Favorite Mass Settings?

[HealedOne]

Hello All,
I am a music minister and I wanted to get some opinions and thoughts on the various Mass Settings that are available (Mass of Glory, Mass of Life etc.). I might actually be helping to make our evening Mass into a more youth oriented Mass and I wanted to find a good Mass setting for it. What I'd really like to do is somehow use a very old Mass setting (Think Latin) and put a guitar friendly chord progression to it. We could even have the Mass parts in both English and Latin. So what Mass settings are your favorites ??? :)

 

[japhy]

What I’d really like to do is somehow use a very old Mass setting (Think Latin) and put a guitar friendly chord progression to it.

Why is a guitar (or any instrument) even necessary? I’d suggest trying to sing the Mass a cappella. As for the Latin settings for the Mass, one of these two links should help: Kyriale (Solesmes), Kyriale (Vatican).

A beautiful setting is the Missa de Angelis.

 

[prodigal-sun]

I find any mass that relies to much on the music for it’s atmosphere is very distracting.

Peace!

 

[HealedOne]

Thank You for that information. I just recently heard some of the “Mass of the Angels” in Gregorian. Very Nice. However, I think it would be quite difficult for the congregation to sing plus I think the teens, and perhaps even some of the adults, might feel it’s not very conducive to their active participation in the liturgy. I think chord progressions that may be more familiar to the people, and that they like, would be more conducive to them praying the Mass parts. Maybe some kind of hybrid kind of music could be utilized ???

 

[japhy]

I just recently heard some of the “Mass of the Angels” in Gregorian. Very Nice. However, I think it would be quite difficult for the congregation to sing plus I think the teens, and perhaps even some of the adults, might feel it’s not very conducive to their active participation in the liturgy.

Maybe you should ask them first. Find an audio clip of the Mass setting, and play it for them. Show them the notes (in Gregorian or standard notation). Let them decide.

Chord progressions are dull.

Singing the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin is very much part of our active participation in the Mass. That’s what Vatican II said, at least…

 

[VociMike]

I find any mass that relies to much on the music for it’s atmosphere is very distracting.

And yet we must remember that Vatican II teaches that music is pars integrans, an integral or necessary part of the liturgy.

 

[VociMike]

Thank You for that information. I just recently heard some of the “Mass of the Angels” in Gregorian. Very Nice. However, I think it would be quite difficult for the congregation to sing plus I think the teens, and perhaps even some of the adults, might feel it’s not very conducive to their active participation in the liturgy. I think chord progressions that may be more familiar to the people, and that they like, would be more conducive to them praying the Mass parts. Maybe some kind of hybrid kind of music could be utilized ???

That’s a fair question; however, you may be assuming too much regarding what teens think and want. You may find that they would be fascinated to have the chance to actually sing Gregorian chant in a liturgical setting, as opposed to just hearing it in the secular media.

Since Gregorian chant is, as the Church teaches, the supreme model and permanent standard of Catholic liturgical music, don’t your teens at least deserve to experience their Catholic patrimony? Give it an honest and sincere try, and then what happens, happens.

 

[ddd86]

Hello All,

 I am a music minister and I wanted to get some opinions and thoughts on the various Mass Settings that are available (Mass of Glory, Mass of Life etc.). I might actually be helping to make our evening Mass into a more youth oriented Mass and I wanted to find a good Mass setting for it. What I'd really like to do is somehow use a very old Mass setting (Think Latin) and put a guitar friendly chord progression to it. We could even have the Mass parts in both English and Latin. So what Mass settings are your favorites ??? :)

Gathering Mass by Paul Inwood is very nice. There are some clips of it on OCP. Also there is a clip on YouTube of a young guy practicing some Catholic Hymns. At 7.20 He plays Inwood’s Sanctus in full - it gives you an idea how it could sound on an Organ.

 

[benedictgal]

I love the Missa de Angelis, myself. In fact, we used parts of it for the White Mass eome time ago. For English Masses, I love the Comunity Mass setting.

 

[bpbasilphx]

How about Missa Marialis (Kyrie cum jubilo–number 17 in the Kyriale, I think).

 

[HealedOne]

Hello Again Everyone,
Thanks everyone for all the info. It has been helpful…lets keep it coming. I must admit that my interest, at least, has been piqued concerning Gregorian Chant. What would be the most common songs/Mass parts sung in TLM ? In addition, if I’d like to learn the basics of how Gregorian Chant is sung and the basics of Chant ensemble formation…where would I look? Is there (WOW, the irony of this question) some kind of DVD or CD which will help me learn the fundamentals of this ancient musical form? Thank You All.

 

[muffinmojo]

Hello Again Everyone,
Thanks everyone for all the info. It has been helpful…lets keep it coming. I must admit that my interest, at least, has been piqued concerning Gregorian Chant. What would be the most common songs/Mass parts sung in TLM ? In addition, if I’d like to learn the basics of how Gregorian Chant is sung and the basics of Chant ensemble formation…where would I look? Is there (WOW, the irony of this question) some kind of DVD or CD which will help me learn the fundamentals of this ancient musical form? Thank You All.

For a way to introduce chant without being WAY too ‘different’ you could try the ‘English Chant Mass’. My parish uses that for 2/3 sunday Masses, it is very ‘Gregorian’, and can be done a cappella or with an organ and it is quite beautiful, and easy to learn and sing along with. If your church building has any tendency to echo, it will make it quite gorgeous.

However, as a teenager, I would definatly say that most of us find the guitar strumming…lame. Sorry to say it, but the 70’s style isn’t in anymore, and by modern secular music standards, the common liturgical music is silly. Gregorian chant is something different, unique, and ‘Catholic’ to the core. It will help give your teenagers an ‘identity’ that they would otherwise find in the secular world. I am positive that if you take time to explain and teach it, and don’t just jump right in, you will get an amazing response from your teenage parishoners with Chant.

= )

As above, I would recommend either Mass XIII(Missa de Angelis) or Mass II(more solemn).

To hear the Missa de Angelis, watch this video(SORRY, it is an SSPX Mass, but just listen to the chant and ignore the SSPXness):

This is the Gloria: part 1 has the amazing Kyrie(which was also used at the Papal Mass in NY during the recent US visit!):

youtube.com/watch?v=xvu1QUTlQbA&feature=related

 

[muffinmojo]

Correction- the Missa de Angelis is VIII not XIII ><

Btw, here is the Kyrie from Mass VIII:
youtube.com/watch?v=SZjiYZNRQtE

without organ, unlike the other video.

Here is the sanctus:

youtube.com/watch?v=Zgo_u9TMqA0&feature=related

(hard to hear in this one, and it has organ and bells, it’s a TLM so not quite what you would probably be doing)

And the Agnus Dei(sublime):

youtube.com/watch?v=habBAD-OTQA

Enjoy!

If you wanted to go all-out with chants at some point, some easy-to-find favorites are ‘Adoro te devote’ for Communion, ‘Christus Vincit(in part 1 of the SSPX Mass above)’ for the procession, and Veni Creator Spiritus.

 

[japhy]

I could make a couple mp3 recordings of the Missa de Angelis and provide them, along with images of the notes (in Gregorian notation), if it came to that!

 

[Sarabande]

Hello All,

 I am a music minister and I wanted to get some opinions and thoughts on the various Mass Settings that are available (Mass of Glory, Mass of Life etc.). I might actually be helping to make our evening Mass into a more youth oriented Mass and I wanted to find a good Mass setting for it. What I'd really like to do is somehow use a very old Mass setting (Think Latin) and put a guitar friendly chord progression to it. We could even have the Mass parts in both English and Latin. So what Mass settings are your favorites ??? :)

For English, the Community Mass by Richard Proulx is fine. I know this is kind of “old-fashioned”, but I like the Danish Mass as well, especially with the choral expansions for the Amen. There is a beautiful one by Victoria. I also liked the Vermulst Mass for Christian Unity (I think that it was called that.) Another more simple chant-like version in English is the Plainsong Mass by Hurd. We’ve used this at our parish and the people picked it up pretty well.

Mass of the Angels is beautiful.

For Latin, there is the simple Missa “Primitvia” which can be done a cappella. We do it at our parish every other week and is simple to learn. They may not know it at first, but once a few weeks go by, they pick it up very nicely. You can find that and other chant masses in the Liber Cantualis. It’s number 4, 5, 13, 17, and 23 (pages 17-29). I believe it might also be in the Worship III hymnal.

 

[japhy]

For Latin, there is the simple Missa “Primitvia” which can be done a cappella.

Missa Jubilate Deo contains:

• Kyrie from Mass XVI
• Gloria from Mass VIII
• Credo III
• Sanctus from Mass XVIII
• Agnus Dei from Mass XVI

Missa Primitiva contains:

• Kyrie from Mass XVI
• Gloria from Mass XV
• Credo I
• Sanctus from Mass XVIII
• Agnus Dei from Mass XVI

 

[VociMike]

Hello Again Everyone,
Thanks everyone for all the info. It has been helpful…lets keep it coming. I must admit that my interest, at least, has been piqued concerning Gregorian Chant. What would be the most common songs/Mass parts sung in TLM ? In addition, if I’d like to learn the basics of how Gregorian Chant is sung and the basics of Chant ensemble formation…where would I look? Is there (WOW, the irony of this question) some kind of DVD or CD which will help me learn the fundamentals of this ancient musical form? Thank You All.

A few suggestions follow.

Take a look at these articles:
ceciliaschola.org/pdf/garage.pdf
catholicsacredmusic.com/starting_a_schola_if_i_could_d.html

Listen to chant to get an idea of the way it flows. It should sound fluid, soaring, floating, not note-y and clunky. Listen to www.choraltreasure.org for different groups (many monastic) singing chant.

Understand about the Ordinary chants (found in the Kyriale) and the Proper chants (found in the Graduale, which also has all the Ordinary chants), and how to introduce both to the Mass. The Gregorian Missal has both Ordinary Masses (there are 18 all told, usually indicated by Roman Numerals - e.g. Mass XII) and Propers for Sundays and Feast days.

Emphasize to the teens the ancient age of chant, the sacredness (set aside for God, not imitations of pop culture), and the whole “we are leaving the everyday world and entering another time and place” aspect that chanting brings to the liturgy. Most teens will really respond to that. If the teens are doing the only chanted liturgies in the parish, they will love that distinction also.

You may find people on this forum who can give you more (and better? ) advice:
musicasacra.com/forum/

 

[Sarabande]

Missa Jubilate Deo contains:

• Kyrie from Mass XVI
• Gloria from Mass VIII
• Credo III
• Sanctus from Mass XVIII
• Agnus Dei from Mass XVI

Missa Primitiva contains:

• Kyrie from Mass XVI
• Gloria from Mass XV
• Credo I
• Sanctus from Mass XVIII
• Agnus Dei from Mass XVI

Yes, that’s right. I probably should have been more clear with the MIssa Primitiva. Although, I don’t think the Liber Cantualis has the Missa Jubilate Deo. It does have Missa IX (Cum Jubilo)

For the OP, you can also find in the Liber,

• Missa I (Lux et origo)
• Missa IV (Cuncitpotens)
• Missa VIII (De Angelis)
• Missa XI (Orbis Factor)
• Missa XVII (Tempore Adventus et Quadragesimae)

That’s just one section of the Liber. There are many parts to it. I found out about it through our choir at my parish. The book can be ordered through any liturgical music company. That’s where I got mine when I was directing the children’s choir. It’s Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes; F. 72300 Sable-sur-Sarthe - France.

 

[japhy]

Yes, that’s right. I probably should have been more clear with the MIssa Primitiva. Although, I don’t think the Liber Cantualis has the Missa Jubilate Deo.

The MJD was the selection provided by Pope Paul VI in his 1974 chant handbook Jubilate Deo; I should have made that clear. It’s not an “official” Mass setting.

 

[HealedOne]

Wow, thank you all for the great information on the chant Mass parts. I definitely have a jumping off point if I wish to learn more about the ancient chant of the Church. Thank You All.

However, as a teenager, I would definatly say that most of us find the guitar strumming…lame. Sorry to say it, but the 70’s style isn’t in anymore, and by modern secular music standards, the common liturgical music is silly.

Actually I’m in my early twenties so I completely missed the seventies I’m actually more interested in stuff like what Matt Maher does…his music for the Mass tends to be very prayerful and teen oriented too. I think he pretty much missed the whole (or most off) the whole 70s folk Mass thing I’ve heard about.

Here’s a link to his version of the “Holy” I’d like to know what you all think…“Holy” by Matt Maher

Also, do you all know of the most recent Vatican documents concerning music in the liturgy ? I’d like to check them out.
Thanks Again Everyone