How bare/stark does the music really have to be during Lent?
  • Laura
    Posts: 13
    The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states in Chapter V, 313:

    "In Lent the playing of the organ and musical instruments is allowed only in order to support the singing. Exceptions, however, are Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent), Solemnities, and Feasts."

    It would seem, then, that if your choir is only going to sing the melody, you only ought to play the melody. In this case, it is unnecessary to "support the singing" of the alto, tenor, and bass notes.

    But hymns without harmonies sound really primitive.

    Does anyone actually do this? Does the Church actually want this?
  • francis
    Posts: 10,828
    I am pretty sure supporting the singing means supporting all the parts. Therefore you can play hymns as usual. I try to reduce the registration and not play hymns that are out of focus with the general attitude of repentance, especially for the opening and closing hymns. Nothing loud and attention getting... I try to 'continue' an attitude of penitence in the closing hymn. I do eliminate preludes or postludes.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700

    I'm not sure how you'd get that you could only play the melody out of that quote...

    And I'm pretty sure it would drive 99% of people insane to just hear an organist playing the melody (in octaves?) for 6 verses of a hymn in English.

    It'd be far better to do it a capella if that was the alternative.
  • YellowRoseofTexasYellowRoseofTexas
    Posts: 91
    I dramatically reduce the registration to a more "straight tone" sound and don't use the pedals. No preludes or postludes, and I don't keep playing after the hymn's done at the Offertory/Communion.
    Thanked by 1DavidOLGC
  • YellowRoseofTexasYellowRoseofTexas
    Posts: 91
    oh, and I'm planning to have the Mass parts (ICEL adaptation) be done a cappella. I think the congregation's ready for it.
  • benedictgal
    Posts: 798
    For the papal Mass on Ash Wednesday, the choir is almost always without accompanyment. Even during the Lenten Papal Masses at the Vatican, the music is chanted completely, sans the organ. Lent is a time when, in this case, less is more.
  • Laura
    Posts: 13
    Another quick question: When the Missal says that "the organ may only be used to support the singing", does this mean that I should not choose pieces that have instrumental parts that are unnecessary to support the singing? For example, I have an arrangement of "Parce Domine" that has an organ interlude that is about 2 lines of music. The liturgy resource that published this does not read the documents (since they added an organ interlude for a Lenten song) . . . or am I being too literal? As a second example, the choir here has been accustomed to singing Mozart's Ave Verum on Holy Thursday. I'm thinking I ought to move that piece to a Sunday outside of Lent, because the accompaniment to Mozart's Ave Verum is certainly more than is "necessary to support the singing", no? Your opinions are so helpful to me! I am a young music director trying to find out what the Church actually wants ...
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,088
    Don't the guitars and drums support the singing?
    This is an exception big enough to drive a semi through, and the traffic through it resembles the Ohio Turnpike. Now, I don't think our business is to exploit loopholes. But if the state of the art as practiced is subjective, then it's a matter of taste how to make it "sound like Lent". No extraneous instrumental music, simple organ, maybe no organ in places you might think it necessary. I would personally think that harmony is needed to support the singing....but no varied verses, big registration changes or descants. YMMV.
    Thanked by 1CCooze
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,417
    Answer: As 'bare/stark' as you can make it. Even this is creative.
    There is really nothing quite so profound as the bare minimum (less than the bare minimum is more profound yet) of accompanied music and absence of instrumental 'ditties' for the duration of Lent and Holy Week. Those who set themselves of this course will reap an awesome reward when Easter bursts forth in all its resplendent glory, dispelling the austerities of Lent. If, for various reasons you are unable to experience such a 'strict observance', I would suggest you get as close to it as you can. This is the Roman Rite. When suddenly the organ bursts forth on Holy Saturday and all the Alleluyas redound to the heavens, you will understant why you observed a Lent of meagre music. This really is a bright facet of the Roman Rite in all its genuine resplendence. Not all traditions share in this austerity. There is, of course, much organ and choral music on Lenten themes and cantus firmi, and Anglicans have in large part availed themselves of these treasures. This is another, valid, way, though it is not the Roman Rite. As I wrap up these thoughts, it seems to me that each should be as earnestly faithful to his and her tradition as possible in order that he and she may reap the spiritual rewards that await at the end of the tunnel. You really do have to go through the tunnel before you can see the light!
    Thanked by 1DavidOLGC
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