.

Excellent! If only there were an end to the perceived need to create a lessons and carols service (which often means entertaining those who get to mass early enough to get a seat) before the Christmas night mass and simply use what the church already has and encourages.

I was wondering whether the Holy Father would be on hand for the Office of Readings. To the extent that Tu Es Petrus is being sung between OofR and mass, it makes me think that maybe he won't. Perhaps it will be the canons of the basilica?

I think that the music for the Responsories is taken from the Liber Hymnarius.

Having the schola sing the propers with the congregation is perhaps not so far fetched given the number of clergy and religious in attendance, who might know some chant. It's very gracious that the congregation is invited to join in the responsory, although I wonder how realistic this is.

Just had a crappy schola rehearsal in which people didn't know their parts ... and I'm losing my voice ... oh and the organ is now broken and needs emergency repair work tomorrow ... so ... forgive me if I'm cranky ...

But what, now the PRELUDE to a mass has to follow a specific formula? I don't want to do matins and I'm not doing some liturgical office. The prelude is OUTSIDE of mass and I'll do whatever I please - motets, carols, instrumental music.

Why is it such a wonderful and hallowed thing to do a liturgical office before the mass instead of a program of quality sacred music?

THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN EDITED WITH SMILEY FACES AND BOLD EXPLANATORY COMMENTS I MEANT BUT FAILED TO INSERT.


The Introit/Entrance Hymn itself is a recent addition to the Mass since Mass came after the singing of the liturgical hour and everyone was already sitting/standing/kneeling there. (cool eh?)

Doing a program of sacred music is not liturgy. Is a program of music equal to a novena to the BVM? While not an official liturgy, it would seem to be more "churchly" and liturgical than a concert. So Matins would definitely be liturgical than a concert, for sure.

I understand the thinking that a concert has value, but when you sing Matins, you choose music for Matins....so Matins is singing Propers instead of hymns....and we already know how appropriate that is. My own personal view and enthusiasm is that if we do Matins we do not have to deal with all the sacred cows (smiling) of people showing up to sing their favorite songs and be in the choir just that night but not the rest of the year, the singing of A I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS MY TWO FRONT TEETH, drummer boy, i'm dreaming of...

There is something very, very comfortable about abandoning Carols for pre-ordained texts to be sung.

What are we singing before Mass? Asked as if posed to someone at the Vatican this year

Well:

Magnificat octavi toni Marenzio
Feria O magnum mysterium Palestrina

Beats the heck (pun intended, charles ;<) out of the Little Drummer Boy.<br />
Note to all: I have never, ever had the opportunity to sing really great music before Midnight Mass in a Catholic church. Possibly one great piece, but everything else has been what the choir pushers wanted to sing. I've even experienced beig told by the pastor that every other piece should be a carol for the congregation to sing and then being forced to ignore this by the people in the choir who ran the choir...and really good singers out the door.

Now, now-
Uncle Noel, Uncle Charles... it's the Holidays!

More eggnog, less... whatever-that-was.

Sounds like in the situations that you have been in, Matins is a good way to demand better music.

We are doing a prelude consisting of Victoria's "O Magnum Mysterium," Hassler's "Cantate Domino," Rutter's "What Sweeter Music," Corelli's "Christmas Concerto," as well as some other things, finishing with "Dominus Dixit" as the clock strikes 12.

No Matins for us.

I'm going to wear red nail polish and dangelly earrings for Midnight Mass, because the choir really likes it when I dress up.

Charles?

Don Roy

HAHAHAHAHA!!

I thank everyone for their patience, or at least tolerance, as we work out the communication thing Noel validly raises.
You cannot put "backstory," perspective and sub-text into every comment or even post that will suffice for all to glean something useful and positive. If presumption is a factor in comprehension, then I suspect I need to work upon presuming the best intention from all, and not get waylayed over either content or tone.
The bounce over from a post I composed for the Cafe to this thread had too many atomic ricochets. So, I'm passed all that. Funny how good things can spring forth from unexpected sources. I provided music for a barber's funeral this morning, and prior to that did some googling of Matins, and learned quite a bit more. So much so, that those who've suggested the "why not Matins?" approach to the eleventh hour have spurred me to file that for next year; too late for a retrofit at tomorrow's "event."
As far as nail polish and earrings, hmmm. Being an accomplished guitarist, I actually do have a glaze over my four right hand nails edified by some special light thing the manicurist uses to quicken the glaze stuff into the nails. However, it is clear. I do love it when the parochial school kidz ask me why they're polished though. And when they also inquire to some tattoos on my forearms, which I try to obscure wearing long-sleeve shirts.
As a child of the sixties, both ears have a single piercing, done decades ago while watching "Night of the Living Dead," consuming greasy bbq ribs and difficult swallows of NightTrain and Thunderbird with a leather needle and an apple. But I gave up sporting studs or dangles as the years and pounds accumulated. I suppose I could let the hair grow one last time, get the leather vest, put the fat guy on his Harley and top it off with some pirate-like hoops or whatnot.
My guys in our choir, we all wear Navy Sport Jackets, grey slacks, white shirts and seasonal colored ties, in this case towards red/green/silver/gold, and socks/dress shoes. No flipflops tho' it is California. I often will sport a vest as well. And if I'm really jaunty, a bow tie in honor of himself in Auburn.
Almost happy "Hodie Christus natus est" day to all, and to all a buona noce.
PS. for the record here and the other thread, at our mother parish of four, we do chant the entire Mass with one vicar and have done the entire ICEL English setting now twice since Advent. Brickbrick.

I've never seen that Gospel Acclamation before. Forgive my ignorance. Where is it from?

I decided to use the Papal Mass selections as the basis for what we did for Midnight Mass at my dad's parish. I chanted the SEP for the introit and used the ICEL settings. I used the Gospel Acclamation from Pope Benedict's Installation Mass.

It would have been great to have prayed the office. but. given the rainy weather we were having and the fact that we had a few latecomers. it was just not feasible. We did not sing beforehand.