Thursday, August 28, 2008

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

For September 14, 2008 which is the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, we are going to sing:
  1. Procession: Crown Him With Many Crowns
  2. Asperges me
  3. Introit: Nos autem gloriari
  4. Kyrie IV (Cunctipotens genitor Deus)
  5. Gloria IV
  6. Gradual: Christus factus est
  7. Alleluia: Dulce lignum, dulce clavos
  8. Credo I
  9. Offertory: Protege, Domine
  10. Offertory hymn: Crux fidelis (R. Kühnel)
  11. Sanctus IV
  12. Agnus Dei IV
  13. Communion hymn: Vexilla Regis Prodeunt (SGH#182c)
  14. Communion: Per signum crucis
  15. Recession: Hail Redeemer, King Divine (C. Rigby)
Click on the links to hear samples where available.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Pope underscores importance of music for transmitting experiences of the soul

Castelgandolfo, Aug 25, 2008 / 08:39 pm (CNA).- Pope Benedict XVI expressed gratitude for the concert performed in his honor at the Swiss Hall of the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo this weekend, and in his remarks at the conclusion of the concert he emphasized the importance of music in transmitting the profound experiences of the soul.

After thanking Ivonne Timoianu, who played the violoncello and the former Austrian ambassador to the Holy See, Christoph Cornaro, who played piano, for the “magisterial performance” of Franz Schubert’s “Winter Journey,” Benedict XVI noted that the piece describes “the intense atmosphere of sad loneliness caused by his [Schubert’s] delicate state of health and his sentimental and professional disappointments.”

“It is an interior journey that the celebrated Austrian composer wrote in 1827, just one year before his premature death at the age of 31,” the Pope added.

“When Schubert brings a poetic text into his universe of sound, he performs it through a melodic link that penetrates the soul with sweetness, bringing the listener to feel his same nostalgic consummation, the same call of that truth of the heart that goes beyond all rationality. In this way a picture is born that speaks of genuine everyday life, of nostalgia, of introspection and of the future,” the Holy Father continued.

“The spontaneous and exuberant young Schubert was successful in communicating—to us here tonight as well—what he lived and experienced. He is worthy therefore of the universal acclaim that is given to this illustrious genius of music, who honors European civilization and the great culture and spirituality of Christian and Catholic Austria.”

“Comforted interiorly by the splendid musical experience of tonight, we renew our gratitude to those who have promoted this concert and those who have magnificently performed it,” the Pontiff said in conclusion.

Source: Catholic News Agency

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Happy Feast

A very happy feast of our Blessed Mother's Assumption into Heaven to all of you! Here's something for the senses on this solemn feast.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

CDW Issues Directives on the Use and Translation of the Name of God in the Liturgy and Liturgical Music

The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments recently issued directives on the use of “the Name of God” in the Sacred Liturgy. Here are the directives:



You can read the entire text here: Letter to the Bishop's Conferences on "the Name of God"

Presumably this would retroactively effect some popular liturgical music that has been used in many English speaking parishes following the Council, including by the likes of Fr. Dan Schutte, S.J.

Source: NLM

Friday, August 08, 2008

Motets during a Requiem Mass

Something useful from a Q&A forum:

Q: Can you tell me if the Panis Angelicus and the Ave Maria can be properly sung at a Missa Cantata Requiem Mass during the Offertory and Communion times only? If sung, would this be following the Rubrics according to the allowance now (1962 Missal)?

A: St. Pius X's motu proprio on church music, "Tra le Sollecitudini" disallows MOST solo-singing (as distinct from the liturgical intoning done by one or more chanters).

That said, it is PERMISSIBLE to sing "Ave Maria" during the Offertory of a Requiem Mass, FOLLOWING the chanting of the proper Offertory text.

However, since the Requiem Offertory, "Domine Iesu Christe" is virtually the ONLY Offertory in the Latin Rite which retains an obligatory Verse, "Hostias et preces," it is likely that there wouldn't be TIME to sing Ave Maria, unless the Offertory is sung to a VERY simple formula, or recto-tono.

The Offertory PROPER should be given pride of place. And the celebrant shouldn't be kept waiting on account of the singing of "Ave Maria."

In passing, most of the Offertory Verses are now available, either in Dom Karl Ott's original "Offertoriale" (out of print), or in Solesmes new printing, "Offertoriale Triplex", which includes the Transalpine rhythmic neums along with the "standard" Gregorian notation. Their use has been permitted since the 1930s, along with Chants Abreges and various other Desclee/Solesmes publications from that period.

Schubert's "Ave Maria" should NOT be used, UNLESS the "corrected" version with the complete Latin text is sung, and even then it is an occasion of scandal ... he wrote it for his mistress, with a non-liturgical German text. The Latin came later.

The Bach-Gounod is less offensive, though still "operatic."

The Franck or the Arcadelt (both found in the St. Gregory Hymnal) are more suitable.

"Pie Iesu" from the Durufle or Faure Requiem would be more appropriate at the Offertory, unless it is sung following the Elevations (which used to be the custom).

There is no particular problem with singing Franck's or Lambillotte's "Panis Angelicus" at Communion-time, particularly if there is a general communion of the faithful, as long as the Communion Antiphon is sung FIRST.

There is some confusion about that.

In the days when general communions were not the rule, singing the Communion after the celebrant's Communion moved it to the Ablutions, PRACTICALLY speaking.

But it is a processional chant to be sung DURING Communion, and books with the Latin psalms to accompany the Antiphons have existed since the 1930s. Both the old and new Vulgate Communion Psalters can be found online.

The new one is on the Musica Sacra website: http://www.musicasacra.com/communio/

The Clementine Vulgate Communion Psalms are at:

Index of /Verse Book Images

Main Readme

Index Communionem A-O

Index Communionem P-V

In general, the fullest possible version of the LITURGICAL texts (either Chant or classical sacred polyphony) should be sung BEFORE one considers ADDING anything to the music-list.

Historically, most motets were settings of the antiphons on Magnificat at Vespers, and were sung when the antiphon was repeated. That's where Anglican Evensong got its "Anthem after the Third Collect" ... for the most part, there was no provision for adding music to the Mass, except possibly at communion-time, but by Mozart's time, the musical settings of Agnus Dei had become so long that they lasted right through Communion AND the Absolutions.