

2. They have fully notated chant verses

3. They are FREE

4. At the end of each feast is a page with the melody only for easy copy/paste into worship aids for the assembly.

5. There are optional verses set to SATB for choir use

6. The Alleluias are based on other classic chants

7. When the antiphon is abbreviated for the assembly, it is finished in the verses

I’ve used these very effectively at some liturgies. I have found the entrance and offertory antiphons to be the perfect length for daily Masses/feasts. The Advent Alleluia has become a staple in my parish. Learn more about it here. Thank you, Brian Michael Page!

Here's an excerpt of the Offertory Antiphon for the 1st Sunday of Advent