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Corpus Christi Watershed

Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

First Look Images! • “Proper Of The Mass” By Fr. Samuel F. Weber

Jeff Ostrowski · April 9, 2015

951 Ignatius Press Proper of the Mass in English ERE ARE SOME photos of Fr. Samuel F. Weber’s new book—The Proper of the Mass for Sundays and Solemnities: Chants for the Roman Missal in English—published by Ignatius Press. The book is much thinner than I had anticipated for being 1,292 pages; it’s approximately the size & weight of the Jogues Lectionary. (The super thin pages are not very opaque, I’m afraid.)

The following link has audio samples & purchase information:

    * *  “Proper of the Mass” • 1,292 pages

At the moment, I don’t want to say anything negative about such a marvelous production. However, I cannot help observing one thing. Since this collection is meant for singing, Fr. Weber probably should have used the “sung” Propers, which are found in the Graduale Romanum. Fr. Weber tended to favor the “spoken” version. On a practical level, this means that some of the Communion antiphons won’t match the Roman Gradual (revised in 1974). 1

A large percentage of the “sung” and “spoken” propers are identical, and Fr. Weber often used melodies identical to corresponding antiphons in the Graduale. That’s why his occasional preference for the “spoken” version printed in the Missal is perplexing. 2

949 Ignatius Press Proper of the Mass in English

948 Ignatius Press Proper of the Mass in English

950 Ignatius Press Proper of the Mass in English

947 Ignatius Press Proper of the Mass in English



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Tons of other collections could be used when the Communion antiphons don’t match: Motyka’s Communions, the SEP, the Lalemant, the official version from the Graduale, and many more.

2   Obviously, since the Roman Missal doesn’t print any Offertory verses, Fr. Weber drew these exclusively from the Graduale. My understanding is that many of the translations are his own.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Graduale Romanum Roman Gradual Propers, Proper of the Mass in English, Propers Ignatius Press by Fr Samuel Weber 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

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —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

“To me nothing is so consoling, so piercing, so thrilling, so overcoming, as the Mass, said as it is among us. I could attend Masses for ever, and not be tired.”

— John Henry Cardinal Newman (1848)

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