Society of Saint Gregory

The introduction of new Responsorial Psalm texts last year gives composers an opportunity not simply to compose new settings (and issue revised versions of old ones) but to develop new techniques. I am quite certain that this genre could be developed enormously; and the results should be made ...

We are up against two things here:

[1] The rigidity imposed by copyright. This prevents 'common sense' corrections/adjustments being made to the text.

[2] If the authorities turn round and say there should be a new 'corrected' version two things will happen:

: There will be confusion at parish ...

I should add just one addendum. My remarks concern psalms only; not other parts of the Lectionary.

My feeling is that, whatever translation is made, someone will always find fault. With any text everything depends on perspective:
[1] There is personal taste, which is utterly subjective. For a start the way I utter and pronounce words and phrases will often be different from someone else's; and ...

I checked the rubrics sent to me by Martin Foster. In Section 19: Publication B. Acclamation before the Gospel Clause 207 it states:

' The text of the Acclamation is taken from the Lectionary. It may be used freely as long as it is acknowledged'.

Then 'Alleluia' is declared to be in the Public ...

Our settings are vehicles to enable the cantor/psalmist to get the words across as directly as possible.


This is very close to the ' music being the handmaid of the liturgy' idea expressed by Pius X in his Motu Proprio 'Tra Le Sollecitudini' of 1903 and repeated officially ever since. This, of ...

For a challenging Psalm text see Psalm No. 1 (6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C)

It starts like this (citing Psalm 40 (39)):

'Blessed the man who has placed his trust in the LORD.'

....and continues in this calm confident vein till stanza 3:

'Not so, are the wicked, not so!
For they, like ...

Picking up on the suggestion that a flexible chant can get around issues with textual rhythm. I recently looked at several such settings; albeit using different notational systems.

On paper the suggestion seems eminently sensible. Flexible chant systems use less space; they look simpler on paper ...

Yes, I found even the Grail translations of the Good Friday psalm and Lent 2B quite a challenge. This may have been because at the time I was being quite ambitious musically. It is something all composers have to watch out for. The temptation is to say: 'I have a marvellous musical idea, and I ...

You inadvertently raise an important issue about parish cantors (one verse setting suits all). The tendency, especially with published music, is to write for the lowest common denominator; as by definition one is aiming at as large a market as possible. There is also the fact that rehearsal time ...

Yes, this was the approach I used - no stress on 2nd syllable of 'pre-serves'. Certainly I found I could make things work musically without too many problems when I did this.

More broadly, I think we are quibbling. There will always be issues with any text or translation; and you can bet that ...

I suppose that ultimately we will have to differ about how frequently infelicities occur; and partly these are a matter of individual taste and individual modes of expression. Yes, there are difficulties with the new version, but the Grail one was not without its issues too. My attitude is that ...

Yes, it is true I was making a generalisation; to which of course there might well be exceptions. However I am afraid the examples you give do not qualify.

First, with Gelineau-style psalm texts what matters is not the number of syllables (which is variable) but the fixed number of stresses ...

Yes, I have been adapting some settings too. This is not always damaging. Rather to my surprise I found that at times I could actually improve on the original setting. There are certainly aspects of the new texts that are irritating; but in my case I wonder whether this might simply be because I ...

Two points strike me:
[1] Some 50 years worth of Psalm settings are being jettisoned as a result of the introduction of new mandatory texts. Some, however, may survive in adapted form: mainly those using Gelineau or Bevenot methods of composition. 'Through-composed' works are more resistant to this ...