Bl Richard Whiting / Bl John Beche, Westminster and Brentwood
The Martyrs of Engalnd and Wales, All Diocese of England and Wales
St Edmund of Canterbury, Translation and Feast, in various dioceses
SS John Fisher & Thomas More, All Dioceses of England and Wales
St Helen, Salford, Liverpool, and Brentwood Cathedral
SS Hildelitha & Cuthberga, Brentood
Introduction
The Church in England and Wales has many saints historically associated with it who are not celebrated in the Universal Calendar, but which over the years the Bishops have, with the 'recognitio' of the Holy See, included in the National or Diocesan calendars. These are to be found in 'England and Wales' supplements at the back of hand missals, and similar supplements in the back of Altar Missals.
Most of these use chants taken from the Graduale Romanum, which includes chants suitable for martyrs, virgins, abbots, bishops and so on ('Commons', as in 'the Common of Abbots'). Others have chants taken from more obscure sources, or even specially composed ones, which are not to be found in the most commonly available editions of the most widely used chant book, the Liber Usualis. We intend to make these available on this page.
Our sources include the 'Missae Aliquibus in Locis' ('Masses for certain places') appendix published in successive editions of the Graduale Romanum, and the 'Supplement for Certain Religious Congregations' and the appendix 'Proper Feasts kept in the Dioceses of the United States of America' found in some editions of the Liber Usualis. We have also used an appendix with the feasts of the English Benedictine Congregation, found in a 1908 Graduale Romanum published by Schwann. Other chants used in the Diocesan feasts come from feasts or commons found in older editions of the Liber Usualis and not in later ones. All of these except the OSB Supplement can be found in chant books scanned by the Church Music Association of America. We are very grateful to them for permission to use these scans in the booklets on this site.
December 1st: Bl Richard Whiting and Companions, in Westminster Diocese, and Bl John Beche, in Brentwood Diocese. The Mass 'Vineam in Aegpto'.
About these chants: these were found in an Appendix for the English Benedictine Congregation, which had a feast on December 1st for Whiting, Beche, and also Bl Hugh Faringdon. This is not a Solesmes edition and does not have the Solesmes editorial marks.
December 4th: St Osmund, in Clifton Diocese. The Gradual 'Juravit Dominus'
About this chant: the feast of St Osmund is celebrated in Westminster, Plymouth and Clifton. Clifton Diocese has its own propers, however. The Chants for all the dioceses are those of the Common of Confessor Bishops (Statuit in conspectu, in the Liber Usualis pp1182ff), but in Clifton the gradual chant of that Common is replaced by the gradual Juravit Dominus. This was the gradual for the feast of Pope St Gregory I, until that feast was changed. This gradual, accordingly, is found in the 1908 Graduale Romanum, and the 1932 Graduale Romanum with Solesmes markings used here, but not in the 1961 Graduale or Liber Usualis.
December 10th: The Holy House of Loreto, in Middlesbrough Diocese. The Mass Terribilis est.
About these chants: the Inroit is from the Mass for the Dedication of a Church. The other propers are peculiar to the feast, and are found in the 'Masses for Certain Places' supplement in the Graduale Romanum; these are taken from the 1961 Graduale scanned by the Church Music Association of America.
May 4th: Blessed Martyrs of England and Wales, in all the Dioceses of England and Wales. The Mass 'Deus venerunt gentes' with Solesmes markings, without Solesmes markings.
About these chants: also from the Appendix for the English Benedictines, a Schwann edition without Solesmes marks, and a (poorer-quality) Solesmes edition with the usual lengthenings added by the Solesmes editors. This Mass was originally composed for Thomas More and John Fisher, when they were beatified; when they were canonised they were moved to 9th July and given a new Mass formulary; this Mass continued to be used on May 4th for the English Martyrs.
June 9th & November 16th: Translation of St Edmund, Feast of St Edmund. Translation: Brentwood, Portsmouth, Old Hall. Feast: Westminster, Brentwood, Portsmouth. The Mass Gaudeamus. (Alleluia for Paschal Time.)
About these chants: a different set of propers and accompanying chants is used for the Feast of St Edmund in Birmingham, Clifton, Liverpool, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Northampton, Plymouth, Salford, Shrewsbury & Southwark, namely Common of Bishop Confessors, Statuit ei Dominus (Liber Usualis 1182ff). The special chants for St Edmund available here use the propers for St Edmund found in the Sarum Missal. The Alleluia is the same as that for St Francis of Assisi, but with some differences in the text: 'Hic Edmundus' instead of 'Franciscus', and 'modicus' instead of 'humilis'. The Introit Gaudeamus is used with similar variations for a number of feasts; in this case it includes the words 'beati Edmundus'. We are grateful to Colin Mawby for his help in determining how the words fit the neumes.
July 9th: St John Fisher & St Thomas More. In all dioceses of England and Wales. The Mass 'Multae tribulationes'.
About these chants: a separate booklet of these chants can be found pasted into old copies of the Liber Usualis; the booklet has an Imprimatur dated 1936, the year following the canonisation of John Fisher and Thomas More. It is also the only English feast found in the Graduale Romanum 'Masses for Certain Places' supplement. The Introit is taken from the Feast of SS John and Paul, Martyrs, in the Universal Calendar for June 26th, and the Offertory, Mirabilis Deus, is from the Mass of Martyrs 'Intret in conspectu', but the Gradual, Alleluia, and Communion are not to be found in standard chant books. As a 'Double of the First Class' (in 1962 terminology, 'First Class'), there are propers antiphons for both First Vespers and Second Vespers. It was clearly expected to be used as a Votive Mass throughout the year, and there is a Tract for Septuagesima and Lent and a second Alleluia for Easter tide. The full, 8-page booklet with these chants and readings, collect and so on can be downloaded here.
August 18th: St Helen (or Helena), Empress, in Salford Diocese, Liverpool Diocese, and Brentwood Cathedral. The Mass 'Mihi autem absit'.
About these chants: the feast of St Helen is also celebrated in the diocese of Helena, Montana, USA, as titular of the Cathedral, on this date, and the chants are included in a supplement for the Dioceses of the United States in the Liber Usualis scanned by the Church Music Association of America, used here.
September 4th: SS Hildelitha & Cuthberga, Brentood Diocese. The Mass Virgines laudent.
About these chants: these chants all come from the Common of All Virgins, Virgines laudent. A decree of 1914 allowed this Common to be used, in future, only for Masses 'in certain places', so it is not to be found in later editions of the Liber Usualis. It is found in the supplement 'For Certain Places' in the 1961 Graduale Romanum scanned by the Church Music Association of America, used here.
November 5th: Feast of the Holy Relics, in All Dioceses of Wales, and Westminster, Brentwood, Birmingham, Hexham & Newcastle, Lancaster, Liverpool and Portsmouth. The Mass 'Multae tribulationes'.
About these chants: all are to be found in the 1961 Graduale Romanum scanned by the Church Music Association of America; their 1961 Liber also has them, some being in the Appendix for Feasts of the United States. The Gradual chant is not, however, in the standard edition of the Liber Usualis. The chants are mostly taken from Commons of martyrs; the Introit is from the feast of the martyrs SS John & Paul (26th June), and the Gradual from the Vigil of All Saints.
Missing Chants.
There are still chants for diocesan feasts which we have not yet been able to track down. Information on any of the following would be gratefully received:
Bl Adrian Fortescue (Birmingham diocese, 11th July)
Our Lady in Porticu (Cardiff and Menevai, 17th July)
Bl Hugh More (Nottingham, 1st September)
St Hilda (Westminster, Birmingham, Clifton, Northhampton, Nottingham, 17th November): Alleluia only.