Why not the Propers?

[benedictgal]

In the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, we find this section concerning Sacred Music:

1. The singing at this time is done either alternately by the choir and the people or in a similar way by the cantor and the people, or entirely by the people, or by the choir alone. In the dioceses of the United States of America there are four options for the Entrance Chant: (1) the antiphon from the Roman Missal or the Psalm from the Roman Gradual as set to music there or in another musical setting; (2) the seasonal antiphon and Psalm of the Simple Gradual; (3) a song from another collection of psalms and antiphons, approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop, including psalms arranged in responsorial or metrical forms; (4) a suitable liturgical song similarly approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop.55

What I have highlighted in bold red print is the default setting; what I marked in bold, blue print is the last option. Unfortunately, somewhere down the line there has been a shift between the two. The last has now become the default while the first is rarely used.

It seems to me that part of the problem lies in the lack of solid catechesis on Sacred Music. The Church already gives us what is proper music for the Entrance Processional and for Holy Communion, the Antiphons. There is really no need to have to scurry and worry week in and week out as to what to select for music. It’s already there.

In fact, independent composers, such as those from the Church Music Association of America, have a special project called the Simple Propers which makes things a little easier for both choirs and the faithful. Some composers, such as Fr. Sam Weber, even offer their settings for free. Furthermore, many of these composers, like Fr. Weber (I believe) are also working on setting the revised translation of the Grail Psalter to music.

I personally experienced the use of the propers a couple of times, the last being when I went to Mass in the Anglican-Use parish in Houston. These were beautiful to sing and actually pray. There is a huge difference between singnig at Mass and singing the Mass.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

One question.

What I have highlighted in bold red print is the default setting; what I marked in bold, blue print is the last option. Unfortunately, somewhere down the line there has been a shift between the two. The last has now become the default while the first is rarely used.

Do you state that the highlighted bold red print is the default setting only because it appears first?

IMHO just because something appears first in a list does not automatically make it the default option. Also as there is a list all the options are available so no one option should be considered “more right” than any other option.

Having asked and said that, I have no problem with option one being used more, especially at daily Masses. We must keep in mind though the length of the procession. Sometimes the entrance antiphone is not long enough for them.

 

[laszlo]

I am not exactly sure what is your question. In out church in all three Sunday morning masses the propers are sung in Latin. The cantrix for a while tried the the solemn form of the propers from the Graduale Romanum, for the new Mass w/o incense, and the result was that the priest had to wait long minutes to finish the chant, and as a result there was mess on the parking lot due to the 90 minute total so 70 minutes for the Mass time frame. She went back to the simple form, and that is perfect.

The solemn form of the propers fit for the Mass with incense or for the TLM, where the chant can overlap with the prayer of the priest.

 

[TheMc]

A parish (not mine, but I go there frequently) sings the propers from the GR every Sunday, as well as some week day Masses (their music director can sing nearly any chant without reviewing before hand, including the propers). The first thing that comes to my mind is the beauty of them. They are also very conducive to meditation and interior prayer, not to mention they are simply the ideal for sacred music at Mass.

In our home school group, 3-12 graders (yes, even third graders) are singing the propers from the GR at our once-a-month Mass. If third graders can do it, anyone can do it.

Yes, it took us a year to get to this point, but still, they are school kids, and have no special talent. It just isn’t that hard. I know every choir may not be able to sing them every week, but as BG said, there are other options.

 

[TheMc]

One question.

Do you state that the highlighted bold red print is the default setting only because it appears first?

IMHO just because something appears first in a list does not automatically make it the default option. Also as there is a list all the options are available so no one option should be considered “more right” than any other option.

Having asked and said that, I have no problem with option one being used more, especially at daily Masses. We must keep in mind though the length of the procession. Sometimes the entrance antiphone is not long enough for them.

When reading this, one must also take into consideration the many places where it says chant is to have the pride of place.

 

[AJV]

I just got, a couple of weeks ago, Christopher Tietze’s “Hymn Introits” which are the psalms and antiphons in metrical form to different hymn tunes. Not a bad solution I thought – especially given that sometimes (and I know this might be heresy to some people but…) the Gregorian Propers are a bit too wail-y with all the melismas, and it takes some time to get accustomed to them. Plus you need a decent choir to sing them. The hymn tunes are a lot more congregational.

 

[TrueLight]

(and I know this might be heresy to some people but…) the Gregorian Propers are a bit too wail-y with all the melismas, and it takes some time to get accustomed to them

I hope you’ve put your affairs in order, because you are going to be stoned.

 

[benedictgal]

One question.

Do you state that the highlighted bold red print is the default setting only because it appears first?

IMHO just because something appears first in a list does not automatically make it the default option. Also as there is a list all the options are available so no one option should be considered “more right” than any other option.

Having asked and said that, I have no problem with option one being used more, especially at daily Masses. We must keep in mind though the length of the procession. Sometimes the entrance antiphone is not long enough for them.

However, there is a curious paragraph here in Musicam Sacram that bears noting:

1. There is no reason why some of the Proper or Ordinary should not be sung in said Masses. Moreover, some other song can also, on occasions, be sung at the beginning, at the Offertory, at the Communion and at the end of Mass. It is not sufficient, however, that these songs be merely “Eucharistic” – they must be in keeping with the parts of the Mass, with the feast, or with the liturgical seaso

It lists other songs “on occasion”, but, it gives the preference to the Propers of the Mass. In fact, if we were to look at the Latin text of the GIRM, we will find that:

1. Peragitur autem a schola et populo alternatim, vel simili modo a cantore et populo, vel totus a populo vel a schola sola. Adhiberi potest sive antiphona cum suo psalmo in Graduali Romano vel in Graduali simplici exstans, sive alius cantus, actioni sacrae, diei vel temporis indoli congruus, cuius textus a Conferentia Episcoporum sit approbatus.56

Si ad introitum non habetur cantus, antiphona in Missali proposita recitatur sive a fidelibus, sive ab aliquibus ex ipsis, sive a lectore, sin aliter ab ipso sacerdote, qui potest etiam in modum monitionis initialis (cf. n. 31) eam aptare.

Thus, in the Latin, the anitphons are given the first order.

 

[benedictgal]

I am not exactly sure what is your question. In out church in all three Sunday morning masses the propers are sung in Latin. The cantrix for a while tried the the solemn form of the propers from the Graduale Romanum, for the new Mass w/o incense, and the result was that the priest had to wait long minutes to finish the chant, and as a result there was mess on the parking lot due to the 90 minute total so 70 minutes for the Mass time frame. She went back to the simple form, and that is perfect.

The solemn form of the propers fit for the Mass with incense or for the TLM, where the chant can overlap with the prayer of the priest.

This discussion is an off-shoot of a sidebar that I possted in another thread; rather than bog down that thread, I decided to start a new one.

 

[TheMc]

(and I know this might be heresy to some people but…)** the Gregorian Propers are a bit too wail-y with all the melismas**

, and it takes some time to get accustomed to them.I hope you’ve put your affairs in order, because you are going to be stoned.

Stone.


Seriously, I’m not saying it doesn’t take time to get used to them, I’m just saying that with some training, it’s more realistic than you might think.

 

[TheMc]

However, there is a curious paragraph here in Musicam Sacram that bears noting:

It lists other songs “on occasion”, but, it gives the preference to the Propers of the Mass. In fact, if we were to look at the Latin text of the GIRM, we will find that:

Thus, in the Latin, the anitphons are given the first order.

I almost forgot that there is one more proof that the propers are the normal music for Mass.

If you look in the GIRM, there are numerous references to “the entrance chant”, “the offertory chant” or “the communion chant”. Yet another reason why the propers are the default music for Mass.

 

[TheMc]

(and I know this might be heresy to some people but…)** the Gregorian Propers are a bit too wail-y with all the melismas**

, and it takes some time to get accustomed to them.I hope you’ve put your affairs in order, because you are going to be stoned.

Well it is heresy. And there’s only two things to do with heretics:

http://www.chuckfreeman.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/St-Stephen-stoning.jpg or http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_niPwTW3rBbU/R_9LE_D13hI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/0alh1PytLZE/s400/wightman.jpg


Seriously, I’m not saying it doesn’t take time to get used to them. They can be confusing if you are not used to it. Very confusing. I’m just saying that with some training, it’s more realistic than you might think for most people. Just take them a little at a time.

 

[MarkThompson]

I almost forgot that there is one more proof that the propers are the normal music for Mass.

Well, yes and no.

The thing to remember is that before the Council, the Propers were not the normal music for the Mass. Most Masses were Low Masses, and had either no music or vernacular hymns, often the “four-hymn sandwich” which people bemoan today. Either way, singing the Propers at a Low Mass was not just uncommon but in fact forbidden. And when the Propers were not sung, no part of the Mass could be sung: not the Gloria, not the Agnus Dei, nothing.

Part of the reason the rubrics in this regard were eased in the modern form of the Mass was to allow doing things like singing the Gloria and Agnus Dei without having to have a schola on hand to also do the whole Introit, Gradual, Tract, Offertory, and so on. Likewise you can have sung parts of the Ordinary without having to sing the Credo, allowing people who cannot sing the whole thing to participate by reciting it, rather than reserving the Credo to the choir.

It is, I think, by and large a good thing that the modern rubrics allow singing some parts of the Mass without singing others, and allow singing parts of the Ordinary while allowing continuity with the vernacular hymnsinging of the preconciliar period. But to push a model of liturgical music in which all vernacular hymns are to be despised and suppressed in favor of singing every Proper even if you have to do it on a psalm tone is, dare I say it, a hermeneutic of discontinuity with what had worked for centuries before Vatican II.

 

[TheMc]

Well, yes and no.

The thing to remember is that before the Council, the Propers were not the normal music for the Mass. Most Masses were Low Masses, and had either no music or vernacular hymns, often the “four-hymn sandwich” which people bemoan today. Either way, singing the Propers at a Low Mass was not just uncommon but in fact forbidden. And when the Propers were not sung, no part of the Mass could be sung: not the Gloria, not the Agnus Dei, nothing.

I see what you are saying, but isn’t the Missa Solemnis the norm, and the *Missa Cantata *and Low Mass simply stripped down versions of it, because only not every Mass could be a Missa Solemnis?

 

[MarkThompson]

I see what you are saying, but isn’t the Missa Solemnis the norm, and the *Missa Cantata *and Low Mass simply stripped down versions of it, because only not every Mass could be a Missa Solemnis?

Yes, definitely; at least, that was their origin somewhere in the mediaeval period. My point is simply that we ought to keep in mind that the 2011 perspective, where the TLM almost always means no hymns and lots of chant, is not very reflective of what actually happened when the TLM was the ordinary form of the Mass. And I don’t know of any particular evidence that the Council (or the Consilium) wanted to completely overthrow the paradigm that had existed for several centuries, although my lengthy and somewhat rambling comments here draw out my view of what they were trying to do.