After Sanctus Hymn for Mass in Extraordinary Form
  • The priest wants a hymn sung between the consecration and the minor elevation to acknowledge the accomplishment of the mystery because we don't currently have a working organ at the church. I am thinking about the Pange Lingua/Tantum Ergo hymns. Does anyone have any other suggestions? What do you use at your parish for Mass in EF? Thank you again in advance for your help!
  • CCoozeCCooze
    Posts: 1,259
    Could you just do a polyphonic Sanctus+Benedictus?
  • Chaswjd
    Posts: 254
    If you are an EF parish, is there some reason you could not use a Benedictus? My understanding is that the reasons for the division between the Sanctus and the Benedictus in all those Viennese classical masses is to allow time for the elevation.

    In that vein, this is one of my favorite youtube clips:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilxHBAcXFA0&index=16&list=PL1yDnX3iO3fucDdjTa3uHeuEwSKub3QP1
    Thanked by 1puretonesoprano
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,371
    De musica sacra (which is the latest official word on EF music) discourages music at this point:
    27 f. After the Consecration, unless the Benedictus is still to be sung, devout silence is advised until the time of the Pater Noster.
    But it does not forbid it.
    note it does forbid splitting the Gregorian chant Sanctus, if you want a Benedictus after the consecration it must be all polyphonic.
    27 d. The Sanctus and the Benedictus, if chanted in Gregorian, must be sung without a break, otherwise the Benedictus is to be sung after the Consecration.
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    What you're looking for are Elevation* Motets: This is where "O Salutaris" (first verse only), "Panis Angelicus", and "Ave Verum Corpus" will help you: they have been used as elevations for centuries, even in chant. There are others that could fill this void.

    ---
    *Elevation motets were almost universally performed after the Elevations, not during them.
  • Well, I was asked to have a hymn prepared if we do not parse out the Sanctus. We've been parsing out the Sanctus.
    Thanked by 1Jes
  • Thank you all for your help!
  • in seasons when we have the use of the organ, our organist will play very softly - frequently, one of the very many simple Tantum Ergos, which being quite short, seem to fit well right there.
    In seasons when we do not have use of the organ, there is silence, although we have approval to sing something very quietly.
    If you do decide on some hymns, perhaps you could share your list?
    Thanked by 1puretonesoprano
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,157
    The Cantus Varii (1928) and the Antiphonale Romanum (1960), both available for download on the CMAA site, include numerous Tantum ergos and other chants intended for Benediction, but perhaps also useful for your purposes.
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,704
    Connelly (Hymns of the Roman Liturgy) tells us that the Ave Verum corpus was one of many short hymns which used to be sung in the Middle Ages after the Consecration. (This was before the Benedictus was slept from the Sanctus)

    I have not found a list of these short Hymns but the Analecta Hymnica may have a list...

    Beside the Ave Verum, other choices could be,
    Homo Quidam (Responsory)
    Ecce Panis Angelorum (Part of Sequence)
    Panis Angelicus (Part of Hymn)

    Also I thought that we were not allowed (EF) to sing anything other than the Benedictus after the Consecration. But if the priest is suggesting it, well what a lovely opportunity to bring back something from the ancient traditions.
    Thanked by 1puretonesoprano
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,694
    I'm of the mind that the very best thing to do at this point is have an organist improvise either on a theme from earlier in the Mass (Introit, Alleluia, or Offertory usually work best) or to improvise on something that will come later in the Mass (the Communio or Motet). This is an ideal spot for the organist to be creative and bring about new organ Elevations! I remember when I used to do the EF (before it was the EF) taking 3 or 6 notes from the Communio and making it the basis of something lovely. How I miss this...
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,704
    A visitor from Switzerland heard us splitting the Sanctus at our EF... when I next attended Mass in Switzerland when he was playing the organ he improvised on the melody for the Benedictus after the consecration!

    The problem we have is the original post told us they do not have a working organ... A fundraising drive....
  • mahrt
    Posts: 517
    In the early sixteenth century, the French King (!) prescribed that an "elevation" be sung, a text such as O salutaris hostia. A few polyphonic Masses include such elebations: Pierre de La Rue, Missa de sancta Anna has O salutaris; Josquin's Missa D'ung alutre amer has his Tu solus qui facis mirabilia.
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,217
    the French King (!) prescribed


    Yah, well, the French-native ICK priest I once worked for demanded that there be organ or choir music near-continuous throughout the Mass.
    Thanked by 1puretonesoprano
  • CCoozeCCooze
    Posts: 1,259
    organ or choir music near-continuous


    While our organist was away one weekend this fall, we had a guest organist who practiced that same idea.
    While impressive, I missed the bits of Sacred Silence that is so often thought of (by organists and directors, and sometimes priests) as a mistake in programming...
  • JesJes
    Posts: 574
    This makes a lot of sense now.
    I know I often play organ during that time with some priests and with others I get the "please don't" request before mass.

    For Easter we split the polyphonic Sanctus and Benedictus and did the Benedictus at this time.
    I prefer having silence there but it's up to clergy. Always up to them.
    Thanked by 1puretonesoprano
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,217
    it's up to clergy. Always up to them


    Umnnhhh,....nope. I've had priests request all sorts of things that I've refused to do. They yammer about "their customs." I tell them that I, too, have a "custom": doing the red, exactly as written.

    Helps that the income was not critical for my life, of course.