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Views from the Choir Loft

Simple English Choral Propers by Jon Naples

Guest Author · May 29, 2014

HIS WORK uses unaltered, the offertories of the Simple English Propers chants by Adam Bartlett. This work treats each chant as cantus firmus. Retaining the chant properties of the SEP, I have expanded each into a full blown motet.

These pieces give parish choirs of all sizes and skill levels the ability to observe the content of the propers in a polyphonic offertory. They may also serve as an excellent stepping stone for the beginning choir to approach polyphony.

      * *  Pentecost Sunday — Free PDF

      * *  Trinity Sunday — Free PDF

      * *  Corpus Christi Sunday — Free PDF

      * *  Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary — Free PDF

— The parts are generally invertible. Meaning, the women’s part(s) may be sung by men and vice versa.

— Choirs are advised to first to learn the antiphon melody in unison, then learn the verse tones in SATB, then their respective part of the polyphony.

— In the verse tones, the choir changes pitch on the words in bold type.

— In the antiphons, black notes (equal to a square note of chant) are the basic unit of time and in turn, determine the duration of the half notes, dotted half notes, and whole notes.

— The conductor is advised to observe two and three-beat groupings according to the rhythm of the text and melody combined.

— For reasons of musical interest most of the pieces contain two contrasting settings of the antiphon. Antiphon I should be heard after the odd numbered verses, and Antiphon II after the even numbered verses. Long antiphons have one setting.


We hope you enjoyed this guest post by Jon Naples.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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Quick Thoughts

    Vespers Booklet (4th Sunday of Lent)
    The organ accompaniment booklet (24 pages) which I created for the 4th Sunday of Lent (“Lætare Sunday”) may now be downloaded, for those who desire such a thing.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Vespers Booklet, 3rd Sunday of Lent
    The organ accompaniment I created for the 3rd Sunday of Lent (“Extraordinary Form”) may now be downloaded, if anyone is interested in this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Weeping For Joy! (We Hope!)
    Listening to this Easter Alleluia—an SATB arrangement I made twenty years ago based on the work of Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel—one of our readers left this comment: “I get tears in my eyes each time I sing to this hymn.” I hope this person is weeping for joy!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The following few hints on the selection of voices may be useful: (1) Reject all boys who speak roughly, or sing coarsely; (2) Choose bright, intelligent-looking boys, provided they have a good ear; they will much more readily respond to the choirmaster’s efforts than boys who possess a voice and nothing more; therefore, (3) Reject dull, sulky, or scatter-brained boys, since it is hard to say which of the three has the most demoralizing effect on his more willing companions.”

— Sir Richard Runciman Terry (1912)

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