Music for the feast of the Assumption, help?
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    My pastor has informed me that he wants to offer a Mass in the EF next Wednesday. I offered to provide music before I knew this! So, where do I find the propers? I would like for them to be in simple tones because I don't know that I have the time to learn everything before Wednesday. Many thanks for your help!
  • ScottKChicago
    Posts: 349
    You'll get some great help here. Meanwhile, here's a document of guidelines for the music at a high Mass:
    http://sanctamissa.org/en/music/musical-guidelines-for-the-traditional-roman-rite/liturgical-services-music-for-high-mass.pdf
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • Arthur Connick
    Posts: 494
    Is this a high or low Mass?
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    It will be a low Mass.
  • Joseph MendesJoseph Mendes
    Posts: 99
    Then you don't need propers. Hymns are what you need. The classics, Hail Holy Queen and Immaculate Mary, should be good for the entrance and recessional. Offertory and Communion ought to be in Latin. Perhaps a Magnificat, Salve Regina, or other Marian antiphon.

    Good luck!
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    Really! Whew!
    But he did ask for the entrance chant and the response at the alleluia.
  • Joseph MendesJoseph Mendes
    Posts: 99
    That's not allowed by the rubrics at Low Mass.

    Tell him to make it a High Mass and then you can talk. :P
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    So neither are allowed? or one? or the other?
    Thank you for the information.
  • Joseph MendesJoseph Mendes
    Posts: 99
    At Low Mass, the propers (which would include the introit and alleluia) and ordinary cannot be sung. However, hymns may be sung and the organ may be played.
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    Is it a Missa Cantata? A Missa Cantata is a Mass in which the priest does the Low Mass action, but the music is High Mass music.
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • hartleymartin
    Posts: 1,447
    If you have a schola, the arcadelt ave maria in 4-parts is not difficult, and makes a suitable offertory.
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    Please excuse my ignorance, and thank you for helping me. I suppose it will be a Missa Cantata. Is it possible to have a Missa Cantata with only a cantor (me!), and perhaps a few choir members (my children!). My choir is on holiday right now, but I may be able to put a few people together. We know the Arcadelt well. We also know most of the ordinary, save for the Credo.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    Have you chosen which Mass setting you will sing? For the Assumption, I suppose it would be typical to use Mass IX, since it is recommended for Masses of our Lady; but it's not a requirement.

    For the propers, you have the option of singing the full Gregorian melodies as in the Liber Usualis, p. 1601ff.; you can download the book from musicasacra.com if you don't have it yet.

    Because of the limited practice time between now and Wednesday, you might use simplified options for some of the propers, such as the psalm-tone settings by Fr. Rossini; or those in the book "Chants Abregés". Psalm verses for use with the Communion antiphon are in the book "Versus Psalmorum et Canticorum". (Also free for download.)

    If your choir performs the "Arcadelt Ave Maria" at Offertory, that should be done after the proper text is sung.
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    I think I have bitten off more than I can chew here. I will have to sing the Missa D'Angelis; butchering Mass IX would not be a good idea. The psalm - tone settings by Fr. Rossini are very helpful and were easy to understand in a pinch! Thank you so much.
  • Joseph MendesJoseph Mendes
    Posts: 99
    Oops, sorry for confusing you! Good luck.
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • Arthur Connick
    Posts: 494
    Just so there's no misunderstanding, a missa cantata is not simply a low mass celebrated by the priest with music for a High Mass. You should ask your priest whether he intends to celebrate a high Mass (a term that encompasses the missa cantata) or a low Mass. If the latter, neither the proper nor ordinary of the mass are sung by the choir.

    Note that in a high mass, the priest sings all of the parts he says audibly, including the epistle and gospel. Further, there are certain server roles to be filled that usually require a certain amount of training.
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    The priest intends to celebrate a LOW Mass. I believe I am right because he does not have a Deacon, Subdeacon, all the proper servers etc. Now, I understood that it could be a "Missa Cantata", in that I would sing all of the ordinaries and propers. Am I wrong to do this?
  • Joseph MendesJoseph Mendes
    Posts: 99
    Yes. Ask him whether it will really be a Low Mass, with him not chanting, or a Missa Cantata, with him chanting.
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    I believe that he would like to chant, but there will be no Deacon/Subdeacon... does this make a difference. He has chanted the high Mass before.

    So the difference between a low/Cantata Mass Mass is that the priest will chant?
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Excluding Masses without a bishop, there's three basic types of Masses:

    • Low Mass - said mostly in low voice by the priest, no priest singing, may have some latin hymns during Mass, but no sung propers or ordinary
    • High Mass/Sung Mass (Missa Cantata) - Sung Mass with one priest, all audible parts of the priest are sung by him (gospel, preface, gloria and credo incipits, dialogs, collects, etc), all propers and ordinary are sung by the choir, and possibly hymns or motets after the propers.
    • Solemn High Mass (Missa Solemnis) - Same as above, but with a priest, deacon and subdeacon in the sanctuary.

    You're looking at a High Mass.

    (later edited for formatting)
    Thanked by 2ScottKChicago canadash
  • Joseph MendesJoseph Mendes
    Posts: 99
    I know you said you didn’t want to do the full Gregorian propers because of the limited time, but here they are, compiled by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.
    Thanked by 2Arthur Connick canadash
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