Lateran Basilica

[festivaltrumpet]

In a few week's time we celebrate the dedication of the cathedral of Rome. In its wisdom the church has given us a veritable paragraph as a psalm response on that day. How are forum members dealing with making the sung response memorable at first hearing?

[Psalm Project]

impossible!

[asb]

Mayhew's "Responsorial Psalms" compiled by Colin Mawby, shortens the reponse.

There is also (not in the book I mentioned though) a rather nice setting by Philip Jakob, that I think may be available from Decani - or ask Philip yourself (he may be too modest to plug it here himself! )

[Psalm Project]

I might suggest using one of the lines of the verses as a possible response i.e.

God is for us a refuge and strength.

The prescription line is too 'wordy' to be musically lyrical. As a composer I find it uninspiring

[docmattc]

I might suggest using one of the lines of the verses as a possible response i.e.

God is for us a refuge and strength.

Definitely a tempting option, there's a problem though if the congregation have either Mass books or newsletters with the readings on them. You're obviously deviating from what they are convinced is the only script and they spend most of the psalm fretting about it.

[Psalm Project]

I've yet to see or hear anyone fretting about the psalm.
Occasionally, and only occasionally, I've resorted to taking a line from the psalm instead of the prescribed one - Last weekend was a prime example. Psalm 22/23... The response 'In the Lord's own house... etc (By the way, I use the psalm of the day for all our Sunday Psalms - it would be pretty exceptional for me to deviate from the lectionary text)
In my church we have a well known Psalm 22/23 by Egan... We use it all the time at funerals so, the community is very familiar with it and they sing it with conviction. As the psalm is otherwise 95% identical, I had no difficulty using this option. I think there are occasional times when a sense of balance needs to be struck and where a little flexibility needs to be exercised.
On this occasion we used 'The Lord's is my shepherd there is nothing I shall want'... Reasonable I think?
I'm not saying that it should be taken as a casual option - not at all in fact.
As for the Lateran Basilica psalm... if anyone can use the prescribed response text and make the music connect and resonate with the text, CALL ME... PRONTO!!! You are either a genius OR you need to get out more! ;o)

[asb]

Do look at Philip Jakob's setting. IMHO it works.

[Nick Baty]

if the congregation have either Mass books or newsletters with the readings on them

then your sound system gas broken down. Works of the devil those missalettey things! Grrrrrrrrr!

[docmattc]

if the congregation have either Mass books or newsletters with the readings on them

then your sound system gas broken down. Works of the devil those missalettey things! Grrrrrrrrr!

Couldn't agree more. I managed to persuade the parish to get rid of missalettes a couple or three years ago, but they were replaced with the Redemptorists newsletters which have the readings and proper on them. It was a step in the right direction- at least now we don't have a page turn in the middle of the Eucharistic Prayer (more rustling than the wild west)- but I don't think the parish has the confidence yet to move away from these. We've moved from the trike to the bike with stabilisers, but we're not yet ready to take the stabilisers off.

Back on topic, I've tried my hand at writing a setting of the response, a three times repeated musical phrase, descending the scale each time plus an ending. Its not memorable at 1st hearing, but probably 2nd or 3rd. Festivaltrumpet, PM me if you want a look at it. I'm going to have a look at Phil's version too though before I decide which to use.

[RobH]

I can't see what the fuss is about. Yes, the response isn't easily memorised, but, in the Complete Responsorial Psalter (McCrimmons) Stephen Dean does give a shorter alternative response which is reasonably memorable.(he obviously thought his first one was a bit difficult!) Having said that, I can almost guarantee that my choir ( sounds a bit pretentious for my lot), or my lovely bossy ladies will complain that this is virtually unsingable. Perhaps I should get them to look at this site where they will obviously find some fellow sufferers! Has anyone looked at the Psalm for All Saints in the Responsorial Psalter? The tone seems to be completely alien to the response. One is in E flat and the other in A minor. Very puzzling and far worse than the Psalm for the Lateran Basilica. I shall have to compose one of my own.

[docmattc]

Has anyone looked at the Psalm for All Saints in the Responsorial Psalter? The tone seems to be completely alien to the response. One is in E flat and the other in A minor. Very puzzling and far worse than the Psalm for the Lateran Basilica. I shall have to compose one of my own.

I've just been fighting with that one this evening. Decided to use the response, which is good, taken down to C and use the Gelineau tone for the verses.

[asb]

Has anyone looked at the Psalm for All Saints in the Responsorial Psalter? The tone seems to be completely alien to the response. One is in E flat and the other in A minor. Very puzzling and far worse than the Psalm for the Lateran Basilica. I shall have to compose one of my own.

I've just been fighting with that one this evening. Decided to use the response, which is good, taken down to C and use the Gelineau tone for the verses.

It is obviously a misprint! Simply use another tone in the same key as the response!

[festivaltrumpet]

The suggestions and discussion are much appreciated. It is reassuring to know that the set text is seen as problematic by others.

[asb]

In a few week's time we celebrate the dedication of the cathedral of Rome. In its wisdom the church has given us a veritable paragraph as a psalm response on that day. How are forum members dealing with making the sung response memorable at first hearing?

Do you think the 1st Sunday of Advent (B) poses a similar problem? My congregation sing Dom GM's setting of this with gusto.

[docmattc]

I think 'God of hosts, bring us back. Let your face shine on us and we shall be saved' has a certain natural rythm to it that lends itself more easily to singing that 'the waters of a river....' doesn't. We usually use Stephen Dean's setting from Veni Emmanuel.