On Sundays at my home parish in my native, St. Agnes in St. Paul, MN, the hour of Vespers has been sung in Gregorian Chant, using the Liber Usualis, at 3 pm for some 40 years… at least. Vespers followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Every Sunday.
Sometime during the 90’s the pastor, Msgr. Richard Schuler, a well-known Church musician back in the day, dusted of a chanted version of the Divine Praises for after Benediction which he had written in 1953. They… we… have been singing the Divine Praises ever since.
I was at St. Agnes on Sunday and I caught this recording. The chief cantor, Paul LeVoir, had made a spiffy PDF of the notation, which I share hereunder.
Divine Praises – Richard Schuler – 1953
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I will text this blog reference to my kids. They know me to love Gregorian Chant, the “older” hymns, etc, I heard as a child in the late 50’s, 60’s..and they know me to also love the stuff that most here, do not…Ray Repp…..I will not burden you further. But, I enjoy a wide swath of sacred music. Thank you for the mp3.
Karl
Very cool chant.
Priests: Please follow the (true) spirit of Vatican II and pray Sunday Vespers publicly in accordance with Sacrosanctum Concilium, #100. I’ll be there!:
“100. Pastors of souls should see to it that the chief hours, especially Vespers, are celebrated in common in church on Sundays and the more solemn feasts. And the laity, too, are encouraged to recite the divine office, either with the priests, or among themselves, or even individually.”
Recognizing that these are the voices of mid-westerners, and that there may be precedent for certain things…..
a) Would it be a violation of Msgr Schuler’s intend to sing “Bless-ed” instead of “Blest”? [I remember little debates with Schuler about Blessed and Blest.]
b) If these were Anglicans, “conception” and such would be “con-cep-si-on”. Is such allowed with this, or is it considered pedantic? [Pedantic, in my book.]
c) May this chant be freely used, or is there some contact to make first? [It seems to me that it can be used freely! Proper attribution should be given, of course.]
Anyone know of good settings for the Te Deum, English and/or Latin, that would be congregation singable? The ones I have right now are very difficult.
The Divine Praises have always struck me as one of the more simply beautiful prayers even when spoken. Chanting them really makes them seem transcendent.
SpesUnica:
The one in the Liber Usualis is fairly simple. It is found here and under Te Deum (simple) about half way down the page.
http://www.sanctamissa.org/en/music/gregorian-chant/chant-liturgical-year/christus-rex-selected-chants.html
[On the other hand, this post is about the version which I posted.]
Dear SpesUnica.
One really cannot do better than this version of The Te Deum.
It is melodic. Easily sung. A beautiful Prayer of Thanks to God.
https://youtu.be/sqwV9l-U8ds
Try it. Lift off the roof. Let your Church heave with vastly increased Parishioners singing this wonderful Hymn of Praise to Almighty God.
Do let us know which version you decided to sing and the response from your Parishioners.
in Domino