Options for Easier Offertory for EF Mass
  • WJA
    Posts: 237
    Our parish will have its first EF High Mass next month for the 20th Sunday post-Pentecost and I'm figuring out the music.

    We already know Mass VIII and almost know Mass XI, so the ordinary is taken care of except the creed. I think we'll learn III, unless someone has a better suggestion.

    For the propers, I think we can learn and competently execute the GR introit and communion and the Chants Abreges gradual and alleluia.

    That leaves the offertory. The GR offertory is rather melismatic for our little band, so I've looked for an easier alternative that is still chant. All I've found is the Rossini psalm tone version. I briefly considered just photoshopping out the melismas in the GR offertory, but figured I could be struck by lightning.

    So is Rossini it? Assuming I could get our best singer learn the GR offertory, could he chant it solo?

    Any other bright ideas?
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 431
    Credo I is easier than Credo III, and it is far superior chant. You would, of course, be justified in doing Credo III if your choir and congregation knew it; but I think that, ceteris paribus, you would be wiser to teach Credo I.

    Single cantors often sang the proper (and sometimes the ordinary) in the old days. If your choir CANNOT sing the offertory, I think you would be justified in having the cantor sing it alone. The psalm tone offertory would serve if it were followed by a motet; otherwise, it will not cover the offertory action.
  • Steve CollinsSteve Collins
    Posts: 1,022
    Propers could be sung by a choir in Anglican chant also.

    Communion Psalm verses could be sung to Anglican chant alternating with the Gradulae melody of the Antiphon.

    And Introit could start with the Antiphon from the Graduale, the Psalm verse in Anglican chant, the GP in Gregorian, and the reprise of the Antiphon in Anglican.
  • dvalerio
    Posts: 341
    > 20th Sunday post-Pentecost

    Is this Offertory the «Super flumina Babylonis»? I guess that if your choir cannot learn the gregorian chant, then Rice's setting for two voices (TB) and organ is also out of question, since it is also too difficult...?
  • WJA
    Posts: 237
    Is this Offertory the «Super flumina Babylonis»? I guess that if your choir cannot learn the gregorian chant, then Rice's setting for two voices (TB) and organ is also out of question, since it is also too difficult...?


    Yes, I think that would be harder for us than learning the chant.

    Propers could be sung by a choir in Anglican chant also.


    I don't have any Anglican chant books, unfortunately.

    Single cantors often sang the proper (and sometimes the ordinary) in the old days. If your choir CANNOT sing the offertory, I think you would be justified in having the cantor sing it alone. The psalm tone offertory would serve if it were followed by a motet; otherwise, it will not cover the offertory action.


    I think the solo cantor is the route to take. Thanks, as always, for the helpful suggestions.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    How about an offertory that is suitable from the Graduale Simplex?
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    The Simplex provides settings for 49 Offertory texts, but "Super flumina" is not one of them.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    Is it not permitted to substitute an OT Graduale Simplex Offertory when a GR is not possible? I understood that was the reason the GS was created, to serve as an step in between singing the Rossini Propers and the GR...

    It would seem that a seasonal Offertory sung from the GS would be preferable to Rossini. But then, since this is an EF Mass, I may be totally wrong. Educate me, please!
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    I'm not aware of an option to substitute a different (seasonal) text in an EF sung Mass. Let me know if it's documented somewhere.

    On the other hand, there are several alternatives to the Gregorian proper: a setting from the Chants Abregés; the Graduale Simplex, if the text is in there; a polyphonic setting; a setting in "modern sacred music", a psalm tone, and recto tono.

    In the 1958 De musica sacra, para. 17 and 18 allow polyphony and modern sacred music; 21c says if the choir can't sing the Gregorian proper from liturgical books, the only licit options are a psalm tone or recto tono. (I'm counting the Chants Abregés and the Graduale Simplex as acceptable liturgical books, since they were approved, even though the GS didn't appear until 1967.)
  • dvalerio
    Posts: 341
    > I'm not aware of an option to substitute a different (seasonal) text in an EF sung Mass.

    There is none.

    > I think that would be harder for us than learning the chant.

    This rules out CPDL's polyphonic versions by Palestrina, Lassus et al., then... :)

    If a psalm-tone annoys you for being too simple and plain, you might try to make it more difficult (and beautiful) by using a faux-bourdon...

    If the Offertory becomes too short because you use a psalm-tone, remember you can sing the Offertory's verses (also using the psalm-tone) to extend the chant (as allowed by rubric VI from the rites for singing Mass in the 1961 GR). There used to be three verses in this particular Offertory, and since it is taken from a psalm you may sing even more verses from the same psalm using the psalm-tone.
  • BruceL
    Posts: 1,072
    I second the thought that a cantor should do the offertory solo; provided 1) the singer is good, and/or 2) the room is a decent acoustic, it would work fine.

    You could also psalm tone the offertory and follow it with an organ improvisation on the actual GR proper, but this is not always the best solution liturgically or aesthetically.
  • Steve CollinsSteve Collins
    Posts: 1,022
    Part of the creation of Anglican chant, as we know it today, was as faux-bourdon arrangements of Gregorian tones. Chant is chant. Anglican chant is actually an easier "formula" than the complexities of the various endings, etc. in the Gregorian tones - and therefore more flexible. I've used Anglican chant in both traditional and modern English, Spanish, and Latin. It works well in any language.
    Thanked by 1Patricia Cecilia
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    I agree with Stevea about Anglican Chant. People who want to sing it latch on to it quickly.
    Thanked by 1Patricia Cecilia
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