I did my homework by searching “Flavigny” to see if anything had been posted on this before, because I just discovered this on Youtube. The link is the same video but perhaps the visual quality is a bit better:
youtube.com/watch?v=enWiFcsBqIE
The caption mentions not wearing birettas as a matter of “local custom,” which does not seem to make sense since local customs are one of the things that traditionalists object to in the more modern liturgy. It is possible that birettas were
always a matter of local custom since the biretta is garb, not really a vestment, and I know for certain that they are still sometimes worn in the celebration from the Paul VI missal, in Germany for instance. Personally I think birettas are dorky and if they have always been optional I don’t see the point of fetishistically insisting on them, but let me move on.
My real reason for posting is to remark on the sheer perfection of the celebration, especially with regard to the Gregorian Chant, which is executed by an extremely fine schola (though in the video it appears that all the clerics in attendance are singing) that would be a match for or superior to any recorded version I know of, including Solesmes. I have been wondering if this is the “normal” choir for that location, if they brought in a guest choir, or if the whole thing was overdubbed after the fact. It is truly stunning and together with the perfection of the rest of the celebration elevates the video above most other traditional Masses that I have seen on the Internet.
Anyone have any other info or comments? It’s not something my local community is much into as a topic of conversation.
