• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

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.”

  • Donate
  • Our Team
    • Our Editorial Policy
    • Who We Are
    • How To Contact Us
    • Sainte Marie Bulletin Articles
    • Jeff’s Mom Joins Fundraiser
  • Pew Resources
    • Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal
    • Jogues Illuminated Missal
    • Repository • “Spanish Music”
    • KYRIALE • Saint Antoine Daniel
    • Campion Missal, 3rd Edition
  • MUSICAL WEBSITES
    • René Goupil Gregorian Chant
    • Noël Chabanel Psalms
    • Nova Organi Harmonia (2,279 pages)
    • Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Catechism of Gregorian Rhythm
    • Father Enemond Massé Manuscripts
    • Lalemant Polyphonic
    • Feasts Website
  • Miscellaneous
    • Site Map
    • Secrets of the Conscientious Choirmaster
    • “Wedding March” for lazy organists
    • Emporium Kevin Allen
    • Saint Jean de Lalande Library
    • Sacred Music Symposium 2023
    • The Eight Gregorian Modes
    • Gradual by Pothier’s Protégé
    • Seven (7) Considerations
Views from the Choir Loft

Lalemant Propers • Graduale Romanum in English

THE GRADUALE ROMANUM in English set to the music of Gregorian Psalm Tones for all Sundays and Solemnities. Includes 45 fully pointed Psalms for Singers.

* *  Click Here to purchase the book • 391 Pages

* *  Click Here to download the free PDF • 391 Pages

* *  Click Here for Preface & Table of Contents

The exceptional English translations used in this book have been approved for liturgical use in the United States. They are identical to the Solesmes Gregorian Missal (Imprimatur, 1989), the St. Isaac Jogues Illuminated Missal, the Simple English Propers (CMAA, 2011), the Laudate Communion Antiphons, and many more liturgical books.

78141-FRONT-Revised-Lalemant
78140-lalemant-back

Summary of Contents
The Lalemant Propers are extremely simple settings (in English) of the Mass Propers which make it possible for any person to sing these sacred prayers, even people who have no musical training whatsoever. Many “bonus” features are included, such as the Good Friday Reproaches and forty-five complete Psalms pointed musically.

Press Release
Those who wish to follow the teachings of the Second Vatican Council by implementing the Mass Propers realize that absolute consistency is the only way forward. So what happens when your cantor gets sick or your choir doesn’t have time to learn one or more chants from the Simple English Propers? The answer is simple: pull out the Lalemant Propers. Each one is fully written out, and can be sung by absolutely anyone with ease.

Offertory Example
Let’s say you’re unable to prepare the full Offertory (PDF) for All Saints Day. You had planned to use the Simple English Propers, but your choir couldn’t learn it in time. No problem! Your choir can easily do use the Lalemant Propers and add Psalm Tones, like so:


Holy Saturday Example
The Lalemant Propers contain all kinds of handy settings for various feasts. For instance, the complete Holy Week is included. Here’s an example of singing the assigned “Canticle” for Holy Saturday. This beautiful text is almost always replaced by a Responsorial Psalm, but the Lalemant Propers makes it possible to sing the ancient Canticle, which is the more traditional option:


Textual Considerations
The Lalemant Propers are very simple, allowing the congregation to meditate upon the beautiful Scripture passages. The Lalemant Propers employ an Accentual Psalm Tone perfectly suited to the English language. Incidentally, many pseudo-scholars of Gregorian chant who have published articles since the Second Vatican Council are totally ignorant of the difference between Cursive and Accentual cadences in Gregorian chant. They assume all Psalm Tones are Accentual, which is why so many of their articles are filled with contradictions and confusion. That being said, there is certainly nothing wrong with Accentual Tones.

Using Both A Hymn & The Proper
The USCCB Committee on Divine Worship recently confirmed a practice already in place in many parishes wherein the “Entrance Hymn” is followed by the Mass Proper. The Lalemant Propers allow for this practice to be used without exception in every single parish in the United States. The Entrance Antiphon as set by the Lalemant Propers is incredibly short, less than 20 seconds if the verses are not used.   Therefore:

Is there any reason why the Propers cannot be sung in every English-speaking parish?

DOCUMENTS FROM VATICAN II encourage Catholics to “sing the Mass” rather than replacing the Mass with non-liturgical texts. This practice is an outgrowth of a maxim attributed to Pope St. Pius X: “Don’t pray at Mass, pray the Mass.” However, those attempting to introduce the Mass Propers at their parishes realize absolute consistency is necessary. Therefore, what happens when a cantor gets sick or there is not adequate time for the choir to learn a chant from the Graduale Romanum or Simple English Propers? Or what about circumstances where a choir is not present, such as a 7:00am Sunday Mass, or (perhaps) a special Holy Day? What about the summer months, when some choirs do not meet? If the Propers are simply omitted, this causes considerable confusion for the congregation, which was previously told that each Mass has special Propers which ought to be sung. We know very well that the Liturgy is complex and must not constantly switch back and forth with changing texts, practices, and musical choices. Constant changes are quite disruptive to Liturgical prayer.

In an effort to make sure that the Mass Propers can always be sung at every Mass no matter what, I have created this 391-page book containing very simple musical arrangements of the Graduale in English.

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • Communion (25th Sn. Ord.)
    This coming Sunday, 21 September 2025, is the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). The COMMUNION ANTIPHON with honor of Eustace Ahatsistari shimmers with resplendence. It comes Psalm 118 (the lengthiest psalm) which is an “alphabetical acrostic.” That means each verse begins with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The psalmist chose eight (8) synonyms—law, statutes, commands, ordinances, decrees, precepts, words, and promise—and in his strophes of eight verses apiece planned (perhaps) to use a different synonym in each verse. In his translation of the Bible, Monsignor Ronald Knox miraculously managed to preserve the alphabetical acrostic. Dr. Herbert Finberg later exclaimed: “No living writer possesses a greater command over the English language than Monsignor Knox.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    PDF Download • “Side-By-Side Comparison”
    Pope Urban VIII modified almost all the Church’s ancient hymns in 1632AD. The team responsible for creating the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal spent years comparing the different versions of each hymn: “Urbanite” vs. “pre-Urbanite.” When it comes to the special hymn for the upcoming feast (9 November)—URBS BEATA JERUSALEM—Dr. Adrian Fortescue pointed out that “the people who changed it in the 17th century did not even keep its metre; so the later version cannot be sung to the old, exceedingly beautiful tune.” Monsignor Hugh Thomas Henry (d. 1946), a professor of Gregorian Chant at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary (Overbrook, Philadelphia), wrote: “Of this hymn in particular some think that, whereas it did not suffer as much as some others, yet it lost much of its beauty in the revision; others declare that it was admirably transformed without unduly modifying the sense.” You can use this side-by-side comparison chart to compare both versions. When it comes to its meaning, there’s little significant difference between the two versions: e.g. “name of Christ” vs. “love of Christ.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Karl Keating • “Canonization Questions”
    We were sent an internet statement (screenshot) that’s garnered significant attention, in which KARL KEATING (founder of Catholic Answers) speaks about whether canonizations are infallible. Mr. Keating seems unaware that canonizations are—in the final analysis—a theological opinion. They are not infallible, as explained in this 2014 article by a priest (with a doctorate in theology) who worked for multiple popes. Mr. Keating says: “I’m unaware of such claims arising from any quarter until several recent popes disliked by these Traditionalists were canonized, including John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II. Usually Paul VI receives the most opprobrium.” Mr. Keating is incorrect; e.g. Father John Vianney, several centuries ago, taught clearly that canonizations are not infallible. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen would be another example, although clearly much more recent than Saint John Vianney.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Vatican II Changed Wedding Propers?
    It’s often claimed that the wedding propers were changed after Vatican II. As a matter of fact, that is a false claim. The EDITIO VATICANA propers (Introit: Deus Israel) remained the same after Vatican II. However, a new set of propers (Introit: Ecce Deus) was provided for optional use. The same holds true for the feast of Pope Saint Gregory the Great on 3 September: the 1943 propers (Introit: Si díligis me) were provided for optional use, but the traditional PROPRIA MISSAE (Introit: Sacerdótes Dei) were retained; they weren’t gotten rid of. The Ordo Cantus Missae (1970) makes this crystal clear, as does the Missal itself. There was an effort made in the post-conciliar years to eliminate so-called “Neo-Gregorian” chants, but (contrary to popular belief) most were retained: cf. the feast of Christ the King, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and so forth.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“We cannot approve of the attitude of those who use the problems raised and discussed by the Council to create in themselves and in others an attitude of unrest and a desire for radical reformation, as if the Council gives every private opinion a chance to destroy the heritage of the Church. acquired during Her many centuries of history and experience.”

— Pope Paul VI (30 June 1965)

Recent Posts

  • “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
  • Dr. Alfred Calabrese • “Three Recommendations for Children’s Repertoire”
  • Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
  • Installment #7 • Three (3) Questions Re: Forthcoming USA Lectionary
  • Can You Identify This “Mystery” Hymn Tune?

Subscribe

Subscribe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2025 Corpus Christi Watershed · Isaac Jogues on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

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.