WLP resets the ICEL chants

[musicus]

I read on Gotta Sing, Gotta Pray that WLP has decided to "re-engrave all of the chants in the Missal. After looking at the way the chants had been engraved in the files we received, we felt strongly that, as a Catholic music company, we could use the talents of our award winning music engravers to re-set the chants."

They have made a good job of it. I wonder how many other publishers will follow suit and re-do the blobby dog's dinner that is ICEL's offering. Not that that would address any of the musical or textual issues, of course.

Here is the link: http://gottasinggottapray.blogspot.com/ ... ay-in.html

[NorthernTenor]

WLP’s decision to re-engrave has the potential to address frequently-expressed criticism of the first three notes of ICEL’s Sanctus-setting. I believe that criticism evidences a misunderstanding arising from ICEL’s engraving, encouraged by the deeply ingrained metrical characteristics of the current translation.

The trochaic regularity of the current translation invites a strongly accented 6/8 setting (the dactylic beginning of the ICET Gloria has a similar effect). Combine this by now almost visceral instinct with ICEL’s notation, which begins with a short on ‘Ho-‘, followed by two shorts connected by a slur on ‘-ly’, and the instinct of many is to make an anacrusis of the first syllable. This approach may be reinforced by memory of a particular way of singing the Gregorian prototype, which places a heavy accent on the second note. The problem is resolved by intensifying and slightly lengthening the first note when singing it and by phrasing away the next two, not lingering over them. This could be indicated in the engraving by an episema (or tenuto symbol) over the first note.

[John Ainslie]

Hear, hear, NT!

And I do like the WLP's typography. An excellent choice of body font and a clear distinction of rubrics in font as well as colour.

I wonder what the CTS will produce?