“Singing the Mass”, New Chant Book from Solesmes: A Chant Café Exclusive Preview


We’re very excited here at Chant Café to be able to share with you an exclusive preview of a new and forthcoming chant book from Solesmes.

It is entitled Singing the Mass: Sung Order of Mass in English and Latin is edited by Mr. Christopher Barlow and expected to be released immanently.

Mr. Barlow has shared with us some of the details of the book and some sample contents. Here’s an overview:

Singing the Mass is a collection of the chant dialogues and settings of the Mass Ordinary in English and Latin for use by the people. It includes, on facing faces, the English Order of Mass (2010) and the Latin Order of Mass (2002/2008). It includes all possible alternatives (e.g. Greetings A, B and C), and both the simple and solemn tones. It includes a shorter Kyriale, but only in Latin, with the only English Mass Ordinary setting being as found in the 3rd edition of the Roman Missal.

Singing the Mass also contains chant settings for the Alleluia, Lenten Gospel Acclamation (in Latin and English), the Asperges Me (in Latin with an English adaption) and alternative settings of the Lord’s Prayer for Australia, England (Rimsky-Korsakov) and the US (Snow).

Singing the Mass can be seen as an extension of the Gregorian Missal and includes vernacular chant where that is sympathetic to the Latin chant and contained within an official book of the Roman Rite.

It is also important to note that the book is only intended for use in the Ordinary Form of the Mass, and includes the four Eucharistic prayers.

Singing the Mass is 306 pages, is being printed on high quality ivory paper, has a gold embossed hard blue cover, and is expected to be available for purchase on the Solesmes website shortly.

Mr. Barlow has also shared with us some sample contents for download.

And following is the Table of Contents:

Singing the Mass – Table of Contents

We will make available ordering details as soon as they become available. And we thank Mr. Christopher Barlow for his fine effort that will surely be of great use to parishes and musicians throughout the English-speaking world.