(deleted, wrong thread)

This might cause some to wince, but in these instances I tend to ignore the Lectionary and sing the Propers that match the Mass formulary used by the Priest (memorial or Votive). If the Communion is very closely connected to a Gospel that hasn't been read (which is sometimes the case even when the readings of the memorial or Votive have been used, since the most recent OCM was 1972, but the Lectionary revised several times since), I use one of the ad libitum Eucharistic antiphons.

They ignore the feast entirely, and chose four hymns based on the Lectionary.

Gamba,

And you (and others) wonder why people prefer the stable format of the venerable rite?

When there is a Low Mass, a Missa Cantata or a Solemn High Mass, the Propers of the Mass don't change. Gregorian chant, Tozier, Rossini, recto tono or Isaac all present the same texts. In like manner, the settings of the Ordinary can be Gregorian chant, polyphony, orchestral or (I guess) recto tono, presenting the same text.

The Mass for St. Clare of Assisi doesn't have variations or optional elements, for example, today. Here, it's a 1st class feast (I'm in the Santa Clara Valley) but that doesn't stop it from being St. Clare's feast.

@Gamba So the N.O. Mass is like a McDonalds burger, the bun is made of the same substance but is slightly different (the top has seeds on it). The filling can be anything on the menu... Some people may find both the bun and the filling totally unpalatable. end purple text.

Interestingly the last time I went to McDonalds (almost 30 years ago) was around the time I stopped attending the N.O. Mass.

Thank you all for many thoughtful answers. From the lack of any mention of "legislation" deciding this question, I conclude that there is none.

The consensus among your responses seems to favor the chants for the votive or memorial at least for the Introit---and I presume the reason for that is that it sets the tone for the whole mass; although the Communion is more complicated you might choose the one which more closely matches the Gospel.

After reflecting on your comments, I am now more inclined than before to use the Introit and Communion for the memorial or votive mass, though not the Responsorial Psalm and Alleluia.

My only remaining concern is that, since the votive mass is always for the Sacred Heart, and many of the saints' days use the common of saints, martyrs, etc., we might be getting too repetitive with the chants, so to balance that I might sometimes choose chants of the day.

Liturgy is a public ceremony, highly ritualized, predictable in form, a work done in the name of the people, in this case for the Glory of God.

"Improvised liturgy" is oxymoronic.
"Modular liturgy" is oxymoronic, because it implies that the pieces can be assembled in any order.

What is also common for Memorials (Optional and Obligatory---terminology which I hate) is for the First Reading and Psalm to be chosen from the ferial lectionary, and the Gospel from the Proper of Saints, in which case the Gospel Acclamation should also be from the Proper of Saints. So be sure to ascertain what readings the priest has chosen, and be prepared to give an explanation because most priests I've encountered are completely astounded to learn: 1) that the different parts of the Mass actually have something to do with each other; 2) that the options he has chosen actually determine what the musicians do; 3) that musicians actually need know things beforehand and can't read the priest's mind; 4) that the musicians actually plan and prepare, and tend not to like it when the priest decides to do something different on a whim.

I would argue that for the antiphons - whether spoken or sung - they should ALWAYS come from the Common or the Votive Mass. This follows from:

(a) the rubric before the Proper of Saints in the Missal. It allows the Prayer over the Offering and the Prayer after Communion to be taken from the weekday instead of the Common but no such option is offered for the antiphons. The equivalent rubric in the Graduale before the Proprium de Sanctis also allows choices from the Proper or the Common (even from the 1908 Graduale) but says nothing about the weekday.

(b) the logic of the entrance antiphon, part of which is to "introduce the mystery of the liturgical time or festivity". This is possibly why the rubrics cited above do not envisage replacing the antiphons.

(c) while the Communion antiphon *often* reflects the Gospel, this is not always the case, especially for weekdays.

For the Graduale and/or the Alleluia (replacing the Responsorial Psalm and the Alleluia):

I can see the logic of taking it from the weekday when weekday readings are chosen. However, though the lectionary matches the Responsorial Psalm with the First Reading (cf. GRIM 61), it also envisions a broader role for the psalm. The Lectionary itself provides seasonal psalms and refrains that can be used whenever the Psalm is sung (cf. GIRM 61 -admittedly the goal of that adaption is for the people to be able to join in the singing). Similarly, if one uses the Graduale Simplex, one is ONLY using seasonal texts. So clearly, it is not an absolute that a sung Psalm or Alleluia be wedded to the text of the readings. It would seem to have a more general purpose of meditation on God's Word.

Therefore, in light of the Graduale rubric before the Proper of Saints (cf. point [a] above), I would argue that the Graduale and/or Alleluia could also come from the Proper of Saints.

Of course, if you are simply singing the text of the Responsorial Psalm as printed in the lectionary, then that is governed by the rubrics of the Lectionary and the GIRM. In that case, it would be more suitable to sing the Psalm assigned for the day, although you could also take one of the seasonal psalms or a psalm from the Common (cf. Introduction to the Lectionary 89).


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To save time looking up the relevant rubrics:

[GIRM 61]After the first reading comes the responsorial Psalm, which is an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word and holds great liturgical and pastoral importance, because it fosters meditation on the word of God.

The responsorial Psalm should correspond to each reading and should, as a rule, be taken from the Lectionary.

It is preferable that the responsorial Psalm be sung, at least as far as the people’s response is concerned. Hence, the psalmist, or the cantor of the Psalm, sings the verses of the Psalm from the ambo or another suitable place. The entire congregation remains seated and listens but, as a rule, takes part by singing the response, except when the Psalm is sung straight through without a response. In order, however, that the people may be able to sing the Psalm response more readily, texts of some responses and Psalms have been chosen for the various seasons of the year or for the various categories of Saints. These may be used in place of the text corresponding to the reading whenever the Psalm is sung. If the Psalm cannot be sung, then it should be recited in such a way that it is particularly suited to fostering meditation on the word of God.


[Missal before Proper of Saints]
2. For each Solemnity and Feast a complete proper Mass is provided. This is therefore said as printed.

3. As regards Memorials, the following are to be observed: e) The Prayers over the Offerings and after Communion, unless they are proper, are taken either from the Common or from the current time of the liturgical year


[Graduale Romanum before the Proprium de Sanctis]
Pro omnibus celebrationibus Sanctorum, eligi possunt : vel cantus infra positi, vel alii e Communibus eligendis, secundum rubricam qua: in Missali Romano pro quocumque Sancto ponitur, vel cantus, sive proprii sive e Communibus, in Graduali Romano (Edit. 1908, eiusque additionibus) exstantibus. In sollemnitatibus et festis, introitus Gaudedmus semper cantari potest, si propria verba mysterii vel sancti celebrati facile in melodiam insereri possunt.


[Lectionary 89-90: ]Among the chants between the readings, the psalm after the first reading is very important. As a rule the psalm to be used is the one assigned to the reading. But in the case of readings for the Common of Saints, ritual Masses, Masses for various needs and occasions, votive Masses, and Masses for the dead the choice is left up to the priest celebrating. He will base his choice on the principle of the pastoral benefit of those participating. But to make it easier for the people to join in the response to the psalm, the Order of Readings lists certain other texts of psalms and responses that have been chosen according to the various seasons or classes of saints. Whenever the psalm is sung, these texts may replace the text corresponding to the reading. The chant between the second reading and the gospel is either specified in each Mass and correlated with the gospel or else it is left as a choice to be made from those in the series belonging to a liturgical season or to one of the Commons.

Of course it's licit: GIRM option 4: "alius cantus aptus".

Of course it's licit: GIRM option 4: "alius cantus aptus".

This is, of course, not the do-whatever-you-want rubric people want it to be (either to do whatever they want or to ridicule the liturgical reform).

Moreover, for twenty years it reads "alius cantus congruus". Congruus limits the alternative choices to be concordant to the text and purpose of the prescribed chant.

There are over a dozen chants to choose from between those two commons when one considers the Graduale Romanum, the Simplex, and the Missal, so using the ferial chants might be the easiest option; and, if the idea of singing the chants instead of hymns is new, it might be the most pastoral.

The ease of having fewer options to choose from is what led me to my initial impulse to simply use the ferial chants. However...

what would be the point of marking the memorial of St. Peter Claver with OT23, or the current time?

...this comment has led me to reflect more on what would be ideal/appropriate, so I have chosen the chants from the Common of Holy Men and Women: for those who practiced works of mercy instead of the ferial propers

The multiplicity of options makes it difficult to plan music. I wish I could just use the Bloom propers tool to give me the one permitted set, but alas the O.F. doesn't tend to work that way.