This week I’ve been drilling the propers for this Sunday. We’re hoping to have a sung Mass at Mulgoa to see off our priest. This is the priest who sings the Passion on Palm Sunday and Good Friday, solo.

Now, the propers, “What are they?”, you ask. I’m glad you asked that, because they are one of the hidden treasures of the Catholic Church which should be known more widely. You might have seen them in your Sunday or Weekday Missal. They’re the little snippets labelled “Entrance Antiphon” or “Communion Antiphon” that sometimes someone at a weekday Mass will read out from in the pews, finishing just as you go to pick up your book to join in.

They are centuries old, mostly derived from the Psalms, and they all have music. There are four for each Mass: Introit (or Entrance), Gradual/Tract/Alleluia (sorry, I’ll lump them all together for now, but I know they are separate), Offertory and Communion. The Communion is often the shortest and simplest. The Introit is usually pretty straightforward to learn too. The Gradual is the amazing soaring high point. The Alleluia is very cool too. The Offertory is a little less ornate.

So, here is the communion antiphon for this Sunday:

Circuibo et immolábo in tabernáculo ejus hóstiam jubilatiónis: cantábo et psalmum dicam Dómino.

I will go round, and offer up in His tabernacle a sacrifice of jubilation; I will sing, and recite a psalm to the Lord.

Here’s the sheet music: circuibo.pdf (which is mostly from Gregobase, with added translation from Maternal Heart)

And here’s my rendition: circuibo.mp3 [audio: http://brandt.id.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/circuibo.mp3]

And here’s the way the professionals do it: at CC Watershed