Years ago when my parish did this for Easter Vigil we used the ICEL chant version, which was odd, because we never did chant, apart from TAIZE at times. It went fine though, and the music is here at the ICEL website, although I think we were using a previous version of the words. I think you are meant to substitute locally applicable saints in any case.
Rex in Queensland asked for a backing for the version by John Becker, which is more metrical chant and probably what we should have been doing. It starts with the Kyrie and then cycles though 6 verses consisting of eight lines of saints (+ response) followed each time by “All you holy men and women”. It is a wonderful attempt to tame the beast for the metrically minded.
I have seen two sets of lists of saints for this setting so I think there is an old version and a new one – possibly the old one starts with “Mary and Joseph” and the newer “Holy Mary, mother of God”. OCP sell the setting here. What makes me think the words have changed is that OCP appear to be providing an updated version here. If anyone knows what’s going on I’m all ears.
I did make a backing but I just left spaces for the saints names, so you can practice with whichever version you want to sing. I noticed I actually called the file “Litany of the Saint”, which would make it a lot shorter – just pick one.
I’ve always liked the Becker setting. We used to do this version at the Easter Vigil, but we switched to the ICEL chant in 2011. It was my mom’s favorite part of the Vigil, so she was pretty disappointed when it went away. As with most service music, the new version was a product of the new translation of the Roman Missal and making sure everything matches the official text. The new version puts the saints in the order to match the Missal and revises the last couple verses to match the official text.
I’ve looked up information about the Becker setting before and have read complaints that the old version crammed too many names into one short spot, so it was hard to understand all the names. It also included Origen who isn’t actually a canonized saint, in addition to including a lot of Old Testament figures who generally aren’t classified as saints either, though we can be fairly certain they are in Heaven (Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Moses, David, Ruth, Solomon, the prophets). Including Origen in this setting was apparently egregious enough that it merits its own section on the “Litany of the Saints” Wikipedia page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litany_of_the_Saints#Origen_Controversy
Thanks for the background, Ryan. I gather that means the list was rather fluid and has been standardised. I still think we should insert local saints, patron saints etc.
Origen’s inclusion by Becker was brave. Maybe it was a comment on a great theologian being excluded, while lots of dodgy and mostly legendary saints are considered kosher.
That also probably explains why OCP put up the authorised version with the new text for download.
Geoff