 Dec 11, 2010 Responsorial Psalms of Day-7, Day-8 and Day-9 of the Christmas Novena This Blog is simply to facilitate sharing of the particulars of the Responsorial Psalms of the last three Dawn Masses , the "Misa de Gallos" . The YouTube videos of these responsorial psalms are posted here. The... more  Aug 13, 2008 For years now, we have tried to engage and inspire people to the Psalms. Now there is this medium to allow the minstrels of the Sacred Heart Parish, the Vicariate of the Lady of the Abandoned, the Diocese of Paranaque, and those in the Lord's music to see how the lowly humble of His flock adapt folk melodies in communicating at liturgical services. Just as God's love is free, so shall His music. This is an offering! The Responsorial Psalms Project : (Guitar Accompanied Responsorial Psalms) The need to arrange for sung Responsorial Psalms becomes more prominent when considering the effort of the Catholic Church in inspiring the Laity towards active and aware participation in the Eucharistic celebrations vis-à-vis the limited available local folk hymnals for the Cantors of the Psalms Ministry. The objective of the Project is simply to provide a compilation of Responsorial Psalms, prepared in simple folk, though religious contemplative music that can be accompanied by the inexpensive classical guitar, as to imbibe singing of the Psalms in the Liturgy of the Word. This first attempt basically addresses those required for Sunday masses, in the three Year Cycles A, B and C, and those for the Christmas Novenas, the Easter Vigil, and the select Solemnities and principal Feasts of the Catholic Church. In the Liturgy of the Word, the Church encourages the faithful to sing the Responsorial Psalm, as it enliven the dialogue of the people and our God at this juncture of the Liturgical celebration. The Psalms are indeed songs and meant to be sung. (We, simple folk say, we make “lambing” to our “Panginoon, ating Diyos” who is truly there with us in the Eucharist, and in our sincerity we passionately convey it in the singing.) Both verses and responses are desired to be sung as this gives a sense of celebration showing the faithful’s joyful acceptance of the Word of God in the First Reading. It is not the intention of this effort and Project to further the wisdom of Vatican II in the Responsorial Psalm as an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word. That we believe is already well established. The Catholic Church have indeed carefully studied and planned the Responsorial Psalms that follow the First Readings. It will do the efforts of the Church justice if these psalms can be respected as to the suggested Responses (the Antiphons), the Verses, and the way they are delivered, i.e._preferably sung and in contemplative manner. Earlier writings provided melodies basically for the Antiphons of the responsorial psalms. The verses were either chanted or read. The keyboard, in organ or piano mode, was a necessary instrument. This Project hope to remove the common excuse in not singing the responsorial Psalms. Now, we have a simplified folk melody. Now the guitar will do and definitely sufficient accompaniment to move the faithful towards sung prayers in the psalms. At the level of the parishes, the choirs are the more likely members of the special Ministry of the Cantors of the Psalms, Here, the choirs have limited resources, with little or no readily available prepared music for the responsorial Psalms. Many of the choirs, at this level, particularly those serving the various chapels of the parish, are only accompanied by the inexpensive guitar as musical instrument. Here, the “schola” is often but a group of willing, though much “inspired” and dedicated, “minstrels of the Lord” who may not read musical scores but simply sings from the heart from melodies they heard played before them, “ouido”. Most of the members are not adept to nor keen on Gregorian chanting that may have been the manner in which the psalms in the earlier times are sung. Hence the project’s approach to bridge the need with what is available and deemed easy or simple, _the folk music. The adaptations to melodies of earlier sacred or religious Christian songs and hymns was deliberate as it achieve the principal approach of the Project to familiar Christian music and to promote again the beauty of the music of earlier Christian songwriters who were similarly guided by the Holy Spirit in bringing out these songs to the people of God. (These songwriters are duly acknowledged in the particular psalm when such adaptations are made. The author apologizes to those songwriters whose acknowledgement may have been missed inadvertently but prays to the good Lord that He graciously bless and acknowledge them, in His own way and time, for their similarly valuable contribution to this music.) Under the above setting at the parishes (the “average parish situation”, as Fr. Manoling will put it), the responsorial psalms in this compilation are prepared. Guitar chords, which can be lightly strummed or plucked, are deemed sufficient for this folk music as they provide but a guide to the melody and allows flexibility for local musical directors to modify the same to suit particular situations. The classical guitar with nylon strings is recommended suitable for this Church music. Additionally the keyboard, in piano or organ mode, will be a bonus when played with the guitar. Other instruments like the violin will do wonders when played with this folk music. All of the psalmody contained in this compilation were sung and played with the guitar, though at times with the special embellishment of the keyboard, at the SHJC, at the Sto. Nino Chapel, at the Benedictine Abbey (now San Beda Alabang) Chapel, and at Liturgical celebrations at different venues within the Diocese of Paranaque (then under the Archdiocese of Manila in 2002 when the Project was started). These Responsorial Psalms have also been sung at liturgical celebrations outside of the Diocese (at the Divine Mercy Chapel, Timog Park Chapel, Sta. Rosario Cathedral, churches and chapels in Pampanga; at the Padre Pio Chapel at Pasig; and at several special masses for weddings, anniversaries, and the dearly departed). Some mass services outside the Diocese have been acknowledged enlivened with this sung responsorial Psalms with positive reactions shared on the experience of people and priest singing together, as one community to God, in the Responsorial Psalm. The Project believes that, given this guide and facility for singing the Psalms, the parishes and the Church will see (more appropriately, “hear”) active and inspired participation in all of us, ordinary folks, singing with sincerity at liturgical celebrations. If the Lord is ever-present in the Eucharist, wouldn’t we see the appreciation of a Father hearing His children singing, even in the lamentations of some psalms? (Don’t we all go to mass seeking to commune with the Lord?) Now a melody and guide is available for the Ministry of the Cantor of the Psalms. Now it is for the heart to speak, “kawanna halleb”… “… … and to the Lord we shall all sing”. Your brother and servant-minstrel in Christ, pompeyo p. 
 Apr 4, 2012  O Sacred Head Now Wounded _ BDPam interpretThis is an old hymn with words originally written by Paul Gerhardt then translated by James Alexander ... later, Hans Leo Hassler placed a melody to these verses ... JS Bach then arranged the memorable music, which now finds beautiful and heart-... more
 Nov 9, 2008  Give ThanksGive thanks! Every Eucharistic celebration is ended with the blessing of God's people. The Recessional hymn, though not part of the liturgical rites, is also the people's response to this blessing ... so we all "Give Thanks". But, we have many good... more
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