Anglican use Qs: low mass v solemn mass

[Digitonomy]

I notice that the schedule here lists frequent low masses, with one solemn mass each Sunday. But no high mass.

1. Is there a distinction between a solemn mass and a high mass?
2. Do the main differences between low mass and solemn mass parallel those in the old Latin mass?
3. Is this usage consistent with Anglican/Episcopalian terminology? (I realize this last question crosses over into material properly covered in the Non-Catholic forum)

 

[flamingsword]

1 No there is no real distinction other than perhaps the parishes
2 To a certain extent. More smells and bells. And different/ more music.
3. No clue. I don’t think that there is really a central terminology. They cannot even agree on matters of faith usually.

 

[pgoings]

Is this usage consistent with Anglican/Episcopalian terminology?

It’s actually the correct** Roman/Latin** terminology. “High Mass” was a broad term used in England and the U.S. to cover anything that wasn’t Low Mass. Before 1969 there was the* Missa Privata* (Low Mass) and the* Missa Solemnis* (Solemn Mass) which involved an entirely sung liturgy, incense, and three sacred ministers. Between these was the* Missa Cantata* (Sung Mass) which was, strictly speaking, defined as a Low Mass, sung, but in some places incense and some other ceremonies were used by indult.

So it was actually more correct to say “Solemn Mass,” but such masses were quite rare in the U.S., and the norm (at least for parishes in the Philadelphia area) was “Sung Mass” (usually referred to as “High Mass”) often with various abuses such as the omission of the proper, the silent recitation of the epistle, etc.