Chanting the Gospel in OF
  • PeterG
    Posts: 36
    I would greatly appreciate help to argue the desirability of chanting the Gospel. We have recently established a monthly 'Solemn Mass' and are now seeking ways of increasing the solemnity and reverence. Wrong way round, I know but we're trying to move in the right direction.
    Having listened to the excellent demonstration tutorial on this site and realising how easy the Gospel tone is, I proposed that our celebrants be trained to sing it. However, I've encountered some resistance to the idea: "the Gospel is intended to be read not sung".
    Grateful for any arguments, documentation etc that might help me get some traction on this issue.
    Peter
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    Professor William Mahrt spoke about his experience with chanted Scripture readings in his opening talk at the 2007 CMAA Colloquium in Washington.

    Are you familiar with the model described in Musicam Sacram (1967)? In that document's hierarchy of the musical parts of the Mass, the Scripture readings are toward the end of the list, so there's a lot to do before then -- congratulations if your parish has reached that level of musical practice!
  • dvalerio
    Posts: 341
    In practice the order of importance of Mass parts set up in instruction Musicam Sacram is often disregarded. While ignoring completely the list, or systematically perverting its framework, is surely a very bad idea, chanting the Gospel in a Mass reverently celebrated even if the Credo is not sung or the Offertory is passed in silence appears to be an excellent idea. I've seen it done and it significantly adds to the solemnity of the liturgy.

    > "the Gospel is intended to be read not sung"

    Very often this view is advanced because it is felt that when the Gospel is chanted people don't understand the words properly or get distracted. It is not true, I can assure you that by experience.

    Sometimes people advance that view because they feel that chanting the Gospel is somewhat "artificial", too formal, even ridiculous and ostentatious. Such feelings (often not put into words, but lurking in the back of many minds) must be fought by pointing out that Liturgy is not an informal gathering. There's place for that too in Church life, but Liturgy is much more than an informal gathering.

    (It is true that the priest or deacon that sings the Gospel should not sound like ostentatious or ridiculous. Here in Portugal there is a radio station that every Sunday transmits a sung Mass by a priest who sounds so affected and ridiculous that I am most certain that a spoken Mass would be far, far better!!!)
  • rwprof
    Posts: 25
    We chant all readings, not just the Gospel (the Deacon chants the Gospel), to remove the potential "dramatic" elements of reading it.
  • Maureen
    Posts: 675
    Since there are in fact huuuuuuge long troped contemporary settings for all the readings at Easter Vigil including the Gospel/Passion, they aren't even accurate to the weirdness of contemporary Catholic music.

    "If it's good enough for the Pope" might be a good argument for some, but I suppose "If it's good enough for GIA et al" would be a good argument for others. :)
  • Tournemire
    Posts: 74
    I need a chant version of John 15: 9-17 for our upcoming Priest Ordinations. We have begun to chant the Gospel at all major solemnities at the cathedral, however I cannot find a copy for the ordination liturgy. Help?
  • Aristotle EsguerraAristotle Esguerra
    Posts: 1,185
    Here you go — hope this is satisfactory.
    Gospel-Ordination.pdf
    89K
  • Tournemire
    Posts: 74
    Aristotle, you are a God-sent!!!!
    THANK YOU!
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