The excitement about the Simple English Propers is very intense, and we are hoping for a summer release of the hard copy, with videos to follow. The final proofing stage is where we are now.
The book will contain a tutorial on how to sing, and, in particular, some explanation of the four-line staff.
Here is our draft version of the introduction as it stands right now.
Some issues:
- Does it provide enough explanation of propers?
- Will a musician who reads modern notes understand chant notation from this?
- What about a person who doesn’t read music at all? Can they get what they need from this?
- Have we covered enough to get going singing the SEP?
It’s my own view that every chant book produced today needs this type of explanation. i don’t mind saying that I find the absence of such a tutorial in Ignatius’s Compline book to be a problem.
A couple of thoughts, without reading very carefully (sorry, it's late):
1. You probably don't need "Why propers" at the beginning. If someone has bought a book called "Simple English Propers," they probably know why. You could get more mileage, I think, without being cornered from the beginning into an apologetical tone.
2. I notice you write, "A single cantor intones the antiphon up to the asterisk." Is the old rule that one, two, or four cantors are used, depending on the solemnity of the Mass, not to be followed?
3. At the end, it would be helpful if you showed "translations" of the neumes into roundnotes. The porrectus in particular can be hard to understand (where is that bottom note?), and it bears pointing out that it is only written this way for scribal convenience and there is no "trombone slide" effect implied.
Overall, I found this somewhat vaguely written (dotted notes "are held a bit longer," but notes with episemas "receive a bit of lengthening"?), and fairly bare-bones.
In paragraph 2 You probably don't man Concilium (the Vatican II council), but Consilium, the group of cardinals, bishops and liturgists formed by pope Paul to implement the liturgical reforms.
In the first section the word "licitly" is a little archaic. In the 3rd para, maybe putting GIRM in parentheses right after ..General Instruction etc would be good. I had to back up to work out what GIRM meant.
The fourth paragraph seems defensive and aggressive and probably not necessary.
But…great job on this whole project. It has totally transformed our choir's participation in the Mass. Can't wait for the printed book
In the second graf below the Do and Fa clef illustrations, the third line says "I can be any pitch of your choosing."
I presume that you mean "It can be any pitch of your choosing."
Thank you so much for all the comments. It is becoming ever more stable.
I agree with the comment above that the provision of modern-notation "translations" for the neumes could be very helpful to chant beginners who will, hopefully, be using this new resource.
I think your section on "Why Propers" is integral to the work at hand. Perhaps at first the SEP will largely be used by those who are already on board with today's renewed emphasis on propers-based liturgical music. It would seem the goal of this project, however, to expand beyond that initial circle, and a succinct explanation would be helpful when the volume reaches the hands of those still in mission territory. It may even be a helpful primer to those who are already on board but looking for a good articulation of the reason for renewal.
I'm not sure that the parenthetic, "that’s the opening text and melody" that comes at the end of the second sentence under the heading "The Structure" adds any clarity as to what an antiphon is…perhaps it should say that the antiphon is as the bread that sandwiches the psalm meat, and if there is no meat, one slice of bread/antiphon will suffice rather than two. Perhaps more simply: The antiphon is what is sung before and after the psalm.