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Gregorian Chants

by Dominic Vautier
10/2008

I spent my grade school days in a Catholic school and I enjoyed it a lot, especially the music.  It was during the early 1950s and the Mass was in Latin.  I was an alter boy and attended Sunday Mass and High Mass and Benediction on Christmas and Easter and other holy days as well.  I got to sing in the choir when I reached the 5th grade.  We learned the chants by heart and never even saw a score or knew what a Gregorian chant even looked like.  I liked to song it anyway.

From there I went to a high school seminary, novitiate, and college.  During this entire 16 years of exposure to Gregorian Chant and other church music, it became very much a part of me.

I accept that the Church has moved on and the Lingua Latina has been replaced by Lingua Rustica as it should probably have been long ago.  But it is not easy to put all that great music or the language behind. 

Here are some links to my favorite Gregorian numbers.  I have developed accompaniments to the music and translations to the words.

Asperges Me sung before regular Mass outside of Paschal time.

Viri Galilaei sung at Ascension Mass

Credo from the Nicene Creed

Dedit Illi from the feast of St. John Bosco, confessor, January 31.

Dies Irae from the Mass of the dead.

Gloria number VIII for doubles, better known as the De Angelis Gloria

Kyrie from the De Angelis Mass

Pange Lingua from second vespers on Corpus Christi

Puer from the Mass on Christmas day.

Quotiescumque from the Corpus Christi Mass

Resurrexi from Easter Mass

Signum Magnum from the Assumption, august 15.

Salve Regina to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Vidi Aquam sung during pascal time