Christmas eve ‘Entrance’ order
  • Cmanfro
    Posts: 18
    May I tap into your expertise, forum?
    Imagine Midnight mass, Christmas eve - we’ll have choral meditations as a 30-min. prelude.
    THEN, in what order would these fall:

    1- Christmas Proclamation (the last prelude?)
    2- Latin chant Introit (Dominus dixit) as Father processes to the Manger & incenses or blesses)
    3- Father then proceeds to the altar & incenses while we sing ‘opening hymn… Adeste Fidelis

    Is it in proper order? Crunching in too much?
    (Although Father did request all 3 pieces)
    Thank you in advance!
  • trentonjconn
    Posts: 622
    We'll be doing this:
    1. Carols, followed by prelude
    2. Procession from sacristy to creche (very short distance; I'll improv something subdued and contemplative)
    3. Christmas proclamation
    4. Blessing of creche
    5. "O Come, All Ye Faithful" (altar party processes from creche to chancel)
    6. Introit as they approach the altar and incensation begins

    The introit is for the incensing of the altar and the beginning of Mass. It makes (to me) very little sense to sing it during the blessing of the creche.
    Thanked by 1OMagnumMysterium
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    For us Midnight Mass has the Christ Child enthroned on the altar. After Mass a procession is formed, and we sing Adeste Fideles as we process to the Crib. At the crib the Christ Child is placed in the manger. We then sing the proclamation, and the Marian Anthem as is customary after Sung Mass in England.
  • CatholicZ09
    Posts: 284
    This is what we’ve done at my home parish:

    Christmas Proclamation
    Ministers process to crib while “Silent Night” is sung.
    Priest blesses crèche.
    Ministers process to sanctuary while “O Come, All Ye Faithful” is sung.
  • cmb
    Posts: 86
    1. Proclamation
    2. Adeste with the procession. Depending on the length of the procession and length of the church, it may be wise to wait until the 3rd verse to start processing – assuming you want to sing all 4 verses.
    3. Introit during the incensing of the creche and altar.
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 548
    I like

    1. Proclamation
    2. Introit, celebrant to crèche.
    3. Blessing of crèche
    4. Adeste fideles for procession and incensation.

    Ideally the crèche and procession are arranged in such a way that the introit is the right length for the trip to the crèche AND there is enough walking to be done afterwards (e.g. by circling back down a side aisle) that Adeste doesn’t seem unduly long. Where this is not possible, say, when the crèche is at the end of the centre aisle right in front of the altar, I’ve done Adeste vss. 1 through X, blessing of crèche, Adeste vss. Y-end, introit.
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