Entrance Hymn
  • frater
    Posts: 16
    This question has only to do with the Extraordinary Form of Mass. After the bell has rung and the organ starts playing the entrance hymn, all stand and start to sing, when should the hymn come to an end? I say as soon the priest starts the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. I was taught that the priest shouldn't be kept waiting until we finish the hymn. If we want to sing all the verses of a certain hymn, is it acceptable to delay the priests' coming out of the sacristy until maybe the last verse, so as to not keep the priest waiting the start the prayers. If we are still singing when the priest starts the prayers at the foot of the altar, then we will be standing to finish the hymn.

    Any direction would be appreciated.
  • Steve CollinsSteve Collins
    Posts: 1,021
    It depends on the priest and customs at the particular church. Most priests keep the Prayers at the Foot between themselves and the servers. Even in the EF Mass, they are still somewhat preparatory. Please notice that, when the priest ascends to the Mensa, and goes to the Missale, he begins the Introit (recited) with the Sign of the Cross. This is the ancient beginning of the Mass. By this time ALL else going on in the nave should cease. I have been in one community that all present participated in the PatF, and I liked being able to respond aloud. In that case, we sang only a few verses while he set up the Altar and came back down.

    A parallel question would be the Offertory - do you stop before the "Orate, fratres" or not? Again, it depends on the local tradition. I think most EF priests keep that between them and the servers. If you do continue the hymn at that point, you really must be into the last verse in order not to keep him waiting for the conclusion of the Secret.
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 429
    Unless the Asperges is to precede the Mass, there is little justification for having and entrance hymn.

    The choir should be singing the introit while the priest approaches the altar. The SINGING of the introit and Kyrie should continue uninterrupted through the (submissa voce) Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, the censing, and the celebrant's submissa voce recitation of the introit and Kyrie.

    If the Asperges is to precede the Mass, nothing precludes the singing of a hymn while the ministers approach the foot of the altar for the Asperges. (This is not part of the liturgy.) After the Asperges collect has been sung, the choir then begins the introit. The celebrant goes to the sedilia and exchanges the cope for the chasuble. The singing of the introit and Kyrie continue through the Prayers at the foot of the altar, the censing, and the celebrant's private recitation of the introit and Kyrie.

    Those who are actually engaged in singing the introit do not kneel during the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. Others do, rising when the celebrant ascends the altar steps.

    See the 1961 Graduale Romanum: "Di ritibus servandis in cantu missae" (p. [xxiii] ff.) See also, J.B. O'Connell, THE CEREMONIES OF THE MASS (New ed., rev. Milwaukee : Bruce Pub. Co, 1956), 513 ff.

    At Low Mass, according to O'Connell (p. 520), "The organ should not be played nor should there be any singing during those prayers which the Celebrant recites in a clear voice so that the congregation may hear." The rubrics direct that AT LOW MASS the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar are to be recited in a clear voice. Therefore, an entrance hymn should end before the Celebrant begins these.

    I think it would make more sense for the celebrant and server to recite the Prayers at the Foot of the altar submissa voce while the singing of the hymn continued; but, at least in 1956, the "law" did not permit this practice.

    Did the 1958 Instruction say something different? I don't have it.
  • eft94530eft94530
    Posts: 1,577
    1958-sep-03 De Musica Sacra Et Sacra Liturgia

    http://www.adoremus.org/1958Intro-sac-mus.html

    I periodically re-check the Vatican website, but I have not yet found this 1958 document.
    This is strange, given that a recent document (2004-mar-25 Redemptionis Sacramentum)
    refers to it, and they seem to be working on linking references!

    I do not know where it would appear on the vatican website,
    given the current page layout organisation
    (should documents live with the name of the group that issued them,
    or should they migrate to the current name of the group?).
    In the mean time, the above popular online copy must suffice.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    If you want the Latin original of De musica sacra, it's listed on the CMAA home page too.
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