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In Responsorial Psalms for Weekday Mass: Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, Father Anthony Ruff, OSB, offers a simple chanted setting and makes it possible to sing the responsorial psalm at every daily Mass through all the seasons of the liturgical year. These responsorial psalms were conceived for unaccompanied singing led by a single cantor, but keyboard accompaniments and guitar chords are provided for those who desire it.
The melodic settings use the eight Gregorian chant modes, as found in the psalm tones of Saint Meinrad Archabbey. Type melodies, one for each mode, are employed repeatedly for varying antiphon texts, making it easier for cantor and congregation to pick up the antiphon melodies. The psalm verses are provided in two translations, the New American Bible translation of the United States Lectionary for Mass and the Grail translation, as revised in 1983 for inclusive human language. This unique collection allows us to celebrate the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter more fully.
Anthony Ruff, OSB, is a monk of Saint John’s Abbey. He teaches theology, liturgy, and Gregorian chant at Saint John’s University and plays organ in the abbey. Ruff is the founding director of the National Catholic Youth Choir and is a frequent presenter across the U.S. on topics of liturgy and music. In addition to his many journal articles, he is the author of Sacred Music and Liturgical Reform: Treasures and Transformations.
