Pierluigi's Marcelli with chanted Propers. Period.

It does really depend on the liturgy, because some demand consistency in repertoire, others can be a bit of a mish–mash, others can have more polyphony...

But my ideal for a day like St. Anne, for Solemn High Mass, would be chanted propers and a Flemish or even English late medieval/Renaissance polyphonic Mass (so perhaps a chanted Kyrie, but with organum) which one would be hard–pressed to justify on a Sunday or holy day of obligation. It would have to be long and complex, but with a really tight cantua firmus. I don’t have a particular one in mind, FWIW.

Our Parish priest, singing all his parts. Our congregation singing all of theirs - any Gregorian Mass would do. My family choir singing. (as opposed to gazing around distractedly etc etc etc.)
But most of my actual dream masses are nightmares - you know the ones where you have forgotten something important - like clothes.

I would love to sing a Mass from the Simplex. All the Order sung to simple or solemn tones (consistently), a Simplex Ordinary, and the appropriate Simplex Propers. I wish that were the default (and financially possible) Mass. Then some programs evolving to Romanum Propers as possible. Additional music as necessary and possible.

The Poulenc Gloria! This could never be done at a Mass, because it's too long

Good point to discuss.

It is not out of the realm of possibility - People who love the liturgy and music for years would choose to attend the High Mass on Sundays. On a special Feast, with due notice to the congregation - and community - the singing of the Arvo Part Messe, or the Poulenc, or other extended works, there is absolutely no reason not to do such music.

It does not "prolong" the liturgy, it further enhances the liturgy, just as Adoration is a prolonged moment in the Presence.

If the pastor is convinced of the importance of music, and its use as an evangelistic tool, it can work.

How many have converted, attracted by the beauty of the experience of the Liturgy, in the history of the Church.

As many have left for the lack? The negatives can be offset by positive experience.

Be enthused.

Oh - and a chant ordinary appropriate to the day or season.

I never bought the whole "Mass isn't supposed to be a concert" argument. What, you don't think the Almighty likes concerts too? :D

...on my current state of mind.

I, too, would have to express this sentiment.
But, contrary to Stimson, I would never want a French (or any other) romantic ordinary.
This would not be dream, but a nightmare.

Dream components, which can change with 'state of mind' are renaissance polyphonic ordinaries (more Moneverdi-ish or Gabrielian than Palestrinan - though one shouldn't want to overlook RVW's mass in g-minor).

Polychoral motets are the ideal for ornaments. Never to be overlooked would be Tallis or Gibbons, or Byrd, or Weelkes, or....

Depending on 'state of mind' it might include hymns and propers, or just propers, which may be plainchant or polyphony-choral. Hymns would be graced with descants and organ embellishments.

Organ voluntaries of a suitable gravitas are a must.

Priests and deacons would sing every last syllable of their parts - as would the people - nor would any imaginable part of the mass be delivered but by song or chant.
Not one single non-ritual utterance or act would even be dreamt of by anyone, high or low. (Those who violate this inviolable principal should be exiled to a barren and gruesomely remote south Atlantic island infested by insects.)

Smoke would be thrown in great profusion by at least one thuribler - who knows well how to do what we Anglicans call 'Queen Annes' and does them with aplomb.

Still - there are days on which I would be gladdened with an all plainchant mass, sung by choice French monks.

Prelude: Bach, Prelude and Fugue in F (bwv 540)
Gregorian propers
Ordinary:Frank Martin, Mass for Double Choir
Processional Hymn: Lobe den Herren
Offertory Anthem: Wesley, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace
Offertory Hymn: Ewing
Communion anthem: Bairstow, Let all mortal flesh keep silence
Communion hymn: Divine Mysteries
Recessional Hymn: Sine Nomine
Postlude: Gigout, Grand Choir Dialogue

Brass and timpani where appropriate

This would not be dream, but a nightmare.

Yeah, I often get the feeling that my "dream mass programs" would be synonymous with my entries in the "guilty pleasures" thread.

Although I will concede - it would be satisfying to hear Gjeilo's Sunrise Mass in a liturgical setting.

That quote is from a book occasioned by the 1956 bicentennial, but sure enough Barth was born before 1901. I have to work hard not to confuse him with Barthes ;-)

Ha!
At least I remembered that it started with a 'B'.

Depends on what the liturgy is for, but the Durufle Requiem would definitely be my ideal for that particular Mass.

We did the Palestrina Pro Defunctis, a 5, last saturday for the soul of a person deceased 4 months ago, among two cantus varii by Victoria (Taedet animam meam) and Fauré (In Paradisum). The priest said that was one of the most beautiful Masses among many ones he celebrated or attended in the past. We were asked to do it only 5 days before the Mass but an small miracle-like thing occurred and we managed to recruit five good singers to do the job.

Why must funerals have sad, sappy hymns about death? The vestment color changed from black to white so why can’t the hymns be more upbeat?

Because even at Easter, when we literally celebrate the Resurrection, the music is hardly "upbeat". (c.f. Victimae paschali laudes)

The vestment color changed from black to white so why can’t the hymns be more upbeat?

And some among us would count this a travesty and liturgical disfigurement of the highest order. I've specifically told my pastor that if I were to die a sudden/early death, I want black everything.

To be perfectly frank, I'm sick and tired of everyone pretending like every soul skips right into heaven 2 seconds after death. Our Lady revealed at Fatima that souls are falling into hell "like snowflakes". St. Bridget (mystic and patroness of all Europe) witnessed one moment of judgement and saw thousands of souls standing in judgement at that particular moment (all of whom had died in the preceding minute or so) and almost all of them went to hell, a small handful (30 or so) went to purgatory and only two or three souls (memory is hazy now) went straight to heaven, one of whom was a professed religious (again, out of THOUSANDS being judged at that specific moment).

So, more to the point, the liturgists who hacked apart the traditional liturgy did indeed have an agenda in mind when they did it and it was undoubtedly to lessen belief in the severity of judgement and it worked. People are very flippant about death now. If it was still custom to drape everything in and dress in black (including a months-long period of mourning for immediate family), listening to the dies irae, and paying for rounds of 30 gregorian masses to be said, I suspect people would think much more differently about death and would pray for their loved ones much more.

Talk about upbeat music... read through the dies irae which was traditionally sung at requiem masses and which I've had the "pleasure" (if you can call it that) of chanting at a funeral before, and then try and tell me that a radical change wasn't enacted in our liturgy and by consequence, our theology about death.

@irishtenor: That shows you how long since I've been to a funeral.

And I spent all that money and time looking for the Peloquin Mass of Joy!

All I'd like to see for me would be a Solemn (or at least Cantata) Requiem. I love Victoria a6 but if I were the deceased it'd be the celebration of the Mass that would matter to me more than anything. I definitely would not want a standard-fare funeral. Oh, and I'd want some really good incense too.

In the Ordinariate it is black for funerals and Good Friday.

See, I knew the Ordinariate was Catholic!

Since the topic of this thread is a dream Mass programme, I think I would include music of Tallis, Byrd, Isaac, Stanford... and would exclude Missa de Angelis

Maybe the Byrd Mass for 4 voices, or Vittoria's Requiem; Stanford's Beati quorum via integra est, which is positively sublime.

There are those who think that we are Protestants in sheep's clothing.

Well, if this is Protestantism, Catholics should have no problem with it!

Since the topic of this thread is a dream Mass programme, I think I would include music of Tallis, Byrd, Isaac, Stanford... and would exclude Missa de Angelis

Maybe the Byrd Mass for 4 voices, or Vittoria's Requiem; Stanford's Beati quorum via integra est, which is positively sublime.

De Angelis is overdone, sure (though I really like it). But I am not sure I would go so far as to put a polyphonic Mass instead, since the Kyriale ordinarily belongs to the congregation.

I've learned Mass IV, and prefer it immensely to Mass VIII. It's quite singable all the waya around.

Sorry for the purple-yellow levity.

Mass IV is preferred in the chapel where I go to Mass these days for feasts and external solemnities (All Saints, Saint Francis de Sales, and the like) which fall on Sunday and are not Marian (Mass IX, always). Sometimes we do VIII on other occasions, but IV is much, much better.

As for a dream Mass, I don't know. I go back and forth on wanting all-chant, on Palestrina versus Victoria, on the appropriate Baroque keyboard or wind music for the entrance and exits…