Liturgical/Musical/Pastoral "Rorschach" Test
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 986
    Follow the directions below:

    0) Please write your answers to each part in a numbered list.

    1) If you prefer, ceteris paribus, the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, please go to List A. If you prefer, all things being equal, the Extraordinary Form of the Rite, please jump to List B. Record your choice in your post.

    List A

    2a) You are in a parish/community equally used to the OF and EF Masses, and which will not be shocked by one or the other being celebrated. It is Sunday morning. A competent choir are on hand, but they have learned the Gregorian propers for the day in the EF, rather than the OF. They are, of course, also capable of executing appropriate congregational hymnody and choral motets/anthems for the day. Do you sing the EF Mass wtih full Gregorian Propers, or sing the OF Mass with excellent choral music and hymnody, but with only simplified propers, if any?

    3a) The same situation occurs on a weekday. Does your choice remain the same?

    4a) It is a weekday in Ordinary Time, and no optional memorial is being celebrated. A very good cantor from your choir & the organist are on hand. They wonder if they should sing an opening and communion hymn & lead the congregation in the Ordinary, or whether the Mass should remain unsung. You know that if there is singing at the entrance and communion, the priest will not read the proper antiphons. What do you tell them?

    5a) The same situation occurs on a weekday on which an optional memorial is being celebrated. What do you tell them now?

    6a) You are in a situation in which a visiting choir from the local ICKSP parish has wandered in to daily Mass, which was to be an unsung Mass in the OF. They, however, are capable of providing music for a sung Mass in the EF. Do you invite them to sing?

    List B

    2b) You are in a parish/community equally accustomed to the OF and EF. Your small schola are comfortable executing Gregorian Propers, but you, their brain-dead choirmaster, have downloaded them for the Sunday from CCWatershed for the *Ordinary Form,* and do not have any copies of the EF Propers on hand. You could have an EF Low Mass with devotional hymns, or an OF Mass with full Gregorian Propers. Which do you choose?

    3b) The same situation occurs on a weekday. What do you choose now?

    4b) It is a ferial day. There are no handouts or texts available for any of the congregants, and no one has missals. There is an option for said Mass in the OF in the vernacular, or the EF. Which do you choose?

    5b) The choir of a large cathedral church are visiting your parish. They would be capable of executing a splendid sung Mass in the OF, mostly in the vernacular, but a sung Mass in the EF would have to be sung mostly by your small and modest (and slightly tone-deaf) parish schola. Do you invite the cathedral choir to sing the OF Mass, or sing the EF in spite of their availability?
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 986
    1) List B

    2b) OF Mass with Propers

    3b) EF Low Mass w/ hymns

    4b) OF in vernacular

    5b) OF w/ cathedral choir
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    1) List B

    2b) Psalm tone the propers from a hand missal / print off propers sheet / spare altar missal / scribbled down before mass on scrap paper. And spend the $20 to leave a spare liber brevior in the loft for next time.

    3b) same as 2b.

    4b) EF. The Mass isn't primarily about the people, nor is their understanding essential to the rite. Anyways, the readings could be read in english before the homily. I don't even often use a missal...

    5b) Create a small schola from the larger choir or recruit your existing one, and have them sing the propers. Perhaps even do them yourself as a cantor. Have the better choir sing the ordinary and motets.
    Thanked by 1mmeladirectress
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,704
    1. List B
    2b. Sing them from memory (we have done this for Salve sancte parens / Requiem Masses.
    otherwise E.F. low Mass
    3b. E.F. Low Mass
    4b. E.F. Low Mass
    5b) Create a small schola from the larger choir or recruit your existing one, and have them sing the propers. Perhaps even do them yourself as a cantor. Have the better choir sing the ordinary and motets.
    Thanked by 1mmeladirectress
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,768
    1. In both cases the church does both forms, yes?

    2a Depends on whether i. the prepared alius cantus will be sung better than the available motet repertoire, and ii. how out of step the pericopes are. 2b. I certainly would balk at Optimam partam if the Pentecost IX Gospel of the temple cleansing has been read, but Qui manducat at a OF Mass is not a big problem.

    3ab. ditto

    4a If they're that good I wouldn't need to tell them anything;-) OF does not require (I think) recited propers during lusty hymn singing, but congregational hymns as cantor solos are abominable so I would always use chant for the crossed-arms crowd. 4b. Said Mass??? I guess this is where all other things being equal enters (see 1.).

    6a/5b Again, see number 1 above, but if these superior singers have just 'wandered in' I can hardly imagine discarding the preparation the resident singers have done.
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,076
    2b) Low (EF) Mass. :-)

    3b) see (2b)

    4b) EF; the celebrant can state, before beginning the prayers at the foot of the altar, what Mass he is offering that day, whether ferial or votive.

    5b) EF - and even a "modest and slightly tone deaf choir" can do a couple of their best motets and let a polished (?) OF choir know what exciting treasures lie in store for them if they will only look for them.
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
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