Graduale Romanum

Use: Liturgical Year
Required Resources: Unison voices
Language: Latin

The Graduale Romanum is the Church's official book for the choir. Just like the Sacramentary belongs to the priest, and the Book of Gospels belongs to the deacon, and the Lectionary belongs to the lector, so too does the Roman Gradual belong to the choir, or schola, as its proper book.

The General Instruction on the Roman Missal (2002) indicates this book to be the primary source for the processional music at Mass (Entrance, Offertory, Communion) and for the chants after the First Reading and before the Gospel. The roots of this volume date back earlier than the ninth century to the Roman Antiphonarium.

CNP's version of the Graduale Romanum comes from the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Solesmes, France. These monks were instrumental in the scholarly renewal of Gregorian chant in the 19th century. Unlike the Liber usualis which sets the Tridentine Mass, the Graduale Romanum follows the post-Vatican II Novus Ordo Mass and calendar.

Contents (918 pages):

• Proper of the Seasons
  

  Advent, Christmastide

  Lent, Holy Week & Triduum, Eastertide

  Ordinary Time & Solemnities of the Lord

  Each Mass Proper has these chants:
  1. Introit (Entrance)
  2. Gradual (Psalm)
  3. Alleluia or Tract (Gospel Acclamation)
  4. Offertory
  5. Communion
• Commons (e.g. Dedication of a Church, BVM, Martyrs)
• Proper of the Saints
    with Mass Propers arranged by calendar date (e.g. November 1 - All Saints)
• Ritual Masses (e.g. Confirmation, Marriage)
• Various Masses (e.g. For the Sick, For the Spread of the Gospel)
• Votive Masses (e.g. BVM, Holy Angels)
• Services and Mass for the Dead
• Kyriale

  Music for Sprinkling

  16 Mass settings (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei)

  6 Credos

  Various Mass parts

  Music for chanting the full Mass texts

  Chanted prayer formulas

  Appendix (with Litany of the Saints, Te Deum, etc.)

  Indices

All the texts in the Graduale Romanum are in Latin, the official liturgical language of the Roman Rite. All music is in neums (chant notation). A textbook on singing Gregorian chant will be available from CNP this winter. Check back at this website for more information.

As an exclusive feature, when you order a copy of the Graduale Romanum from CNP, you also get our handy Guide to the Graduale Romanum. This booklet leads the uninitiated musician/liturgist through the complexities of the format, Latin titles and rubrics.

Not only can CNP provide you with the official Roman Catholic Church Choir Book, but we can also help you and your schola start to use it!

The Solesmes edition of the Graduale Romanum has a handsome dark blue cover and is printed on quality ivory paper; two gold ribbons are attached for bookmarks. Each serious schola member would be proud to purchase and own this volume, which makes the financial impact of outfitting a chant choir negligible on the parish. Gregorian chant is due "pride of place" in our liturgy, and this is the ultimate book to make that happen!