McGrath Sacred Music CollectionMS.1992.001

Jennifer McCrackan and Allina Nunley
Special Collections and Archives
2017


Contributing Institution: Special Collections and Archives
Title: McGrath Sacred Music Collection
Identifier/Call Number: MS.1992.001
Physical Description: 14.5 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1908-1985
Abstract: Geraldine Biggs McGrath was born in October 8th, 1929 to Richard Keys Biggs, a prominent organist and composer, and Lucinne Gourdon Biggs. Her parents were pioneers in bringing traditional Roman Catholic Church music to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. They moved to California, where the rich church music environment influenced McGrath into pursuing choir and Gregorian chant. She graduated from Mount Saint Mary's College in Los Angeles in 1951 with abachelor of music degree in choral conducting and became music director at St. John Baptist de la Salle Church in GranadaHills. Through her lifetime, she taught at the Los Angeles Archdiocesan Seminary of Our Lady Queen of Angels, was appointed to the Los Angeles Archdiocesan Music Commission, and was a founding member of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, as well as a recipient of the Papal Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontific awarded by Pope Benedict XVI. She also campaigned for keeping traditional music, such as chant, in modernizing churches. The collection is rich in information concerning Gregorian chant and Catholic liturgical music composed for the organ.
Language of Material: English .

Conditions Governing Use

McGrath Sacred Music Collection is the physical property of California State University, Los Angeles, John F. Kennedy Memorial Library, Special Collections and Archives.

Preferred Citation

Folder title, Series, Box number, Collection title, followed by Special Collections and Archives, John F. Kennedy Memorial Library, California State University, Los Angeles

Arrangement

The collection is organized into three series: Series I. Books; Series II: Periodicals; and Series III: Other

Biographical / Historical

Geraldine Biggs McGrath was born in October 8th, 1929 to Richard Keys Biggs, a prominent organist and composer, and Lucinne Gourdon Biggs. Her parents were pioneers in bringing traditional Roman Catholic Church music to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. They moved to California, where the rich church music environment influenced McGrath into pursuing choir and Gregorian chant. She graduated from Mount Saint Mary's College in Los Angeles in 1951 with a bachelor of music degree in choral conducting andbecame music director at St. John Baptist de la Salle Church in Granada Hills. Through her lifetime, she taught at the Los Angeles Archdiocesan Seminary of Our Lady Queen of Angels, was appointed to the Los Angeles Archdiocesan Music Commission, and was a founding member of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, as well as a recipient of the Papal Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontific awarded by Pope Benedict XVI. She also campaigned for keeping traditional music, such as chant, in modernizing churches. The collection is rich in information concerning Gregorian chant and Catholic liturgical music composed for the organ.

Scope and Contents

This collection was donated on July 30th, 1992 by Geraldine Biggs McGrath from the estate of MSGR Robert E. Brennan, in honor of McGrath's parents (Richard Keys Biggs and Lucienne Gourdon Biggs).
Series Description Series I: Books Inclusive Dates: 1908-2005 Arrangement: Alphabetical/Volumes
This series consists of a collection of books that include a partial set of early French books covering Catholic liturgical, as well as photocopies of books about Gregorian chant. Books not assigned to volumes are arranged alphabetical, while those that are part of larger group, such as the Prosper Guèranger collection, are listed by volumes instead.
Series II: Periodicals Inclusive Dates: 1942-1989 Arrangement: Alphabetical
This series consists of a small collection of Caecilia monthly periodicals concerning reviews and news about Catholic music. The series also contains issues of Sacred Music and other periodicals.
Series III: Other Inclusive Dates: 1985-1994 Arrangement: Alphabetical thereunder chronological
This small series consists of biographical documents, correspondence, miscellaneous writings, and one oversized drawing.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Music--United States
Sacred music

 

Books, 1908-2005

Arrangement

Alphabetical/Volumes

Scope and Contents

This series consists of a collection of books that include a partial set of early French books covering Catholic liturgical, as well as photocopies of books about Gregorian chant. Books not assigned to volumes are arranged alphabetical, while those that are part of larger group, such as the Prosper Guèranger collection, are listed by volumesinstead.
box 1

Antiphonale Monasticum: Prodiurnis horis: juxta vota rr. dd. abbatum Congregationum confoederatarum ordinis Sancti Benedicti a Solesmensibus monarchic restitutum, 1934

box 1

Beginning Studies in Gregorian Chant, Dom Eugène Cardine, 1988

box 1

Book of Hours: Illuminations by Simon Marmion, 1976

box 1

Catechism, Gregory Hügle, 1944

box 1

Chant Made Simple, Robert M. Fowells, 2000

box 1

The Conducting of a Gregorian Chant: A Study of Chironomy as Applied to the Semiology of Neumatic Notation, with Performance Editions of Five Selected Examples of Gregorian Chant, William Lee Belan, 1984

box 1

Congrès International de Chant Grégorien: Paris Mai 1985

box 2

Direction of Gregorian Chant, Dom Eugéne Cardine, 2003

box 2

Entretiens Sur La Spiritualité du Chant Grégorien, Dom Jacques Hourlier, 1985

box 2

Études Grégoriennes XXIII, 1989

box 2

Graduale Triplex: seu Graduale Romanum Pauli PP. VI cura recognitum & rhythmicic signis a solesmensibus monachis ornatum Neumis Laudunensis (cod. 239) et Sangellensibus (codicum San Gallensis 359 et Einsidlensis 121) nunc auctum, 1979 (1/4)

box 2

Graduale Triplex: seu Graduale Romanum Pauli PP. VI cura recognitum & rhythmicic signis a solesmensibus monachis ornatum Neumis Laudunensis (cod. 239) et Sangellensibus (codicum San Gallensis 359 et Einsidlensis 121) nunc auctum, 1979 (2/4)

box 2

Graduale Triplex: seu Graduale Romanum Pauli PP. VI cura recognitum & rhythmicic signis a solesmensibus monachis ornatum Neumis Laudunensis (cod. 239) et Sangellensibus (codicum San Gallensis 359 et Einsidlensis 121) nunc auctum, 1979 (3/4)

box 3

Graduale Triplex: seu Graduale Romanum Pauli PP. VI cura recognitum & rhythmicic signis a solesmensibus monachis ornatum Neumis Laudunensis (cod. 239) et Sangellensibus (codicum San Gallensis 359 et Einsidlensis 121) nunc auctum, 1979 (4/4)

box 3

Gregorian Chant, u.d.

box 3

Gregorian Chants, u.d.

box 3

Gregorian Chant Intonations and the Role of Rhetoric, Columba Kelly, 2003

box 3

Gregorian Chant in Liturgy and Education, 1983

box 3

The Gregorian Missal for Sundays, 1990

box 4

Gregorian Semiology, Dom Eugène Cardine, 1970 (1/4)

box 4

Gregorian Semiology, Dom Eugène Cardine, 1970 (2/4)

box 4

Gregorian Semiology, Dom Eugène Cardine, 1970 (3/4)

box 4

Gregorian Semiology, Dom Eugène Cardine, 1970 (4/4)

box 4

Guide to the Study of Gregorian Chant and Early Music, Marie Therese Levey, 2993

box 4

Introduction à l'interprétation du chant grégorien, Johannes Berchmans Gösch, Daniel Saulnier, Joseph Kohlhäufl, 2001

box 5

La Messe Solenelle du Dimanche, 1987

box 5

La Notation Musicale Des Chants Liturgiques Latins, 1960-1991

box 5

L'abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes, u.d.

box 5

L'année Liturgique Volume I: L'avent, Prosper Guéranger, 1911

box 5

L'année Liturgique Volume II: Lé temps de noël, Prosper Guéranger, 1908

box 5

L'année Liturgique Volume III: Lé temps de noël, Prosper Guéranger,1908

box 6

L'année Liturgique Volume V: Le carême, Prosper Guéranger, 1911

box 6

L'année Liturgique Volume VI: La passion et la semaine sainte, Prosper Guéranger, 1911

box 6

L'année Liturgique Volume VII: Le temps pascal, Prosper Guéranger, 1909

box 6

L'année Liturgique Volume VIII: Le temps pascal, Prosper Guéranger, 1910

box 7

L'année Liturgique Volume X: Le temps après la pentecôte, Prosper Guéranger, 1912

box 7

L'année Liturgique Volume XI: Le temps après la pentecôte, Prosper Guéranger, 1912

box 7

Le Chant Grégorien: Quelques Jalons, 1996

box 7

Les Heures monastiques latin-français à l'abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes Volume 2: Tierce, Sexte, None & Complies, 1984

box 7

Les Heures monastiques latin-français à l'abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes Volume 3: Vêpres au temps ordinaire, 1984

box 7

Les Modes Grégoriens, Dom Daniel Saulnier, 1997

box 7

Les Plus Belles Mélodies Grégoriennes, Dom Joseph Gajard, 1985

box 8

Liber Antiphonarius Pro Diurnis Horis, 2005

box 8

Liber Cantus Gregoriani: complectens missas, vesperas et completorium ad singulos anni dies necnon et parvas horas diebus festivis ex ultimis editionibus Vaticanis, 1950

box 8

Liber Cantualis, 1978

box 8

Liber Hymnarius Cum Invitatoriis & Aliquibus Responsoriis, 1983

box 9

The Liber Usualis with Introduction and Rubrics in English, 1934

box 9

Liturgies Neo-Gallicanes, u.d.

box 9

The Musical Notation of Latin Liturgical Chants, u.d.

box 9

Offertoriale Triplex: Cum Versiculis, 1985

box 9

Ordo Hebdomadae Sanctae, 1961

box 9

An Overview of Gregorian Chant: XVI of Etudes Gregoriennes, Dom Eugène Cardine, 1992

box 10

Plainchant for Everyone: An Introduction to Plainsong, Mary Berry, 1979

box 10

Psalterium cum canticis novi & veteris testament iuxta regulam S.P.N. Benedicti & alia schemata liturgiae horarum monasticae: cum cantu gregoriano, 1981

box 10

Reflections on the Spirtuality of Gregorian Chant, Dom Jacques Hourlier, 1995

box 10

The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud, u.d.

box 10

Semiologie Gregorienne, Dom Eugène Cardine, 1970

box 10

Solesmes and Dom Guèranger 1805-1875, Dom Louis Soltner, 1995

box 10

The Solesmes Method: Its Fundamental Principles and Practical Rules of Interpretation, 1960

box 10

The Spirit of Solesmes, Sister Mary David Totah, 1997

box 11

Vesperale Sacrosanctae Romanae Ecclesiae: cum cantu a Pio Papa X restitutum et editum et SS. D.N. Benedicti XV auctoritate recognitum et vulgatum juxta antiphonale Vaticanum, 1948

 

Periodicals, 1942-1989

Arrangement

Alphabetical

Scope and Contents

This series consists of a small collection of Caeciliamonthly periodicals concerning reviews and news about Catholic music. The series also contains issues of Sacred Music and other periodicals.
box 11

Caecilia Vol. 69, No. 9, September 1942

box 11

Caecilia Vol.74, No.9, May 1947

box 11

Caecilia Vol. 75, No. 4, May – June 1948

box 11

Caecilia Vol. 76, No.5, June – Aug 1949

box 11

Caecilia Vol. 78, No. 2, Jan – Feb 1951

box 11

Caecilia Vol. 78, No. 3, March – April 1951

box 11

Caecilia Vol. 78, No. 4, May – June 1951

box 11

Caecilia Vol. 78, No. 6, Sep – Oct 1951

box 11

Caecilia Vol. 79, No. 1, Nov – Dec 1951

box 11

Caecilia Vol. 79, No. 3, March – April 1952

box 11

Caecilia Vol. 79, No. 4, May – June 1952

box 11

Caecilia Vol. 80, No. 1, Nov – Dec 1952

box 11

Caecilia Vol. 80, No. 4, May – June 1953

box 11

Caecilia Vol. 81, No. 2, Jan – Feb 1954

box 11

Caecilia Vol. 81, No. 3, March – April 1954

box 12

Caecilia Vol. 81, No. 4, May – June 1954

box 12

Caecilia Vol. 81, No. 5, July – Aug 1954

box 12

Caecilia Vol. 82, No. 1, Nov – Dec 1954

box 12

Caecilia Vol. 82, No. 4, May – June 1955

box 12

Grégoriana, No. 13, Janvier 1989

box 12

Pastoral Music, Aug – Sep 1985

box 12

Sacred Music Vol. 92, No. 2, Summer 1965

box 12

Sacred Music Vol. 92, No. 4, Winter 1966

box 12

Sacred Music Vol. 93, Spring 1966

 

Other, 1985-1994

Arrangement

Alphabetical thereunder chronological

Scope and Contents

This small series consists of biographical documents, correspondence, miscellaneous writings, and one oversized drawing.
box 12

The Formation of Our Musical Language, M. Clement Morin, u.d.

box 12

Gregorian Chant Bibliography, u.d.

box 12

Gregorian Chant is "Sung Speech," u.d.

box 12

The Gregorian Language: Servus Dei, Morin-Fowells, u.d.

box 12

Lucienne Gourdon Biggs Funuary Pamphlet, 1985

box 12

The Role of Semiology, Rev. Columba Kelly, O.S.B., 1988

box 12

St. Gall and Ottobeuren, 1994

box 13

Ecclesia, Martin Olivar, 1992