O GOD, ACCORDING TO THY GRACE

Newly added to the Christus Vincit Gradual!  Text is from Psalm 51 and taken from The Psalter of 1912.  While the first verse constitutes the Proper Offertory for Tuesday of II Lent, the text is very much handy for much of the Lenten Season.  The tune is aptly named New 51st (to go along with my series of hymntunes, New 25th and New 30th), and set in a nice somber mood (A minor).  This text could also be well-suited with Thomas Tallis' Third Mode Melody.

PDF - O God, According to Thy Grace
SATB hymn

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LORD, I WILL PRAISE THY NAME

Newly addedd to the Christus Vincit Gradual!  Text is from Psalm 30 and taken from The Psalter of 1912.  Written in G minor with Lent in mind, as this also serves as the proper Offertory for Ash Wednesday, this tune (New Thirtieth) is my first original hymn tune in several years and my first ever which scans the poetic meter 66 66 88 (or 66 66 448), which means the 1912 text could be also sung to tunes such as Darwall's 148th, Laus Regis, and Little Cornard.

When playing this back, I felt like I just added a new potential entry to The Hymnal 1940 (albeit its final update was back in 1981).

PDF - Lord, I Will Praise Thy Name
SATB hymn

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BLESSED ARE YOU, O MARY (Updated!)

and Alma Redemptoris Mater

...all in one responsory.  This is a practice that C. Alexander Peloquin employed in some of his work, namely in his Rejoice in Hope and Prayer of Self-Offering (both of which incorporate Ubi Caritas), and In Memory of You (which incorporates Ave Verum).

The antiphon is a paraphrase of the Marian Offertory Felix Namque Es, while the versicles are the Alma Redemptoris Mater, in Latin.  Both of these, the antiphon and the versicles, are set to original music.

Part of both Psalm 151 and the partially-completed Christus Vincit Gradual.

PDF - Blessed Are You, O Mary - Unison responsory, now with descant!

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AVE MARIA

The Ave Maria (Hail Mary) is, in addition to being that beloved prayer to our Blessed Mother, the appointed Offertory Proper for Sunday IV of Advent and the Immaculate Conception.  These appointed offertories end at et benedictus fructus ventris tui on Advent IV and at Benedicta tu in mulieribus on the Immaculate Conception. However, it's always ok to finish the prayer.

Great to use as an extra anthem or hymn at other Marian feasts and solemnities as well. PLUS: since this setting is written entirely in Latin, you can also use it in an Extraordinary Form Mass.

Two versions are available, as a choral anthem in A-flat, or as a hymn in F. Both contain a copyable congregation part (which is in F in both versions), as well as parts for a string quartet.

(UPDATE 6-28-23:) Now part of the partially-completed Christus Vincit Gradual.

PDF - Ave Maria - SATB, Organ and optional Strings; both keys (F and A-flat) are included.

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LORD, YOU HAVE GREATLY BLESSED YOUR LAND

The text based on Psalm 85 and written by an unknown author.  The tune is short and sweet, short enough where the seven verses of text won't feel like a marathon.  The tune is one of those rarities that end in the V chord, and the last note of the melody is the fifth of that V chord (for those not so well versed in music theory, the tune is in the key of D, but it ends in the A chord, and the melody ends with an E note).  This kind of ending also takes place in a little-known tune by the late C. Alexander Peloquin, titled "Creative Love".  If you have a Worship II hymnal handy, it's at #257, with the Fred Kaan hymn text, Surrounded by a World of Need.

This tune, like the one I wrote for O that I Could for Ever Dwell, is based on a Gregorian melody from the Liber Usualis, in this case, the Offertory Benedixisti, Domine from III Advent.

(UPDATE VI-28-23: Now part of the partially-completed Christus Vincit Gradual.

PDF - Lord, You Have Greatly Blessed Your Land

SATB hymn

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BRAND SPANKIN' NEW!!! Laud, O Sion, Thy Salvation

In working on the Christus Vincit Gradual project, I'm now (as I write this) well into the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (formerly known as "Corpus Christi", though we still call it that in conversation to conserve words, ha ha!).

In my former project, Psalm 151, I failed to add the optional Sequence of Corpus Christi (which, until the advent of the 1969 Missal, was mandatory).  In the Christus Vincit Gradual, I hereby fill that void.

Introducing Laud, O Sion, Thy Salvation, the classic translation of the sequence Lauda Sion Salvatorem penned by the great Eucharistic hymn author himself, St. Thomas Aquinas.

I used the Mode VII chant tune, of course, to be chanted a capella, but added an alternate original SATB tune for the even-numbered verses.  The original tone is also in a chant-style, and in compatibility with the Mode VII tune.

I also lowered the key signature to A-flat (E-flat tonic, or "mixolydian"), to make the chant melody as user-friendly as possible for the average congregation (which in many Catholic parishes seems to be mainly altos and basses, lol).

CLICK HERE for the PDF of Laud, O Sion, Thy Salvation

COVID-19 and the CHRISTUS VINCIT GRADUAL

I've had more time on my hands than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic that made its way here from the other side of the world.  Just before everyone and everything went haywire, I was fired from one job and laid off from the other.

The job I was laid off from was my organist position, due to public Masses being put on hiatus by just about every bishop in the country, including my bishop here in Providence.

Of course, if I can't make music one way, you can bet I'm going to make music another way.

This "other way", of course, is my umpteenth reworking of my ongoing Christus Vincit Gradual project.  I've also redesigned the website here (ok - I cheat: I use Blogger).  I've changed fonts, colors, background, etc.  I've redesigned the Liturgical Index page and new material is getting added on as I go along.  Take a tour now if you wish, but please don't judge at this time.  This is a work in progress.  Once it's finished, then feel free to judge. ;)

I'm going to make a pitch for my favorite music editing software as well.  Anyone looking for really good music writing/editing software, Capella 8 is the way to go (as far as proprietary software goes).  It's less than half the price of many of the big toys, but is a very powerful program.  The company is in Germany, but you can access the site in German, English, and French.  You can also select the software in those three languages.

Capella 8 is the first version of Capella that is compatible with Mac as well as Windows (for all you Mac-heads out there).  Previous versions were for Windows only.

As I write this, I am currently working on the Third Week of Lent (I'm working in liturgical order, and feasts that share the same proper are being updated at the same time).  The most current update of the Liturgical Index is that I'm now using tables.  I finally figured out how to incorporate tables in Blogger.  I always knew how to do them with my outdated WYSIWYG web editor.

I'm now going back to my project.  You are all in my prayers, especially during this pandemic.  Hopefully this crazy thing will blow over soon and we musicians can get back to physical labor - playing our instruments (which includes our voices)!

Happy and Blessed Easter Triduum and Paschaltide!

Peace,
BMP

LORD, I LIFT MY SOUL TO THEE

A rare hymn text based on Psalm 25, taken from The Psalter of 1912, wedded to original music, cleverly dubbed New 25th, written in a modern style emulating that of the late great Richard Proulx. Great for Advent, Lent, and even on some days during Ordinary Time.  Makes for a great hymn for I Advent (especially as many parishes still seem to prefer hymns over propers), as the first verse is a paraphrase of the Introit and Offertory appointed for that day.

UPDATE (XI-29-18): This hymn has now been included as the Offertory for I Advent in the forthcoming Christus Vincit Gradual.

PDF - Lord, I Lift My Soul to Thee - Unison hymn

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Did I Say that There Was Going to Be a "Psalm 152"?

Well, that idea is being scrapped with a new concept that will employ the current Psalm 151 and my original conception of Psalm 152, dubbed the "Christus Vincit Gradual".  Keep using Psalm 151 for Mass for Sundays and Solemnities.  It will probably take a year or so before the "Christus Vincit Gradual" is finished.

STAY TUNED!

Peace,

BMP

Psalm 151 - New and Improved - IS HERE!!!

At long last - the new and improved version of Psalm 151 is here!  What has been done?  Let's see...

1. I have added, at the suggestion of some, Graduals from the Graduale Romanum, in English, to original settings similar to settings in the old version of the project.  But I didn't stop there!  I also added Tracts from the Graduale for Lent and Passiontide.  I added Alleluia verses from the Graduale - yes, including First and Second Alleluias (the first to be chanted after the First Reading, the second to be chanted before the Gospel) for use at Paschaltide.

2. The verses for Alleluias and Gospel Acclamations are no longer in batches (multiple Sundays at a time).  Otherwise, now that verses from the Graduale are added alongside verses from the Roman Missal, to batch them would create one of the most confusing messes one musician could possibly create.  So, for that reason, each Sunday's Alleluia and Gospel Acclamation verse sets are now their own entities.

3. Psalms and such that are used more than once are now shown more than once.  One reason is for sequencing (we changed the numbering sequence, which is discussed further down).  The other is that the new and improved Psalm 151 can now be downloaded in packets for each Sunday and feast.

4. Now, about the numbering sequence: I changed the numbering pattern completely.  Before, where the numbers ran from 1 to 407, they now run from 1-a to 78-f.  Each Sunday and feast has its own number, with a letter following each component.  So, 1-a to 1-h is the First Sunday of Advent, 2-a to 2-h is the Seocnd Sunday, etc.  The very last piece, 78-f, is the Communion for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.  The total count, as a result of some duplicates, plus adding Graduals, Tracts, and such, has now increased from 407 pieces to 707 pieces.

5. Finally, I have scattered the pew parts within the main body of the book, at the end of each Sunday or feast.  There are now 957 pages total in the big e-book.  The big book may be downloaded as a whole, in four sections (no contents or indices), in packets for each Sunday and feast, and by individual pieces (all 707 of them).  You can even get pew parts in sets for each Sunday or feast.

Here are the .pdf's:

Entire E-book (957 pages, 28.2 MB), including contents, preface, all the music (including pew parts), and indices.

Section 1: Advent through Pentecost (385 pages, 11.0 MB)

Section 2: Solemnities after Pentecost (38 pages, 1.2 MB) (Most Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi, and Most Sacred Heart)

Section 3: Sundays of Ordinary Time (384 pages, 11.5 MB) (including Christ the King)

Section 4: Proper of Saints (138 pages, 4.3 MB) (also includes Thanksgiving Day)

For individual pieces, pew parts, and sets for each Sunday and feast, you may find them in the new and improved Liturgical Calendar.  You can also use the Scriptural References page to seek references to Psalms and other Scripture passages.

Finally, if you still would rather have the old version of Psalm 151, you can access the main music .pdf here, and the pew parts here.  I'll keep it on the servers for a little while longer.  You might want to download them so you can have them offline.  Doesn't cost anything but some of your drive space.

Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperat!

Save the Liturgy, Save the World!

BMP

Alleluias and Gospel Acclamations

NEW AND IMPROVED!!! With newly-added optional SATB settings of the versicles!

Alleluia "Conditor Alme" (Sundays of Advent and Immaculate Conception)

Alleluia "Divinum Mysterium" (Christmas, Holy Family, Mary Mother of God, Epiphany of the Lord, and Baptism of the Lord)

Gospel Acclamation "Vexilla Regis" (Ash Wednesday, Sundays of Lent, Passiontide, St. Joseph, and Annunciation)

Alleluia "O Filii et Filiae" (Easter Vigil through Pentecost, plus the Annunciation)

Alleluia "Pange Lingua" (Solemnities after Pentecost: Most Holy Trinity, Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and SS. Peter and Paul, plus Sundays X-XII of the Year)
Alleluia I for Ordinary Time (Sundays II-V of the Year , plus Presentation of the Lord)
Alleluia "Adoremus in Aeternum" (Sundays VI-IX of the Year)
Alleluia "Providentiae" (Sundays XIII-XVII of the Year) (extracted from the now-obsolete Providence Mass, written by yours truly in 1997, in the memory of C. Alexander Peloquin)
Alleluia "O Clemens" (Sundays XVIII-XXII of the Year, plus Transfiguration and Assumption) (melody based on the ending of Salve Regina)
Alleluia V for Ordinary Time (Sundays XXIII-XXVI of the Year, plus the Exaltation of the Holy Cross) (Side note: Alleluias "Adoremus in Aeternum", "Providentiae", and "O Clemens" are virtually numbered Alleluias II, III, and IV for Ordinary Time, respectively)
Alleluia "Lux Aeterna" (Sundays XXVII-XXXI of the Year, plus All Saints and All Souls)
Alleluia "Christus Vincit" (Sundays XXXII and XXXIII of the Year, plus Christ the King, Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, and Thanksgiving Day) (extracted from the now-obsolete Missa Christus Vincit, written by yours truly in 2000, based on his own Christus Vincit setting of 1999)

More to come!  Watch for updates!

Come, Thou Holy Spirit, Come

The Pentecost Sequence, in English, using the familiar Mode I chant melody, a capella, with fresh new original SATB alternate settings for certain verses!

PDF

Christians, to the Paschal Victim

The Easter Sequence, in English, using the familiar Mode I chant melody, a capella, with fresh new original SATB alternate settings for certain verses!

PDF

Pange Lingua (with alternate SATB tune!)

Excite your choir and your congregation this Holy Thursday at the Solemn Translation (Transferral) of the Holy Eucharist, or any other day as a Communion hymn.  This is the familiar Mode III (phrygian) chant tune with an original accompaniment, but with an alternate original tune in SATB for your choir!

PDF

All Glory, Laud, and Honor

Yes, the John Mason Neale translation of the Latin Gloria, laus, et honor, but to a simplified form of the Mode I chant tune.

PDF

O Redeemer

Offertory for the Chrism Mass, from the Latin O Redemptor.  Translation is from the Roman Missal.  Chant, Mode I, with a fresh new original accompaniment.

PDF

Festive Hosanna

Newly-composed "Introit" (even the Gregorian Missal calls this an "entrance antiphon") for Palm Sunday, consisting of the Mode VII Hosanna Filio David/Hosanna to the Son of David, with added fanfares for organ and brass (two trumpets, plus trombone or horn)

PDF's:
Festive Hosanna (SATB, Organ, Brass)
Instrumental Parts (2 Trumpets in B-flat and Trombone or Horn in F)

NEWLY REVAMPED: Hymns and Miscellaneous Responsories

HYMNS AND MISCELLANEOUS REPONSORIES (Link is to the alpha index!)

Re-worked for better margins, fonts, etc.  Also, accent marks on any lyric in Latin (also done in Psalm 151 and in Alleluias and Gospel Acclamations).

Some of these also match with certain propers within certain Masses.  The liturgical calendar links on the sidebar will help find if there are any matches.

Some tunes are completely original, while some are based on chant themes (namely those chant melodies given to the propers in the Graduale Romanum).

Enjoy!
BMP

VERBUM SUPERNUM PRODIENS

One of the things I always liked about St. Thomas Aquinas is his uncanny ability to make two hymns out of one.  For example, the last two verses of Sacris Solemniis is Panis Angelicus; the last two verses of Pange Lingua is Tantum Ergo.  In the hymn we're featuring today, set to an original tune based in part on the Gregorian In Splendoribus Sanctorum, the last two verses of the Verbum Supernum Prodiens is the O Salutaris Hostia.

PDF: Verbum Supernum Prodiens - SATB hymn

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TO US A CHILD OF HOPE IS BORN

Based on the Christmas Introit Puer Natus Est Nobis in both text and tune.  The 18th century hymn text is by John Morrison.  The tune is original, based on the Introit melody from the Liber Usualis (or Graduale Romanum, or Gregorian Missal, for that matter).  Incidentally, originally, I wrote the tune in a major key, realized later that this would look and sound a lot better in the mixolydian mode.

PDF - To Us a Child of Hope is Born - SATB hymn

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THE LORD ALMIGHTY REIGNS

The text, based on Psalm 93, comes from The Psalter of 1912.  The tune, original, based on the Gregorian Dominus Regnavit, the Alleluia for the Mass at Christmas Dawn.  Short and sweet (four short meter verses).  Also makes for a great hymn of praise to Christ the King.

PDF - The Lord Almighty Reigns - SATB hymn

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REMEMBER, LORD, THY SERVANTS

This piece of music is an attempt to eliminate two "ditties" from your typical run-of-the-mill parish repertoire. Here are two hints to see if you can guess what those ditties are.  The first hint is the antiphon, "Remember, Lord, thy servants, when thou dost take thy throne."  Got it?  Good.  Here is the second hint: the verses are based on the Beatitudes.  I think those who are also in favor of trying to eliminate the two "ditties" with this one piece know of which "ditties" I speak. ;)

The tune and the paraphrases are completely original.  BTW, this setting has now been incorporated into my "Psalm 151" project as the Communion for Sunday IV (A) and All Saints.

PDF - Remember, Lord, Thy Servants

responsory with antiphon and Gelineau-like Psalm tone

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PUER NATUS IN BETHLEHEM

One of my favorite Christmas tunes, in the mysterious Mode I chant.  Like How Joyful My Expressing, this piece comes in two versions: a hymn and an anthem.  The hymn is just the basic Mode I melody with my own simple accompaniment.  The anthem is for SATB, with a verse for men's voices, a verse for women's/boys' voices, an SATB verse to be sung a capella, and finally the full-blown final verse which ends in fortissitissimo (triple forte).

PDF's

Puer Natus in Bethlehem - Unison hymn

Puer Natus in Bethlehem - SATB anthem, accompanied

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O THAT I COULD FOR EVER DWELL

A short, simple unison hymn based on the passage of Psalm 27 (26) used for the Gradual for the Solemnity of the Holy Family (though a devotional hymn that could be sung at almost any occasion).  The text is written by Elizabeth Holmes Reed (1794-1867).  In writing the tune, I used part of the Gregorian Unam Petii melody as its base.  "Noble simplicity" defined here!

PDF: O That I Could for Ever Dwell - Unison hymn

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LUCIS CREATOR OPTIME

The Latin Vesper hymn of Pope St. Gregory the Great, wedded to an original hymn tune.  My first intent was to name the tune Hymn 2000, but later felt that might have been too "high tech", or maybe to "science fiction", or something like that.  Plus, GIA Publications would need a #2000 for some hymn in the future at the pace they keep updating their hymnals (Gather Super-Duper Comprehensive, Umpteenth to the Umpteenth Power Edition).  So I went with the more generic title, Hymn of Light.

The tune I wrote comes in two forms in one .pdf.  On the first page is the standard SATB harmony with a descant for the final verse, while the second page contains a faux-bourdon harmony (melody is in the tenor).

PDF - Lucis Creator Optime

SATB hymn with descant and faux-bourdon

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