Question on introitus

[henrikhank]

Hi!
I just watched this video of Sunday Mass in the Extraordinary form: youtube.com/watch?v=yDkKaXRnY1s
The interesting thing to me is that I could not here any choir singing the introitus. Could any Liturgy experts tell me what is going on? Isn’t choosinging a congregational hymn instead of the introitus more of a Ordinary Form kinda thing?

 

[OraLabora]

Hi!
I just watched this video of Sunday Mass in the Extraordinary form: youtube.com/watch?v=yDkKaXRnY1s
The interesting thing to me is that I could not here any choir singing the introitus. Could any Liturgy experts tell me what is going on? Isn’t choosinging a congregational hymn instead of the introitus more of a Ordinary Form kinda thing?

Singing of popular or culturally significant local hymns in the vernacular is nothing new, and predates Vatican II. You have to remember that until the opening greeting has been said/chanted, the Mass hasn’t yet started.

However this isn’t the introit or a hymn before the opening of the Mass in the clip you sent, they are singing the Asperges me, the rite of sprinkling with holy water which takes the place of the penitential rite (even in the EF), and is part of the Ordinary of the Mass.

Since the congregation appear to be singing, it is probably a dialogue Mass.

The opening of the Mass is not part of that clip so we have no way of knowing if an introit, or pre-Mass hymn, was sung. If a hymn was sung before the opening, the entrance antiphon would be recited instead.

 

[NPC]

Hi!
I just watched this video of Sunday Mass in the Extraordinary form: youtube.com/watch?v=yDkKaXRnY1s
The interesting thing to me is that I could not here any choir singing the introitus. Could any Liturgy experts tell me what is going on? Isn’t choosinging a congregational hymn instead of the introitus more of a Ordinary Form kinda thing?

Yes - it appears that the choir does not sing an introit here, but replaces it with a hymn. The introit should be “Cum clamarem ad Dominum”, and there should not be any vernacular singing in a high Mass once the Mass has begun - i.e. from the Asperges onwards. If the choir is not in a position to sing the full propers, they can even be sung to simple psalm-tones. I don’t know why that’s not done here. I wonder if this is a German/Austrian tradition? I know that doesn’t make liturgical abuse right; however, I remember being at a sung Mass in Salzburg a few years ago and I too was surprised that the introit was replaced with a German hymn.

Also, in the comments on the YouTube page, someone says that this is a low-Mass and that is why the introit is not sung. However, it is very clearly a high Mass/ Missa Cantata, given that the Kyrie and Gloria are chanted, as are the epistle, Gospel, orations, etc. Plus the use of incense, which is not permitted at low Mass.