"Low" beginning?

[FabiusMaximus]

Yesterday I had the afternoon off from work, and my friend invited me to attend her Traditional Latin Mass at her church. I’ve gone a few times with her before.

But yesterday seemed a little different. Most of the Mass was sung - beautifully, I might add. However, at the beginning, it seemed like everything started in total silence. The priest didn’t say a word for several minutes, and I assumed that perhaps it was a Low Mass (which I’ve never witnessed). But then he suddenly turned towards everyone, opened his arms, and sang “Dominus Vobiscum,” and resumed the Mass.

Now perhaps I haven’t been there in a while, but I don’t remember there being such an extended period of silence at the very beginning. Was I just confused? I know last week was the feast of the Assumption, but it seemed like his garments changed as well. Was there another feast yesterday? The choir seemed to be absolutely exceptional, too.

 

[jmj1984]

Yesterday I had the afternoon off from work, and my friend invited me to attend her Traditional Latin Mass at her church. I’ve gone a few times with her before.

But yesterday seemed a little different. Most of the Mass was sung - beautifully, I might add. However, at the beginning, it seemed like everything started in total silence. The priest didn’t say a word for several minutes, and I assumed that perhaps it was a Low Mass (which I’ve never witnessed). But then he suddenly turned towards everyone, opened his arms, and sang “Dominus Vobiscum,” and resumed the Mass.

Now perhaps I haven’t been there in a while, but I don’t remember there being such an extended period of silence at the very beginning. Was I just confused? I know last week was the feast of the Assumption, but it seemed like his garments changed as well. Was there another feast yesterday? The choir seemed to be absolutely exceptional, too.

It would have been a Missa Cantata or sung mass, its somewhere inbetween a low mass and a high mass, theres no singing at all except perhaps one song at the end in a low mass.

As for why there was silence in the beginning, I have no idea, maybe the priest was sorting pages and the altar out, though I very much doubt that. Someone else will probably know more than me and be able to tell you