"No organ" rule during Advent and Lent?

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As several of you know, I attend a parish that offers both forms of the Mass, so this question applies to both forms. I’ve been hearing a lot of talk in our parish here lately about a “no organ” rule during Advent and Lent. Is there such a rule, and does it apply to both forms of the Mass? If so, when did this rule go into effect? Until recently, I thought that the “no organ” rule only applied during the Triduum, from the evening Mass on Holy Thursday to the Gloria at the Easter Vidual. Can someone please clarify this question for both forms of the Mass? Thanks.
 
I’ve never heard of that rule at all. My parishes certainly use instruments during Lent and Advent, although I don’t specifically remember about the Triduum, I think even during that time too. I’ll let you know if I remember sometime definite.
 
Instruction on Sacred Music and Sacred Liturgy

Sacred Congregation for Rites - September 3, 1958
Source: adoremus.org/1958Intro-sac-mus.html
  1. Accordingly, the playing of the organ, and all other instruments is forbidden for liturgical functions, except Benediction, during the following times:
a) Advent, from first Vespers of the first Sunday of Advent until None of the Vigil of Christmas;
b) Lent and Passiontide, from Matins of Ash Wednesday until the hymn Gloria in excelsis Deo in the Solemn Mass of the Easter Vigil;
c) the September Ember days if the ferial Mass and Office are celebrated;
d) in all Offices and Masses of the Dead.
  1. Only the organ may be used on the Sundays of Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima, and on the ferial days following these Sundays.
  2. However, during the seasons, and days just mentioned, the following exceptions to the rule may be made:
a) the organ may be played, and other instruments used on holy days of obligation, and holidays (except Sundays), on the feasts of the principal local patron saint, the titular day, and the dedication anniversary of the local church, the titular or founder’s day of a religious congregation, and on the occasion of some extraordinary solemnity;
b) the organ only (including the harmonium or reed organ) may be used on the third Sunday of Advent, and the fourth Sunday of Lent, on Thursday of Holy Week during the Mass of Chrism, and during the solemn evening Mass of the Last Supper from the beginning to the end of the hymn Gloria in excelsis Deo;
c) the organ only may be used at Mass, and Vespers for the sole purpose of supporting the singing.
Local Ordinaries may determine more precisely the application of these prohibitions, and permissions according to the approved local or regional customs.
  1. Throughout the Sacred Triduum, from the midnight before Holy Thursday until the hymn Gloria in excelsis Deo of the Solemn Mass of the Easter Vigil, the organ or harmonium shall remain completely silent, excepting the instance mentioned in paragraph 83b.
Important note: This document is from 1958. There are other examples of more recent instructions from the Holy See, and if there seems to be a conflict between this one and the more recent ones, the more recent ones would overturn this one; provided they carry the same (or more) authority.

Here’s an example from Paschalis Sollemnitatis in 1988
source: adoremus.org/PaschalisSollemnitatis.html
and it does carry the same authority, so it does over-turn the earlier one when we see conflicts.
  1. “In Lent, the altar should not be decorated with flowers, and musical instruments may be played only to give necessary support to the singing.” [20] This is in order that the penitential character of the season be preserved.
I suggest following the link and reading the entire document.

Clearly, although the 1958 document forbade any instruments during Lent (exceptions noted), the 1988 document allows for some instrumental music but only to accompany the singing–in other words, the instruments should be “subdued” somewhat. Also, keep in mind that “may be played” does not mean “should be played” so if the pastor decides not to have the organ playing during Lent, he need not justify that to anyone else.

Remember that although liturgical norms may permit some playing of the organ during Lent and Advent, by no means does that indicate that they must be played.

As far as the difference goes between the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary Form, I believe that the 1958 rules would apply to the OF. Remember that in most cases, the EF cannot be used during the Easter Triduum in parishes anyway, so the differences between the two forms doesn’t present much of a practical question.
 
Thanks, FrDavid96. I was just curious, since I had been hearing a lot about this rule as of late.
 
From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“313. … In Advent the organ and other musical instruments should be used with a moderation that is consistent with the season’s character and does not anticipate the full joy of the Nativity of the Lord.
In Lent the playing of the organ and musical instruments is allowed only to support the singing. Exceptions are Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent), Solemnities, and Feasts.”
 
John_Lilburne said:
From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“313. … In Advent the organ and other musical instruments should be used with a moderation that is consistent with the season’s character and does not anticipate the full joy of the Nativity of the Lord.
In Lent **the playing of the organ and musical instruments is allowed only to support the singing. **Exceptions are Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent), Solemnities, and Feasts.”
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A loop hole large enough to sail through in a super tanker.
They might as well not have bothered to write the rest of the instruction.
 
I do not think it is so much a loop hole as a limitation to when an organ may be used. If it supports the singing, then it can not be used as a solo. The organ is not out for Lent, but organ solos are.

I do not go acapella, but I do incorporate some acapella music during Lent. Also, I try to keep the music subdued. I mean, it is Lent, after all. I do not want to do anything that is so complicated as to require practice. For these six weeks, music simple is not the focus.
 
At my parish we continue to use the organ for the Novus Ordo Masses of these seasons, but things are toned down a bit. For the TLM, I play only to accompany hymns for processional/recessional and omit the organ solo music that I play the rest of the year (prelude, offertory, postlude). Our schola sings a cappella anyway, so that’s not an issue.
 
At my previous parish, our music director never played any organ preludes or postludes during Advent and Lent for regular Sunday mass. Any use of the organ (the organ was the only instrument used there as well) was also subdued and limited to just supporting the congregation. For the masses with the choir during this time, much of it was music without the use of organ - Palestrina, Victoria, Gabrielli, Bruckner etc.
 
I don’t know what the rule is, but it sounds ridiculous. I can’t think of anything that adds to the solemnity of the Mass than good music including the organ.

The pipe organ is not evil is it? This is heavy handed nonsense, if you ask me.

Most people sing off key, and I like the organ loud enough to drown out all the wannabe singers.
 
Crumpy said:
I don’t know what the rule is, but it sounds ridiculous. I can’t think of anything that adds to the solemnity of the Mass than good music including the organ.

The pipe organ is not evil is it? This is heavy handed nonsense, if you ask me.

Most people sing off key, and I like the organ loud enough to drown out all the wannabe singers.
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It is not a ridiculous rule. It is also not about calling the pipe organ evil. It is about the fact that Lent is perhaps one of the most solemn times of the year. Remember, we do not even sing the “Alleluia” during that time. The organ conveys joy and grandeur. Lent is the penitential season par excellence of the year.

Bear in mind, too, that in Papal Masses, the organ is pretty much silent. I would invite you to watch this year’s Papal Mass for Ash Wednesday. You will note that the organ is not used at all. Everything is acapella.
 
Crumpy said:
The pipe organ is not evil is it? This is heavy handed nonsense, if you ask me.
Click to expand...
Well, FWIW, some Puritans referred to the pipe organ as “a box of whistles with the devil inside.” :rotfl: As an organist myself, I concur… 😉
 
I was too late to make the edit on my original post, but, regarding the Papal Masses, the organ is silent during Lent. I just wanted to make that clarification.
 
TBolt1000T said:
As several of you know, I attend a parish that offers both forms of the Mass, so this question applies to both forms. I’ve been hearing a lot of talk in our parish here lately about a “no organ” rule during Advent and Lent. Is there such a rule, and does it apply to both forms of the Mass? If so, when did this rule go into effect? Until recently, I thought that the “no organ” rule only applied during the Triduum, from the evening Mass on Holy Thursday to the Gloria at the Easter Vidual. Can someone please clarify this question for both forms of the Mass? Thanks.
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It’s a small-t tradition to ban the organ entirely. It’s not actually in the rubrics as a ban, but it may have been locally directed by the Bishops and/or national councils.

A restriction to how it is to be used was and is in the rubrics. Only accompaniment is permitted during penitential seasons; no interludes, no soloistic works, no intricate parts. Only sufficient introduction to recognize the song and get the melody.

Some songs even have separate accompaniment parts for lenten season, where the organ/piano is merely block chords rather than polyphony.
 
During Lent I have always used a more subdued registration for the hymns and I like to sing acapella, especially at our Choir Mass. As far as playing of solo instrumental music during the Mass I do not play anything more than an introduction to the hymn or choir anthem. However I will play preludes since technically speaking, the Mass does not start until the introit.
 
I just realized something. Next year, the feast of the Annunciation will fall on a Sunday, but unfortunately, it’s the fifth Sunday of Lent, not the fourth. Since the feast of the Annunciation is a solemnity, would the organ restriction be lifted?

Also, St. Dismas shares his feast day with the Annunciation, and I’m seriously thinking about writing a piece for choir and organ about the thief on the cross for Communion. Would this be appropriate, and would my organ part be permitted since it will probably have interludes? The piece will be from St. Dismas’s point of view, and it will focus on Jesus’s mersy on the cross. In case you’re wondering, the piece will be written for the Ordinary Form, although I may actually have it translated into Latin for Extraordinary Form use.
 
TBolt1000T said:
I just realized something. Next year, the feast of the Annunciation will fall on a Sunday, but unfortunately, it’s the fifth Sunday of Lent, not the fourth. Since the feast of the Annunciation is a solemnity, would the organ restriction be lifted?

Also, St. Dismas shares his feast day with the Annunciation, and I’m seriously thinking about writing a piece for choir and organ about the thief on the cross for Communion. Would this be appropriate, and would my organ part be permitted since it will probably have interludes? The piece will be from St. Dismas’s point of view, and it will focus on Jesus’s mersy on the cross. In case you’re wondering, the piece will be written for the Ordinary Form, although I may actually have it translated into Latin for Extraordinary Form use.
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In this case, when a Solemnity falls on a Sunday during Lent, it is moved to another day, as Lenten Sundays trump all other feasts. It’s the same principle applied to the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalulpe when they fall on a Sunday.

Having a piece on St. Dismas would be proper, although I am not too keen on the organ interludes. Perhaps you can do this acapella. Now, the EF does have very stringent rules on usage of the organ during Lent. One thing that Pope Benedict XVI made clear when issuing his MP was that we could not mix and match between the two forms.
 
I imagine this “toned down music” should also apply to the complexity of choral pieces?

I’m going to have to pay extra attention next week, but I’m fairly certain everything is sung as usual.
 
I tone down the organ during Advent and Lent, more so during Lent. One person thought that I had forgotten to show up to play for Mass because he didn’t hear a prelude on the First Sunday of Lent.
 
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