Opening Hymn AND Introit in EF?
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 781
    My parish has started doing a monthly EF Mass; we did the first one as a Low Mass, but since then have done a Missa Cantata. I have now had a couple people ask me "why don't we sing an opening hymn like such-and-such parish does for their EF?" I really haven't been to that many other churches for their EF, but it sounds like it is pretty common (at least maybe just in SE Michigan?) for there to be an opening hymn followed by the introit.
    Seems strange to me. I checked with my priest, and he thankfully confirmed that we will NOT be doing that, but now I guess I need to work on my research as to *why* not. He lent me a copy of The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described, and I've skimmed that as well as De Musica Sacra, here's the only interesting things I've found- (I'll probably look more tomorrow when I have some time unless someone has quicker answers.)

    Fortesque says on p. 170 "Polyphony in the vernacular and metrical hymns are excluded during the liturgy proper, that is from the entrance of the sacred ministers until the Ite Missa Est inclusive." (in the section referring to solemn/sung Mass.) But I ask, from *where* does he get his authority? I would like the official church document that actually says that, please! (Also, he says in that same paragraph, "After the offertory and communion antiphons have been sung, an appropriate motet may be sung in Latin." Given what he just said, I would also like to ask, *what* is the difference between a "metrical hymn" and a "motet" if they are both in Latin? couldn't they be almost the same thing? Why would he exclude one and permit the other? Especially if the "motet" is completely homophonic--their structure would be pretty much identical!)

    De Musica Sacra: 33. The faithful may sing hymns during low Mass, if they are appropriate to the various parts of the mass.
    (no mention of hymns for Missa Cantata, I believe.)

    I think I need to address/explain this issue with people, both from the idea of "we don't have to do something just because everyone else is doing it," but more importantly, from the idea that we shouldn't "add" things to Mass that aren't there. This is the principal. We don't hold hands at the Our Father because it *doesn't say to!* And it doesn't explicitly prohibit everything that we shouldn't do! I'm not sure where exactly is the document that has the most authority that describes the music for the EF, but I'm pretty sure if I could find it, it would say, "The choir sings the Introit as the priest goes to the altar at high mass, and an opening hymn at low mass." NOT "An opening hymn is sung followed by the introit." Or "you have the option to sing both." etc, you get the idea.

    (I feel like I should know this ...but, what would be the equivalent for the 1962 missal of the 2002 GIRM?)

    However, I do recognize the desire that people have to sing...and I will remind and encourage them that they are more than welcome to join in singing the Ordinary. Or, that if they really want to sing hymns, they should attend our weekly OF, which is quite reverent itself!

    (but, DARN these churches nearby me who give my parishioners annoying ideas of what we "should" do! Who gave THEM the idea that we should sing an opening hymn at a missa cantata?) :-)
  • rsven
    Posts: 43
    Dear Marajoy, For what's it's worth, I play an Ef Mass every week. We open with a hymn from (!) Gather, while the priests process. Then follows the ASPERGES, which is followed (after the priests change vestments) by the Introit and Kyrie and , season permitting, Gloria. Personally, I miss the procession to the Introit; but it seems that in the EF, the Asperges must preceed it. But this works fine for us. Amazing what you can do with a hymnal.
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    This does not answer your question, but - a hymn is by definition metrical verse, and is so whether the tune is plainchant or 'metrical'. The only exception I know of is Te Deum. Are there others?
  • mahrt
    Posts: 517
    The classical hymns are, in addition to the Te Deum, the Gloria and the Sanctus of the Mass.

    I think that the documentation concerning hymns at a missa cantata in the EF is negative, i.e., it took a special indult to allow hymns at a low Mass , the context of which suggests pretty strongly that this was not even a question for the missa cantata.

    I seem to recall that at Msgr. Schuler's church, the order was: the celebrant and an acolyte came out and conducted the Asperges, and then went back into the sacristy, changed to the chasuble and then the entire procession came out from the sacristy, and made an extensive procession through the church and into the sanctuary.
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • Steve CollinsSteve Collins
    Posts: 1,021
    The difference is precisely in whether the Sacred Ministers "process" or simply "enter". A procession needs accompanying music, and outside of the Mass, it can be in the vernacular. OTOH "Introit" = "entrance", i.e. into the Sanctuary to begin the Prayers at the foot of the Altar.
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 781
    sorry, by "hymn" I do actually mean something metrical (and even in English, as that is what these people expect!)

    I'm not sure where else to look for the specific rubrics besides Fortesque and De Musica Sacra; where else might the official documentation be that discusses hymns (so I can cite it), whether they are forbidden or simply don't mention them for anything besides a low Mass?

    And, where might there be an eloquent already-written explanation of why metrical hymns are not very appropriate in the liturgy to begin with? (I have the past few years of Sacred Music mag., I'm sure there have been articles that at least mentioned this, I'm just not sure if there have been any specifically about this subject. Can anyone direct me to any that might mention it?)
  • Chrism
    Posts: 868
    My parish has started doing a monthly EF Mass

    1) First off, welcome aboard!

    I have now had a couple people ask me "why don't we sing an opening hymn like such-and-such parish does for their EF?"

    2) As you can tell from Google searching newspaper archives, Processional hymns are a long-standing custom at Sung and Solemn Tridentine Masses in the United States. They are universal in my neck of the woods. As you can tell from your legislative research, this custom has never been explicitly prohibited. To be clear about the importance of this point, in the canon law system, long-standing customs have the benefit of the law. You would not be "introducing" anything, if you were to sing a processional hymn at an EF in Michigan.

    3) Fortescue, writing in England in 1917, seems to think that vernacular music should stop at the entrance of the sacred ministers (thus moving any pre-Mass hymn to before the Procession). However, well before 1900, the Vatican allowed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar to be spoken or sung in the vernacular.

    4) As far as your pamphlet goes, remember that if you claim that Processional hymns are FORBIDDEN, you are essentially accusing all the other American EF priests and music directors out there of objectively SERIOUS SIN. That shouldn't stop you if you are in the right, but you should be certain that you are in the right about the law, and not just about aesthetics and ideals.

    5) There is one very important and solemnly binding legal reason why Processional hymns will not be sung at your parish:

    I checked with my priest, and he thankfully confirmed that we will NOT be doing that
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 781
    I don't think I'm going to say they are forbidden (unless I find documentation saying that, which I don't think I will,) I think my main line of reasoning will be, "it's not explicitly prescribed by the Church, and since we try to not add things to the liturgy, we won't be doing it."
    but thanks for the points! :-)
  • Chrism
    Posts: 868
    Well, that's better, but that hermeneutic, "not explicitly prescribed by the Church," may be problematic for you on a number of fronts: 1) it is strange to the EF, which admits and cherishes venerable local customs, even in music; 2) it is inconsistent with what must actually happen at Mass, especially at the altar, where much (like accents, bells, candles and decoration) is not prescribed and varies from locale to locale; 3) it will bind tightly you and Father later in ways that are probably intolerable; 4) it (the hermeneutic) is not itself explicitly prescribed by the Church, and you are therefore violating it by adding it.

    One example in which you are clearly following American custom is by describing the liturgy as a "High Mass". In the prescriptive law, it is usually called a "sung Mass without sacred ministers". In England, "High Mass" has a different meaning.

    While I understand that this hermeneutic is very helpful in dealing with parish councils at the OF, where "not explicitly prescribed by the Church" is often a euphemism for novelties, profanities and liturgical expressions of heresies which are explicitly proscribed by the Church, this does not carry over well to the EF. Also, in the OF, the processional hymn (which is a "prescribed option") actually competes with the Introit; at the EF they can coexist peacefully.

    I would propose, as an alternative, merely telling anyone who asks, that Father is "following the more Romano" by omitting an opening hymn.
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 781
    Chrism--

    - what do you mean "it will bind tightly you and Father later in ways that are probably intolerable"
    - what do you mean "following the more Romano"
  • JahazaJahaza
    Posts: 468
    what do you mean "following the more Romano"

    It's a Latin phrase meaning "the Roman custom."
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    In Detroit, hymns (of all sorts) are used before the Introit, but it's done to accompany the procession prior to the Sprinkling Rite. Then the Introit follows the Asperges Me, as the priest changes vestments and goes to begin the prayers at the foot of the altar. There's no reason it HAS to be a hymn or that you HAVE to do the Sprinking Rite.
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    Some may be interested to know that Fr. Michael Magiera's first Mass had at least one opening Hymn.
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,217
    In Detroit, hymns (of all sorts) are used before the Introit, but it's done to accompany the procession prior to the Sprinkling Rite. Then the Introit follows the Asperges Me, as the priest changes vestments and goes to begin the prayers at the foot of the altar.

    That's consistent with what I know of the EF.

    First, a minor clarification: while Rome may have authorized vernacular use in the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, that didn't happen universally; it was an indult for certain European countries. Rome DID authorize (encourage??) recitation of the Prayers and all other responses in Latin around 1960 or so.

    As to using a metrical/vernacular hymn before the Mass: it seems that the most prudent course would be to use such a hymn during the procession before the Asperges. It's pretty clear from documents that I've read, such as Musicam Sacram, that for a "Solemn Mass" or "High Mass", the Introit is the ONLY thing which should be sung, and that in Latin.

    By the way, most anything you need to know about this can be found in Mgr. Hayburn's book "Papal Legislation on Sacred Music."
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 781
    (alright, Gavin, tell your Detroit traddies to stop coming to my church and telling me what to do b/c we "have to do it like everyone else does it!" ;-) hehe...)

    right...so, the hymn "before the Asperges" IS what we are talking about here. I understand that it is quite common. But is it appropriate? Particularly in a church that (since it is brand-new in its celebration of the EF) has NO "long standing custom" in this actual parish.

    Also... this is not a huge, almost-abandoned old downtown church. This is a small country church. I would not be trying to "fill time" by having the congregation sing a hymn, since the aisle takes about 12 seconds to walk down... (I'd hardly be done with the hymn introduction!) Is that a decent reason to not try and do a hymn here? (eg, "we don't want the priest to be kept waiting")
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,217
    I'm from Milwaukee, not a refugee from DTW.

    Given what you describe, I think it's perfectly fine to tell someone that there IS such a thing as "too much music" in/around the Mass. (Don't try to tell that to the ICK. They think they know better.)

    Again, given your situation, it's a matter of taste. Neither "yes" nor "no" is a matter of necessity.
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