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Views from the Choir Loft

New Propers Collection By Lawrence M. Rutherford

Jeff Ostrowski · November 19, 2014

655 Larry AWRENCE RUTHERFORD is to be congratulated for his new publication: English Psalm-Tone Propers for the Ordinary Form of the Mass. He has carefully set the Introits, Responsorial Psalms, Alleluias, Offertories, and Communions to the traditional Gregorian psalm tones, also providing organ accompaniments. I had concerns about his unique notational style, but, having carefully examined his books, I see that my concerns were unfounded. Moreover, the thoughtful way he fits English texts to the Psalm Tones—which were designed for the Latin language—is remarkable.

Anyone interested in restoring the Propers to a vernacular Mass ought to pick up a copy of this two-volume set. The settings are very simple: even a single cantor can tackle them. The editor has included a few Latin verses for the more famous Introits, but less than 1% of the entire book is in Latin. He has also included nice artwork with reflections.

      * *  English Psalm-Tone Propers for the Ordinary Form of the Mass

As with any publication, there are a few typos which need to be corrected in subsequent editions. Good Friday lacks a page number in the index. A header in the Preface is incorrect. The page numbers overlap in some instances. Such minor errors happen in almost every publishing project.

653 error A 652 error B 651 error C

649 sample DURING A REVIEW, it’s normal for the reviewer to mention one “flaw.” I have to say that I wish Mr. Rutherford had set the Sung Propers (which come from the Revised 1974 Gradual) instead of setting the Spoken Propers (which come from the Sacramentary). Obviously, he had no choice about the Offertories, which do not exist in the Sacramentary, and needed to be taken from the Gradual.

If a congregation is following the Mass by means of a printed Order of Worship, such as the Jogues Illuminated Missal, they will be looking at the Sung Propers. That means their texts will match Mr. Rutherford’s almost perfectly, except for the Communion antiphons. Therefore, either the congregation will be confused by hearing the Spoken Text Communion (a.k.a. “Sacramentary Text Communion”) or the musician should use some other collection, such as the Simple English Propers (CMAA, 2011) for the Communion.

MY REVIEW IS FINISHED but I would like to say I’m really glad Aquinas & More is still running. (A few years ago, they announced they would be closing.) Also, I would like to know if Mr. Lawrence M. Rutherford is related to Ian Rutherford, who runs Aquinas & More. If not, that’s some coincidence!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Graduale Romanum Roman Gradual Propers, Simple English Mass Propers, Sung Vs Spoken Propers Novus Ordo Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

Friedman met Egon Wellesz in Altaussee on one of the walks, and Egon started to speak about atonal music—and Ignaz replied: “No, no, no. Melody for me.”

— From the Life of Ignazy Friedman

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

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