Liber Usualis


The Liber Usualis is a book of commonly used Gregorian chants in the Catholic tradition, compiled by the monks of the Abbey of Solesmes in France. According to Willi Apel, the chants in the Liber Usualis originated in the 11th century.
This 1,900-page book contains most versions of the ordinary chants for the Mass, as well as the common chants for the Divine Office and for every commonly celebrated feast of the Church Year. The "usual book" or "common book" also contains chants for specific rituals, such as baptisms, weddings, funerals, ordinations, and benediction. This modal, monophonic Latin music has been sung in the Catholic Church since at least the sixth century to the present day. An extensive introduction explains how to read and interpret the medieval musical notation. A complete index makes it easy to find specific pieces.
The Liber was first edited in 1896 by Solesmes Abbot Dom André Mocquereau. Its use has decreased since the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, in the constitution on the liturgy, allowed the local language to be used in Church rites, even though the same council mandated that Gregorian Chant should retain "pride of place" in the liturgy. Gregorian chants are still sung in most monasteries and some churches, and in performances by groups dedicated to its preservation. In recent years, due to a resurgence of interest in Gregorian chant and the Tridentine Mass, some editions of the Liber Usualis have been reprinted or scanned and made available for download.