Our school is having a Mass on March 25th which is the Solemnity of the Annunication of Our Lord. I found out that even though it is Lent, the Gloria is still being sung. I am still trying to find a good version of the Gloria that will pull the students into the singing. I found Mass of a Joyful Heart by Steve Angrisano is good for youth. However since it is Lent, I don't know if this Gloria would be fine. Can you please give me your thoughts on this. Thank you.
@vietphâm: You are correct that the Gloria is sung on this day; incidentally, the Creed is also said on this day with all kneeling (instead of bowing) at the words of the Incarnation, i.e. "And by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man" (just like Christmas). In fact, liturgically the only traces of it still being Lent is the fact that the word "alleluia" is still to be omitted from everything. As for what setting of the Gloria: while what @matthewj posted might be our ideal, I'm guessing you need something at least in English, in which case I would probably suggest either the chant found in the Roman Missal itself or the "Gloria Simplex" by Proulx. I would avoid refrain-verse style Gloria settings.
I get the idea from the OP (and correct me if I'm wrong) that the students don't know the Gloria from Mass of a Joyful Heart. If the students don't know it (or anything else we throw out there), they're not going to sing it regardless. Just go with a Gloria they're already aware of. To my mind, this isn't the time to introduce something new.
Yes, a feast day is not the best time to present new Mass settings.
Also, using music that is in a distinctly sacred style (instead of a secular pop-entertainment style) can help people think of the Mass as something special, something that doesn't happen everywhere, and can help them make the transition out of their everyday activity into an attitude of prayer and adoration.
I agree with both of the above comments. My thinking was that since school Masses are obviously on weekdays when the Gloria is usually not prescribed, it's possible some of the children don't even know what the Gloria is - Lord only knows how many of their parents do NOT take them (or themselves) to Sunday Mass. So I suppose I should have started out saying use a setting the parish knows (presuming it's a parochial school), but lacking that knowledge the ones I mentioned earlier (the Missal chant or the Proulx) would be good options. And who knows...maybe it'll take hold in them and then as they grow up they'll be asking for distinctly sacred-style music.
It is very advisable for parochial kids to know at least two Glory's. I taught the school the MR3 Glory back in 2010, and also the St. Ann (Bolduc) and Santa Clara (Hurd) since then as well. Just yesterday I had the occasion of NOT checking the Ordo and was mildly surprised to see our celebrant vested in red. So, though I was caught off guard, the school still was quite engaged singing the Hurd setting at "a moment's notice."
I assumed they were celebrating the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul two days early, and not the optional memorial of St. Vincent, deacon and martyr.
MJM, my celebrant gave me the look after the Kyrie, which clearly said "Start singing the Glory, C." Our priests have previously instructed me to sing the Gloria on Feasts of Martyrs....
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