Tempo

I use MuseScore for learning choral music. It has been extremely helpful in the learning process. The original version of MuseScore I had downloaded allowed me to pick the tempo myself with one of the menus at the top. Since having a new computer I had to download MuseScore again. The new version does not allow me to pick my own speed. You do have tempo but unfortunately the current piece of music I am working on was originally written in the very very old way (when no bars were used.) I did reduce the notations from, for example, minim to crochet etc. But it is still too slow! The fastest tempo is not fast enough. I would rather not spend hours re-writing it in quavers and semi-quavers. The work I am doing is Madrigals and the speed changes a lot in different parts. I am trying to learn it at speed and as it is in Italian and there is a habit of sharing a syllable to one note, I need to be able to sing it faster and faster by gradually increasing the speed, getting all the notes and WORDS! It is not possible unless I can control the speed without using the pitch. Is there a way to do it. I am a complete novice; I did not study music and need all the help I can get in simple way.

Thank you.