Monday, December 31, 2007

Technical Mass Stuff for Musicians

A most interesting technical item regarding the Ordinary Rite:

Recent research, confirmed by unofficial discussions with officials of the Holy See during the past several years, has made clear that the antiphons of the Order of Mass were never intended to be sung, but are provided without notation to be recited whenever the Graduale Romanum or another song is not sung.

Yah. In the missalette, those printed antiphons are meant to be spoken.

More of interest:

The antiphons of the Missale Romanum, which differ substantially from the sung antiphons of the Roman Gradual, were never intended to be sung.

No wonder they aren't the same. They ARE NOT the same!

And finally,

It seems to be, however, that the Lectionary has priority over Graduale when singing the "intervening chants" during the Liturgy of the Word. This is because the Lectionary of the Mass of Paul VI was composed on a different principle than was the lectionary of the Mass of Saint Pius V.

IOW, to sing the Latin Introit/Offertory/Communio in the Pauline Rite, you need the new Graduale Romanum--and you really should use the vernacular Psalm/Alleluia stuff given in the Missalette in preference to the Gradual/Alleluia given in that Graduale.

HT: Christus Vincit

1 comment:

Brian Michael Page said...

Actually, one COULD use a Responsorial Psalm in Latin. One of my former parishes had a "Lectionarium", well.. one volume anyways - covered from Advent through Winter Ordinary Time. There is no music with these Psalms in Latin, but some could be created (or even Psalm Tones could be used).

Same with the Alleluia verse or Lenten Gospel Acclamation verse.
BMP