Your dream music for Mass
  • PhatFlute
    Posts: 219
    If this is not new subject, forgive. What is your idea of perfect music program ? What music for the Mass parts of the Mass, the hymns, the psalms, the organ and piano music, the choir music, the music ? List like a leaflet if you had what ever choir you want. What denomination ? Would love all your ideas. Good ideas and wishes,
    Ph
  • ViolaViola
    Posts: 393
    That would depend on what time of year, what occasion. My 'dream Mass' for, say, Easter Sunday would be very different from one in Advent. Perhaps you could suggest a season or a solemnity or special occasion?
  • ClergetKubiszClergetKubisz
    Posts: 1,912
    This is designed to be as generic as possible. As Viola said, specifics can only be given if you have a specific feast or Sunday in mind.

    This would be OF (for EF, my personal preferences don't come into play as much):

    Introit: Graduale Romanum

    Asperges Me/Vidi Aquam

    Kyrie: Missa XI (with organum)

    Gloria: Missa XI (with organum)

    Gradual (not Responsorial Psalm): Graduale Romanum

    Alleluia/Tract: Graduale Romanum (with organum)

    Credo IV

    Offertory: Graduale Romanum

    Offertory Motet: Proper to the Day if Applicable

    Sanctus: Missa XI (with organum)

    Memorial Acclamation: Missale Romanum (Mortem Tuam...)

    Amen: Missale Romanum

    Pater Noster: Congregational from Missale Romanum

    Agnus Dei: Missa XI (with organum)

    Communion: Graduale Romanum

    Communion Motet: Proper to the Day if Applicable

    Ite Missa Est: Missa XI

    Recessional: Widor Toccata

    NOTE: All dialogues would be sung by priest and people. The readings and Gospel would also be sung.
  • stulte
    Posts: 355
    Gregorian Chant...maybe some Renaissance polyphony...the rest is just details.
    Thanked by 1Jenny
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,916
    Many possible feasts come to mind, but this is what I would love for the Feast of St. Joseph, if only because my birthday falls on that day. :D

    Prelude: Litany of St. Joseph
    Processional: "Guardian of Virgins"
    Propers from the LU
    Gounod's Messe du Sacre Coeur
    Offertory Motet: Haydn's Insanae et Vanae Curae
    Communion Motet: Palestrina's Sicut Cervus & Sitivit Anima Mea
    Recessional: "Great St. Joseph, Son of David"
    Postlude: Mendelssohn's War March of the Priests

    Then a nice big meal with minestrone, St. Joseph's Table, and lots of red wine, followed by Vespers of St. Joseph from the LU.

    Cap it all off with some cigarettes and bocce ball, and that's the most sublime thing this side of heaven.
    Thanked by 2JulieColl SarahJ
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    OF, English (mostly), no organ

    Choral Prelude - more often than not, the text of the Introit
    Congregational Hymn - The procession begins during the last verse
    Introit - Chanted - English (Palmer Burgess) or Latin (GR)- During the last portion of the procession and/or incensing of the altar
    Kyrie - Greek - Cantor chant, Cong. chant, choir polyphony , etc.
    Gloria - Latin - Cong. chant.
    Readings chanted in English
    Psalm - Anglican chant, with the congregation if possible
    Alleluia - Congregation chanted, with a cantor on the jubilus and verse
    Credo - Latin chant
    Offertory - Choral, the Proper text
    Sanctus, etc - chanted by cong. Latin or English
    Lord's Prayer - chanted by cong
    Sign of Peace - omitted
    Agnus - chanted in latin
    Communion - the proper from the GR in LAtin or English (Palmer-Burgess), with vocal harmony and ad lib verses as needed After about halfish of the cong is back in seats, a hymn so that the choir can go to communion
    Recessional - congregational hymn
    Choral Postlude - choral setting of the seasonal marian hymn, or another appropriate piece


    I'm not saying that's what I would do if I could. I'm saying it's what I want if I don't have to worry about what anyone else thinks.
  • johnmann
    Posts: 175
    Prelude: Wagner's Bridal Chorus
    Introit: Haugen's Gather Us In
    Kyrie: Mr. Mister
    Gloria: Dan Schutte
    Responsorial Psalm: Haugen's Taste and See with spoken verses
    Alleluia: Jeff Buckley with spoken verse
    Credo: Apostle's Creed (spoken)
    Offertory: On Eagle's Wings
    Offertory Motet: Schubert's Ave Maria
    Sanctus: Mass of Creation
    Memorial Acclamation: Save, us savior of the world... (spoken)
    Amen: 6-fold Great Amen (Latin)
    Lord's Prayer: Haugen
    Agnus Dei: More Mass of Creation
    Communion: I Am the Bread of Life
    Post-Communion Hymn: Here I Am Lord
    Recessional: Pescador de Hombres or other token Spanish song
    Thanked by 5Ben Kathy Adam Wood Jeffrey Quick eft94530
  • ClergetKubiszClergetKubisz
    Posts: 1,912
    Props to the Mr. Mister reference.
    Thanked by 2Kathy Adam Wood
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    Johnmann notably omits anything in tagalog or swahili. Fail.
    Thanked by 3Ben Jeffrey Quick eft94530
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    Responsorial Psalm: Haugen's Taste and See with spoken verses

    read dramatically, almost in rhythm, with lounge-piano doodling underneath

    but
    Alleluia: Jeff Buckley with spoken verse

    sudden and awkward musical stop at the end of the refrain.
    cough.
    mumbles verse into microphone
    weird pause.
    EYES OF DEATH FROM CANTOR TO ACCOMPANIST
    piano starts directly where the singing should resume, with no upbeat or lead-in.
    the cantor begins singing halfway through "le", and the congregation resumes their murmuring halfway through "lu"

    also
    Amen: 6-fold Great Amen (Latin)

    WITH BRASS AND TYMPANI
    Thanked by 2Kathy eft94530
  • johnmann
    Posts: 175
    read dramatically, almost in rhythm, with lounge-piano doodling underneath


    Don't forget the upturned palm Seig Heil. That must be in the GIRM. How else would the congregation know when to sing the refrain?
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,694
    Low EF with organ improvisations throughout the whole thing by someone like Olivier Latry.
    Thanked by 1melofluent
  • G
    Posts: 1,397
    Don't forget the upturned palm Seig Heil.

    Well, in that case let's have a blessing conferred on someone, anyone, Cub Scout troop, couple celebrating thier 78 wedding anniversary, the schools gerbil ministry, and the entire congregation asked to join in the blessing, so we get everyone's arm in the air and it looks like Triumph of the Will.
    image

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
    Thanked by 1gregp
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    so we get everyone's arm in the air and it looks like Triumph of the Will.

    That's funny, G, except the Nat'l Socialists actual meant what they gestured!
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,046
    My ideal Mass would be EF. I would want all the music to be roughly from the same period, so actually I'd have several ideal Masses. There'd be a choir of 16 professionals, and an organist (because I'm not) and sometimes other instruments. But let's do the Renaissance:

    Organ prelude- some motet intabulation
    Polyphonic Asperges (not every day, but this is an ideal one-off, same with the polyphonic Propers)
    Polyphonic Introit (probably German, Senfl or earlier)
    A nice rich Ordinary in 5 parts: Manchicourt, or Rogier
    full chant Gradual
    Polyphonic Offertory and Communion settings
    Organ postlude: a canzona, or maybe even a dance piece; I'm not a purist

    Romantic:
    Organ Prelude: Bach, or some not-too-overwrought German Romantic
    Gregorian Propers (the Romantic polyphonic Propers I've seen don't thrill, unless you luck into a day when you can use Bruckner...but if I can use some Aiblinger, I will)
    Ordinary by Rheinberger
    Offertory an communion motets: probably French with organ, possibly solo. Probably an O Salutaris for communion, just because there are so many good ones
    Organ postlude: something joyous/blowsy/French, along the lines of the Widor toccata but NOT the Widor Toccata

    My ideal modern Mass would of course involve Quick.

    Thanked by 1JulieColl
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Henri Mulet's Carillon Sortie?
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,944
    Can Cage's 4'33" be adapted for sacred use?
    Thanked by 1Ben
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,151
    Can Cage's 4'33" be adapted for sacred use?
    Aren't excerpts sometimes performed in sacred liturgies?
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Can Cage's 4'33" be adapted for sacred use?

    Personally, I'd find Ive's "Central Park in the Dark, "The Unanswered Question," or Barber's "Adagio" (not "Agnus Dei) more suited to these times, but that's me.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,944
    CHG

    I think I may even have heard a crab canon improvisation on it in Lent.
    Thanked by 2Salieri CHGiffen
  • vansensei
    Posts: 215
    High-Church Episcopalians usually have the musical (and probably financial) capital to do a polyphonic choral Mass setting (like Palestrina, Martin, des Prez, Vierne, etc.) most Sundays.

    This would be my dream music for Mass. Probably the Vierne at least twice a year because reasons.

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