Music at mass?????

[SacredHeartFan]

Isn’t there supposed to be music at ALL masses? I went to a stations of the cross mass and they didn’t even sing the sanctus!

 

[Rand_Al_Thor]

No, music is not required at Mass. However, It is encouraged (in fact, the ideal way for the Mass to be celebrated is sung–a High Mass).

In Christ,
Rand

 

[puzzleannie]

Isn’t there supposed to be music at ALL masses? I went to a stations of the cross mass and they didn’t even sing the sanctus!

nope in fact in Lent at least for daily Masses, no music is a preferred option.

 

[Joannm]

what is a stations of the cross mass?

 

[SacredHeartFan]

well we had a mass and then the stations directly after.

 

[acadian]

We don’t have music at daily Masses.

 

[Joannm]

We don’t have music at daily mass or at the 7:30 AM on Sunday.

 

[SacredHeartFan]

well personally I think music should be required at all masses excluding Good Friday. I think music is the most wonderful gift God gave us to praise and worship him, but I like a solemn Good Friday.

 

[Brother_John]

well personally I think music should be required at all masses excluding Good Friday. I think music is the most wonderful gift God gave us to praise and worship him, but I like a solemn Good Friday.

Do you actually SING, or just listen?

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

My parish follows the rule that there is only sufficient music to support singing during Lent. There are no preludes or postludes, nor is there instrumental music such as after the Communion hymn. The organ is played for hymns, but with less frequent use of louder stops. After the tower bell is pealed during Holy Thursday’s Gloria, the music will be a capella only and the bell will not be rung again until the Gloria of Holy Saturday. For Holy Thursday, the altar bells will be replaced by a clapper.

 

[benedictgal]

well personally I think music should be required at all masses excluding Good Friday. I think music is the most wonderful gift God gave us to praise and worship him, but I like a solemn Good Friday.

First of all, my friend, there is no such thing as a Stations of the Cross Mass. The stations do not form a part of the Mass nor should they be incorporated into the Holy Sacrifice. Second, because the Stations are a devotional exercise, there is no requirement that they be accompanied by music; however, the Stabat Mater is one hymn that can certainly be attached to it. But, it is not necessary.

Now, regarding Daily Mass, there is a hierarchy of what should be sung. The top of the chain are the dialogues and acclamatinos. These include the Gospel Acclamation, the Sanctus, the Memorial Acclamation and the Great Amen.

The second are the responses. These include the Kyrie, the Agnus Dei and, in some cases, the Psalm Response.

The next category includes the Gloria. This happens when there is a solemnity or a Holy Day of Obligation that falls within a weekday.

Lastly, come the entrance hymn, the offertory, the communion hymn and the recessional. If the entrance and communion hymns are not sung, then the corresponding antiphons are read. However, when these are read, you do not have an entrance nor communion hymn. It’s one or the other, but not both.

Inasmuch as you may like to sing, please remember that during Lent, the music is muted. Furthermore, there is singing of a solemn nature on Good Friday. The Church, in the liturgy for Good Friday, makes note of what should and should not be sung. At the beginning of the Good Friday liturgy, the priest and servers process in silence. The priest (and deacon, if there is one) prostrates himself before the altar in silence. Then, he rises and begins the service with a prayer.

Certainly the responsorial psalm and Gospel Acclamation are sung. The Church also recommends that the General Intercession be sung. In fact, the priest should also intone (sing) the phrases for the showing of the cross (Behold the wood of the Cross on which hung the Savior of the World–and we sing, Come let us worship). There should also be a hymn for both the veneration of the Cross and for Holy Communion. However, the liturgy concludes in silence.

I hope this helps.

 

[Brother_John]

however, the Stabat Mater is one hymn that can certainly be attached to it. But, it is not necessary.

Ok, help me out here…what is the “Stabat Mater” ?

At Stations and Benediction, the only songs I’m familiar with are “O Saving Victim, opening wide…” and Holy God We Praise Thy Name.

 

[benedictgal]

Ok, help me out here…what is the “Stabat Mater” ?

At Stations and Benediction, the only songs I’m familiar with are “O Saving Victim, opening wide…” and Holy God We Praise Thy Name.

At the cross her station keeping,
stood the mournful Mother weeping
when Her Son was crucified.

I don’t remember the rest of the hymn, but, that’s pretty much how it goes. I think that there are enough verses to go around for all 14 stations.

It’s a very old hymn and is commonly used for Stations of the Cross, especially at the Roman Colliseum on Good Friday.

 

[Brother_John]

At the cross her station keeping,
stood the mournful Mother weeping
when Her Son was crucified.

I don’t remember the rest of the hymn, but, that’s pretty much how it goes. I think that there are enough verses to go around for all 14 stations.

It’s a very old hymn and is commonly used for Stations of the Cross, especially at the Roman Colliseum on Good Friday.

Gotcha. I have the St Alphonsus Ligouri booklet right here. Just didn’t know what you were referring to.

Thanks

 

[preV2tradcath]

Today was one of the rare times that a priest wasn’t available to say our TLM, so I needed to go to the Novus Ordo. We had processional and communion hymns. We also had a sung responsorial psalm, gospel acclamation, sanctus (in English), and memorial acclamation.
At our TLM, it is usually a Low Mass which many in our congregation seem to want. The congregation does often sing a recessional hymn: either Holy God We Praise Thy Name, or a Marian hymn. If the priest doesn’t start a hymn, there is a lady who starts Holy God. Someone starts a hymn appropriate for the day at Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost.
Our Mass is at the Cathedral, and they are in the process of hiring a new music director. Last Lent and Easter seaon, we were able to have a missae cantata(sp?) because the schola cantorum was availabe. While I do enjoy a Low Mass occasionally, my personal preference is to have music.

 

[benedictgal]

Today was one of the rare times that a priest wasn’t available to say our TLM, so I needed to go to the Novus Ordo. We had processional and communion hymns. We also had a sung responsorial psalm, gospel acclamation, sanctus (in English), and memorial acclamation.
At our TLM, it is usually a Low Mass which many in our congregation seem to want. The congregation does often sing a recessional hymn: either Holy God We Praise Thy Name, or a Marian hymn. If the priest doesn’t start a hymn, there is a lady who starts Holy God. Someone starts a hymn appropriate for the day at Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost.
Our Mass is at the Cathedral, and they are in the process of hiring a new music director. Last Lent and Easter seaon, we were able to have a missae cantata(sp?) because the schola cantorum was availabe. While I do enjoy a Low Mass occasionally, my personal preference is to have music.

It’s a shame that all you have is Holy God, We Praise Thy Name, especially since there are a plethora of beautiful hymns that can work, especially during Lent.

Some of the most beautiful are O Sacred Head, the Attende Domine (Have Mercy on Us, O Lord, Graciously Hear Us), O Sun of Justice, Our Father We Have Wandered (sung to the tune of O Sacred Head Surrounded), Parce Domine and What Wondrous Love is This. I certainly hope you’ll be doing All Glory, Laud and Honor for Palm Sunday and Sing My Tongue the Savior’s Triumph. If your parish insists on having a Marian hymn, then the Stabat Mater would work for Lent.

This is definitely the time to get out the really poignant hymns. Furthermore, Attende Domine and O Sun of Justice are chant, by nature, and should be easy for the faithful to sing. You can find the best translations for these in the Worship III hymnal. The translation for the Attende Domine is the closest one that I can find to the Latin original.

 

[preV2tradcath]

Benedictgal, those are great suggestions. Thank you.
I think we usually have Holy God, or Immaculate Mary, or Hail, Holy Queen because most in the congregation have memorized them. At the moment we don’t have an organist.
Whoever they hire as the new music director will be responsible for the Novus Ordo Masses. I am hoping that s/he will also want to be organist at the TLM. Last year, the schola started the Introit during the procession and did the appropriate Marian anthem from Compline during the recessional. We will see what happens.
The bishop will probably appoint a chaplain for those in the southern area of our state who want to take advantage of the motu proprio. He would take over our traditional activities at the Cathedral, and also start a TLM at the basillica in Lewiston. My guess is what happens with the music will depend a lot on what he wants.
One good thing if the bishop does appoint a chaplain is that Msgr. S., the Cathedral rector, will no longer have to find priests to say our Mass for us.

 

[benedictgal]

Benedictgal, those are great suggestions. Thank you.
I think we usually have Holy God, or Immaculate Mary, or Hail, Holy Queen because most in the congregation have memorized them. At the moment we don’t have an organist.
Whoever they hire as the new music director will be responsible for the Novus Ordo Masses. I am hoping that s/he will also want to be organist at the TLM. Last year, the schola started the Introit during the procession and did the appropriate Marian anthem from Compline during the recessional. We will see what happens.
The bishop will probably appoint a chaplain for those in the southern area of our state who want to take advantage of the motu proprio. He would take over our traditional activities at the Cathedral, and also start a TLM at the basillica in Lewiston. My guess is what happens with the music will depend a lot on what he wants.
One good thing if the bishop does appoint a chaplain is that Msgr. S., the Cathedral rector, will no longer have to find priests to say our Mass for us.

What you might do in the meantime, since from past experience, I can tell you that after awhile, even the hymns you mentioned can get rather tiresome and you may not like them once you’ve heard them for the umpteenth time. You might want to invest in a hymnal like Adoremus or the Worship III (older translation and without the readings). You will find hymns in these books that do not necessarily require any instrumentation. The tunes are faily familiar and are easy to pick up. You’ll also find, at least in the Worship III hymnal, a setting for the Mass parts in Latin. These are really easy and require virtually no instrumentation at all.

There is one parish in my city where Holy God and Immaculate Mary are sung on a daily basis, regardless of the season. I loathe going there for Mass because the songs are just plain tiring. I mean hearing it nearly 300+ days a year is pretty bad.

Do try and find something else that your folks can sing.