Singing Pointed Psalms

Today I will show you how to sing the Psalms using the pointed text. By points I mean these accent marks that appear above some of the words in the psalm. They are found in some of the liturgical books of the Catholic Church's Roman Rite.
In Australia the psalms in the liturgical books have the Grail translation, the Grail Psalms. A new lectionary is being developed and is expected to have the Revised Grail Psalms.
The Revised Grail Psalms are sold in two versions by GIA, both books for the same price. The singing version has pointed text, and the other is without these points, or accents.
So which version should you buy? Which version should appear in the new liturgical books? I think the singing version, with the points. I will try and explain why, how the points are useful.
Demonstrate psalms using Tempo app.
Demonstration of part of Psalm 1, spoken, using iPhone app, Tempo.
How are the points used? The pointed text indicates the rhythm of the verses, with the regular recurrence of accented or stressed syllables. The number of these is fixed for each line. But the number of syllables between the stresses is variable. The psalm is sung at an even pace. The tempo can be between 48 and 72 beats per minute of the metronome. Each beat coincides with a stressed syllable, except for the introductory beat of each line. So, when a line begins with a stressed syllable, it must be preceded by a beat of silence.
In the Australian translations of the current liturgical books one has the singing version, another has the psalms without the points and a third has about half the psalms with these points and half without. So it has been a controversial question in the past. Today GIA is selling two versions of the Revised Grail Psalms, with the points and without. So the different approaches continue.
The Simple Gradual, an official liturgical book, the approved English translation of the Latin book, Graduale Simplex. It has the Concordat cum originale of 20 December 1968.
A 1970 booklet has:
"The ICEL translation became available in 1968. This translation has been officially approved for use in Austalia."
This book has markings for three systems of singing the Psalms. The points for the Gelineau psalmody which I have been discussing. It also has other marks for Murray Psalmody and Bevenot psalmody.
At Mass I am used to having one psalm after the first reading, the Responsorial Psalm. But this book has a psalm for singing at the Entrance, the offertory and at communion. These psalms include the points.
But for the Responsorial Psalm, it does not have the Gelineau points.
In the Liturgy of the Hours in the iPhone app Universalis, the psalms are without the points.
The new 2010 Roman Missal has three of the Revised Grail Psalms. They are also without the points.
Why leave them out? I think its a mistake. It encourages people to say the psalms, rather than sing or chant them.
From the General Instruction of the Roman Missal number 61:It is preferable for the Responsorial Psalm to be sung, at least as far as the people's response is concerned." So the way the psalms are printed should encourage singing, which the points do.
Without the points, if the psalms are sung at Mass the psalmist needs to bring up another book or leaflet.
Perhaps leaving out the points is to encourage composers to create new tunes for the psalms. But by choosing the Grail psalms (and Revised Grail Psalms) they have already chosen a translation deliberately made to have a rhythm which the points indicate.
What will the new lectionary have? The new book for the Liturgy of the Hours? I don't know.
Monsignor Andrew Wadsworth, in the 2012 Crichton Lecture made the suggestion: [Quote] to make your observations in relation to the new translation known to your bishops or directly to us in the ICEL office. In this way you will contribute personally to the necessary process of appraisal of the text in its use and assist in the process whereby liturgical translations are prepared in the future. Please don't say 'nobody asked me!', I am asking you now.[Unquote] So Monsignor Wadsworth is asking for our input.
So perhaps send an email about the lack of points for the psalms in the 2010 Roman Missal. The address is: [e-mail] .
More information about singing the Grail Psalms can be found in The Psalms: A New Translation, Singing Version and The Grail Gelineau Psalter published by GIA.
I'm John Lilburne, recording this video on 15 December 2012.