in memory of Dr. Jan van Biezen, 1927–2021

R.I.P.

The first provisional edition of the Williams Cantatorium is available at Lulu and Amazon.

The Lulu printing (paperback here) is better quality but shipping costs a little more and takes longer.

Check here to see if they offer a current coupon code.

Introduction

Proper of the Mass for Sundays and Feasts in Proportional Rhythm

Guidelines for Interpretation of Gregorian Chant according to Ninth- through Eleventh-century Sources and Comparative Analysis

Rudiments of Gregorian Chant in proportional rhythm (PDF); for a similar introduction to the Solesmes method, see “Fundamentals of Gregorian Chant” below

Chant recordings sung in proportional rhythm according to the oldest extant manuscripts (YouTube)

Table of Neumes (PDF) - including Metz, St. Gall, Vatican, neography, and modern notations with a summary of principal differences between proportional rhythm and the Solesmes method

Tables for Neumes Other than Metz (Laon) and St. Gall (aiscgre.it)

Table of Neumatic Elements (PDF); one-page, Gregorian notation without rhythmic markings

Chant Glossary and addendum

Written Evidence for the Decline and Loss of the Authentic Traditional Rhythm

The Value of Laon 239

The Received Historical Narrative (and An Alternative Narrative)

The Restoration of Tradition

“Gregorian Rhythm Wars"

Repercussion

Who's Who in Gregorian Chant

Editorial Principles

Discussion of Cardine’s “Is Gregorian Chant Measured Music?”

Antiquarianism? (with an addendum addressing the claims of Matthew Frederes)

“King James Only" Catholics

Rhythmic Analysis of the Introit Dominus Dixit (PDF)

Critique of the Solesmes Edition of the Offertory Oravi Deum (PDF); includes side-by-side rhythmic comparison in both modern and Gregorian notation

Recommended Reading:

Excerpt from Gregorian Chant according to the Manuscripts by Dom Gregory Murray, O.S.B. (full PDF here)

Summary of “The Rhythm of Gregorian Chant” from Rhythm, Meter and Tempo in Gregorian Chant by Dr. Jan van Biezen; the examples in square notation are available here

Further Reading:

“Tradition of Durational Values in Gregorian Chant" by Arthur Angie (in The Caecilia, 1934, vol. 60, no. 10–11)

Collected Articles on Chant Rhythm by Dom Gregory Murray, O.S.B.

Gregorian Chant: A History of the Controversy Concerning Its Rhythm by John Rayburn

Rhythmic Proportions in Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Chant by Fr. Jan Vollaerts, S.J.

Links:

Mensuralism & Historically Informed Performance Practice:

• Musicologie Médiévale - bilingual French/English site; free membership

• Prof. Luca Ricossa's website (archived articles in French)

Recordings:

• a number of Vespers Magnificat antiphons sung proportionally are available in the blog posts here (site in French)

• John Blackley's site includes a number chants in proportional rhythm among the audio tracks

• under the direction of the late Fr. Roman Bannwart, O.S.B., on Spotify and YouTube; these recordings generally agree with the semi-mensuralist rhythmic theories articulated by Dr. Dirk van Kampen in this article

• examples of pre-Solesmes chant styles: Medicean (editio princeps); plain-chant musical (Nivers) with serpent accompaniment; Picard 1 & 2 (another link) with organ accompaniment; Pustet edition with organ accompaniment

Note: Most if not all of the following sites presuppose a “nuanced," non-proportional rhythmic interpretation.

Restored Editions for the Mass:

• Graduale Authenticum - the best online resource for viewing the oldest manuscripts

• Graduale Synopticum - same edition and numbering as the Graduale Authenticum, with different search options

• Introits from the Graduale Novum - triplex edition incorporating the melodic corrections of the AISCGre working group published in the journal Beiträge zur Gregorianik; a PDF specimen of volume I, not 100% in accordance with the printed book, is available for download here (copyright status uncertain!); corrections (document in Italian)

• Graduale Restitutum - Anton Stingl's duplex edition incorporating the AISCGre melodic corrections, arranged according to the novus ordo Roman calendar; normally the same reading as the Graduale Novum

• Offertoriale Restitutum - Anton Stingl's duplex edition with offertory verses

• Graduale Renovatum - Royce Nickel's edition; normally the same reading as the Graduale Novum and Graduale Restitutum

• Ad Dominum - Vatican edition with St. Gall neumes; melodic corrections are printed as ossia above the staff, which makes this a good resource for comparing the Novum to the Vatican edition

• Graduale Duplex - Vatican edition (with some melodic corrections) with St. Gall neumes; arranged according to the novus ordo calendar

• Graduale Monasteriense I, II, & III  - Jens Falk and Michael Greiner's edition incorporating some rhythmic and melodic corrections

• Laon 239: Chant Transcriptions in Proportional Rhythm, English & Latin - R. John Blackley's edition

• Graduale Lagal - Chris Hakkennes's edition; arranged according to the novus ordo calendar

• Several chants in duplex and triplex editions with melodic corrections from the Académie de chant grégorien, Brussels

Neumed Editions without Melodic Corrections:

• Graduel Neumé - Solesmes edition, pre-Pius XII, with St. Gall neumes copied by Dom Cardine

• Graduale Triplex (copyright status uncertain!)

Restored Editions for the Divine Office:

• Antiphonale Synopticum - same edition and numbering as omnigreg.at

• Antiphonale Duplex - Dr. Edward Schaefer's Vesperale; archived version (different layout) here

• Antiphonale Monasticum I, II, & III - Solesmes, 2005–7; includes St. Gall neumes for some chants

• Liber Hymnarius (another scan here) - Solesmes, 1983; a revised edition, heavily criticized by Prof. Praßl, was published in 2019

• Nocturnale Romanum - Peter Sandhofe's beautifully typeset 2002 edition

• Nocturnale Romanum project - an attempt to make corrections to Sandhofe's edition

Solesmes Method & Editions:

• Congregational Chant Recordings

• Fundamentals of Gregorian Chant according to the Solesmes Method

mnemonic for ictus placement: 1's 1 (vertical episema), 2's double (beginning of doubled or tripled note), 3's a group (beginning of a group), 4's full (full or double bar line)

• How to Interpret Bar Lines in Chant Notation

• Online Solfege Introduction (Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, FSSP)

• Solfege Propers Playlists from Prof. Nicholas Lemme (Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, FSSP)

• Repercussion (Rearticulation) according to the Solesmes Method (PDF)

• Excerpts from Joseph Robert Carroll's books and Richard Rice's Guide to Singing Chant from The Parish Book of Chant explaining the principle “Always a silent ictus at the full bar"

• Preface to the Vatican Edition and Solesmes Rules for Interpretation

• Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest Sacred Music Resource Page

• Gregorian Books Homepage - includes English edition of Dom Johner's commentary

• Saint René Goupil Gregorian Chant Propers (Corpus Christi Watershed - archived)

• Breviarium Gregorianum (not 100% Solesmes versions)

• Liber Usualis in modern notation (1932)

• Searchable Liber Usualis

• Communion verses - Psalm 33 in eight modes plus Magnificat and Nunc dimittis

• Albert Bloomfield's booklets for Vespers, Tenebrae, and other Divine Office resources

PDF Libraries:

• Church Music Association of America Resource Page - includes Liber Usualis, Liber Brevior, Graduale Romanum, etc.

• Lalande Library (Corpus Christi Watershed)

• many chant accompaniment volumes can be found here (archive.org user svbeev)

• Verbum Gloriae - Spanish site with many resources

• Sacra Musica - French site with many resources

Church Regulations concerning Chant Editions:

• Col Nostro motu proprio of Pope St. Pius X authorizing the Vatican chant edition and permitting the approval of other books only if the variations in the chant come from good manuscripts (paragraph D)

• Pietras Dubia & PCED Response (2018) tolerating chant editions and interpretations other than Solesmes/Vatican, no. 24; note that Pérès and his disciples use editions that sometimes differ considerably from the Vatican edition

Notation:

• GregoBase

• Gregorio Project

• GABC Engraver

• GABC Transcription, Psalm Tone, Readings, and Propers Tools

• Another psalmody notation tool

• source & summit Editor (legacy Illuminare Score Editor here)

• Neumz NABC Renderer

• Alex Harter's site - he is working on a Gregorian to modern notation conversion tool

• Jakub Pavlík's site - he is working on a gabc to LilyPond translator

Texts:

• gregorien.info - includes morphological analysis of the Latin texts and many other valuable resources

• liberpsalmorum.info - Latin psalters

• Antiphonale Missarum Sextuplex (PDF) by Dom René-Jean Hesbert, O.S.B.

Scripture Commentary:

• Catena Bible

• Catena Aurea - Gospel commentary from the Fathers of the Church compiled by St. Thomas Aquinas

Theory:

• Thesaurus Musicarum Latinarum - Online Archive of Music Theory in Latin

Bibliography:

• Early music bibliography by Davide Daolmi of the University of Milan, with many PDF links

• CalibreLibrary - includes PDFs of a number of books related to sacred music and liturgy

Contact:

Patrick Williams: organistAL at aol dot com