Book of Sung Gospels
— Fourth Edition

A Companion to the Roman Missal

Gary Penkala

As priests and deacons become more comfortable with the texts of the Roman Missal — Third Edition, we'd like to point out a book that exists as a companion volume. The Missal presents a formula for chanting the Gospel, in order to add great solemnity to any Mass. But only the formula is given; nowhere are the Gospels for important feasts and solemnities printed with music and text together (as are the Prefaces).

Our Book of Sung Gospels [Fourth Edition] does just that, for 42 Gospels that one is most likely to sing throughout the year (Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, etc.).

Here's what Jeffrey Tucker, managing editor of Sacred Music journal and polyphony director of the Saint Cecilia Schola, said about the Book of Sung Gospels:

Singing the Gospel can make a great contribution to the Mass. But hardly any celebrant has been trained to point the words to the Gospel tones, and most certainly lack experience in this skill. For this reason, I strongly recommend that you buy your priests the Book of Sung Gospels from CanticaNOVA. Mine came in on Friday and I'm very impressed. It covers all the major feasts in the new calendar, 42 in total. The printing is large. The music is easy to navigate, and, since it only involves three notes, it is not difficult from a musical standpoint. The difficulty would be knowing where and how to change notes and this book takes care of the entire problem. It is a paperback, saddled-stitch book, and one that every priest will really appreciate.

Here's the Preface to the Fourth Edition:

The Book of Sung Gospels has been an amazingly popular product — hundreds and hundreds of volumes are in use throughout the United States. Deacons and priests have found herein a valuable resource for their liturgical ministry. The simple chant tone is the perfect medium for adding great dignity and solemnity to the Holy Mass and ease-of-use has made this volume quite accessible to even the musically untrained.

Cathedrals, basilicas, churches and chapels are now using the Book of Sung Gospels. Any liturgical environment can benefit from the beauty of a chanted Gospel. These particular settings have made their way onto the airwaves at televised Masses, including the Papal Mass celebrated by Benedict XVI in New York in 2008.

The texts for these Gospels come, of course, from the current Lectionary for Mass (1998-2001). The Gospel texts themselves are the same as those in the previous edition, but are newly type-set. The Opening Dialogue is from the 2010 English translation of the Roman Missal - Third Edition (2002):

The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to ____ .
Glory to you, O Lord.

A curious note: when the Book of Sung Gospels was first submitted to the Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy in 1996, we naively set the text, "Glory to you, O Lord," as a response, rather than, "Glory to you, Lord," because it fit so much better the music to be sung. The committee, rightly we admit, refused to allow the small change. And now, that text has appeared as the official wording, matching the music beautifully. How time moves in circles!

The music we used for these Gospel texts in the original volume is the same as you find here. It is an ancient tone for chanting the Gospels, which can be found in the Liber usualis. Coincidentally, it is the same music chosen as the Simple Tone for the Gospel found among the incidental chants in the Roman Missal - Third Edition. These settings, then, are faithful to the music of the Missal.

With renewed emphasis on beauty and dignity in worship and with a worthy goal for priests, deacons and congregations to really sing the Mass, this Fourth Edition of the Book of Sung Gospels is offered to ennoble our liturgy with past treasures — for many years into the future.

You can find the Preface, Practical Information, and the Table of Contents in this article:

Notes on the Book of Sung Gospels

Since this Gospel tone is nobly simple (only three notes), any deacon or priest with a pleasant voice can make a great contribution to the solemnity of liturgy by using the Book of Sung Gospels — and wouldn't it make a marvelous gift for them!