Liber cantualis

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

The Liber cantualis is an excellent resource for the beginning Schola. The book contains the complete Order of Mass, seven chant Masses, the Requiem Mass, four sequences and 40 familiar hymns and other chants — truly some basic music that every congregation should hear (and sing!).

The music is in chant notation, but without the florid melismas of more complicated chants, so the selections in the book are easier to read.

Contents (118 pages):

• The Order of Mass
  
  • Introductory Rites
  • Liturgy of the Word
  • Liturgy of the Eucharist
  • Communion
  • Concluding Rites
• Asperges me [solemn]
• Asperges me [simple]
• Vidi aquam [solemn]
• Vidi aquam [simple]
• Missa primitiva (this is the common simple Mass found in many worship aids)
• Missa I (lux et origo)
• Missa IV (cunctipotens)
• Missa VIII (de angelis)
• Missa IX (cum jubilo)
• Missa XI (orbis factor)
• Missa XVII (Advent & Lent)
• Credo III
• Missa pro defunctis (Requiem Mass)
• Sequences

  Victimæ paschali laudes [Easter]

  Veni Sancte Spiritus [Pentecost]

  Lauda Sion (excerpt beginning Ecce panis... [Corpus Christi]

  Stabat Mater dolorosa [Our Lady of Sorrows]

• Blessed Sacrament

  Adoremus / Laudate Dominum

  Adoro te devote

  Ave verum corpus

  Jesu dulcis memoria

  O salutaris hostia

  Pange lingua / Tantum ergo

• Blessed Virgin Mary

  Alma Redemptoris Mater [Advent & Christmastide]

  Ave Maria I

  Ave Maria II

  Ave maris stella I

  Ave maris stella II

  Ave Regina cælorum [Lent]

  Magnificat

  Regina cæli [Eastertide]

  Salve Regina [Ordinary Time]

• Advent

  Conditor alme siderum

  Rorate coeli desuper

• Christmas

  Ecce nomen Domini

  Puer natus in Bethlehem

  Verbum caro factum est

• Presentation of the Lord

  Lumen ad revelationem & Nunc dimittis

• Lent

  Attende Domine

  Ecce lignum Crucis

  Gloria laus

  Pueri Hebræorum

  Ubi caritas est vera

• Easter

  Surrexit Dominus

• Ascension

  Ascendit Deus

• Pentecost

  Spiritus Paraclitus

  Veni Creator Spiritus

• Miscellaneous

  Benedictus / Canticle of Zechariah

  Christus vincit

  Confirma hoc

  Da pacem

  Deus in adjutorium

  In manus tuas

  Miserere mihi

  Parce Domine

  Salve nos

  Te lucis ante terminum

  Te Deum [simple]

  Te Deum [Roman]

  Tu es Petrus

• Psalms & Canticles

  Benedictus / Canticle of Zechariah [tone 2D]

  Confitemini / Psalm 118 [tone 5 solemn]

  Domini est terra / Psalm 24 [tone 1f]

  Cum invocarum / Psalm 4 [tone 8G]

  Ecce benedicite / Psalm 134 [tone 8G]

  Laudate Dominum / Psalm 117 [tone 5a]

  Laudate Dominum / Psalm 117 [tone 6f]

  Magnificat / Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary [tone 8G]

  Miserere mei Deus / Psalm 51 [tone 2D]

  Nunc dimittis / Canticle of Simeon [tone 8G]

  Nunc dimittis / Canticle of Simeon [tone 3a]

  Qui habitat / Psalm 91 [tone 8G]

• Compline
• Chants for Ite missa est

All the texts in the Liber cantualis are in Latin, the official liturgical language of the Roman Rite. All music is in neums (chant notation).

The Solesmes edition of the Liber cantualis has a handsome dark blue cover and is printed on quality ivory paper. These books, less expensive than the Graduale Romanum, Graduale Simplex or Gregorian Missal, are a great opportunity for a parish to outfit the schola with appropriate music, and to begin giving Gregorian chant its due "pride of place" in our liturgy.