More Chant in New Missal?

[Dave_in_Dallas]

I’ve heard some say that the musical settings in Mass will include more chant for the New Missal – meaning it is mandated somehow as part of the new missal.
Is this so? I thought only the text of the Mass was changing (which of course would mean the text of the settings would) – not the way in which the settings/propers/songs were musically expressed, i.e. karoke soundtrack sounding propers will still be used…

 

[Aelred_Minor]

I’m not aware of Gegorian chant being mandated in any part of the mass by the new missal, and I would be extremely surprised if it was. I suspect what was meant is that there will be new (optional) chants available for the new translations of the mass parts.

 

[ProVobis]

I’m not aware of Gegorian chant being mandated in any part of the mass by the new missal, and I would be extremely surprised if it was.

The Vatican tried that with the Jubilate Deo back in the 70’s but apparently it didn’t catch on very well in the non-Latin Masses, though it was prescribed in Vatican II’s SC.

 

[Phemie]

My understanding is that the Missal will include a chant setting for everything, not only certain parts as the Sacramentary does now. The chant will not be mandated, we wouldn’t be that lucky.

 

[Elizium23]

The current buzz, originating in this thread and this blog, hinges on the fact that the new English translation of the GIRM uses the word “chant” in every place that was used the Latin word “cantus”.

Some people have interpreted this to mean that hymns are to be excluded from the liturgy now, because the GIRM calls for “chants” where it used to read “hymns”.

To me, this just means that the translation is following the guidelines of Liturgiam Authenticam and they have decided that the word “chant” is an exact translation of “cantus”, but to me this is just a change in terminology and we can’t read too much into the semantics of this usage without any further clarifications from Rome or the USCCB.

 

[pnewton]

To me, this just means that the translation is following the guidelines of Liturgiam Authenticam and they have decided that the word “chant” is an exact translation of “cantus”, but to me this is just a change in terminology and we can’t read too much into the semantics of this usage without any further clarifications from Rome or the USCCB.

As it is laity and not the bishops that are taking the word “chant” in a classic sense and not as translation issue, then I am not seeing this mandatory chant thing some call for. Remember, the GIRM has not changed. Only the translaiton has changed. Now, perhaps the more literal translation will help highlight the preference to include more chant, it might well have that result.

 

[MarkThompson]

1. The forthcoming missal will have chanted musical settings for parts of the Mass right in the Order of Mass that the priest reads from, not relegated to an appendix anymore. Although they remain optional, it will hopefully encourage priests to sing more of their parts rather than just speak them.
2. As Elizium explains well, the new translation of the GIRM replaces the word “hymn” in several places with the word “chant,” which has led some people to believe that now hymns will be outlawed and Gregorian chants are the only things that will be allowed. My take on that theory is laid out here.

 

[The_Old_Medic]

Unfortunately, Chant is not required, will NOT be required, and frankly the vast majority of Priests, Monks and other religious could not chant if their life depended on it.

The New Roman Missal does NOT require, in any manner, “Chant”

You can read ALL of the changes at the National Bishops’s site.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I notice something in the RC archdiocese here where I live that they do chant the EP except for the institution narrative. It could be something from the bishop that mandates the priests to do it. Or maybe one started it and the others followed as a good idea.

 

[Phemie]

Unfortunately, Chant is not required, will NOT be required, and frankly the vast majority of Priests, Monks and other religious could not chant if their life depended on it.

I agree, chant will not be required.

I disagree with the second part of your statement. While they may not all have great voices, chant such as we find in the Roman Missal is simple, even I can do it if I have to. It’s a matter of practice. I’ve known a priest who made babies shudder with the sour notes he hit, but he would always chant the Preface because he felt it was important. I often heard him practice on Fridays so that he could chant on Saturday and Sunday. It’s much simpler for one person to chant a prayer than for a choir or assembly to do the same. The secret is that no one has the notes he’s supposed to be chanting so they can’t tell if he’s doing it correctly or not.

 

[YoungTradCath]

I just can’t come to grips with why a majority of parishes abandoned chant in the first place.

Whenever I came into the Catholic Church, I just expected this kind of stuff. It’s what drew me to it. It seems like movie/tv producers know how to portray a more Catholic culture in movies and television than actual Catholics do!

 

[The_Old_Medic]

I didn’t say that Chant was difficult (it is NOT), I said that the vast majority of Priests and religious can’t do it, and that is simple fact. They have never learned it.

And, there are other forms of Chart than Gregorian

 

[Celticnovice]

I didn’t say that Chant was difficult (it is NOT), I said that the vast majority of Priests and religious can’t do it, and that is simple fact. They have never learned it.

And, there are other forms of Chart than Gregorian

I would love for there to be chant in the new missal. If Chant is optional, we could ask for it, no?

 

[Phemie]

I would love for there to be chant in the new missal. If Chant is optional, we could ask for it, no?

There is a chant setting in the new Missal. The supplementary to our hymnal includes it. How much we’ll ever hear it remains to be seen but I doubt that priests who chant nothing now will suddenly be moved to start chanting the Mass on the First Sunday in Advent.