I'm just so thrilled about this. It is the greatest thing ever to just jump in and do the thing.

Jeffrey, I forgot to thank you, as you were the one who really got the ball rolling. Having read your articles on music, I felt empowered to do something. One thing is to say, "Yeah, I would love to see that in my parish"; quite another is to actually try it. Sure, there are sacrifices to be made, especially if one is barely learning how to read music, but, the effort is well worth it.

-Latin introit w/ accomp
-(psalm was read)
-Aristotle Esguerra's gospel acclamation
-Attende Domine for distribution of ashes
-SEP offertory w/ accomp
-Latin sanctus acapella
-(mem. acc. / amen / our father were spoken)
-Latin agnus dei w/ accomp
-SEP communion w/ accomp
-Postlude: organ arr. & improv. on Immutemur Habitu by Jose M.N. Garcia

For last night's Mass at my dad's parish, we had the organist. Unfortunately, we were unable to transpose the keys and, sadly, I sounded like a screeching cat. I do wish that the pitch would be set at a lower vocal range.

I am convinced that the SEPs were probably not meant for use with the organ. They are meant to be chanted. Somehow, adding the organ, especially during Lent, takes away some of the beauty from the chant. Nonetheless, despite my screeching, everything else seemed to have gone well.

At the mid-day Mass, the ashes were distributed after the homily. The same held true for the evening Mass. Having the little worship aids at the noon Mass really helped a lot so that there was no confusion. It was great to have nearly everyone on the same page, so to speak.

At the evening Mass, the organist and I went on pretty much the same order that I used for the noon Mass. The only change that we made was that he chanted Parce Domine as the second hymn for the distribution of Ashes. That worked really well.

I took the music used for the Papal Ash Wednesday Mass as my model for what I chose yesterday. I plead guilty to having bid on and, subsequently winning, the Papal Mass booklet for last year's Ash Wednesday liturgy. I used what I could and set the Attende Domine as the offertory hymn, since that is what had been done in Rome. For me, it's not Lent if the Attende Domine is missing in action.

It also meant a lot to me to have our parochial vicar chanting the Attende Domine in Latin along with me.

At my small Southern parish, we did this:

Entrance: The Glory of these Forty Days (from OCP hymnal)
Kyrie: Mass XVI (we're planning to use the DuMont starting next week)
Responsorial Psalm: Respond and Acclaim
Gospel Acclamation: Respond and Acclaim, to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (anybody else notice this eerie similarity?)
Distribution of Ashes: An Wasserflüssen Babylon by Pachelbel (because I've had a dreadful cold for a week and sounded like an elderly goose, so I didn't put the congregation through listening to an attempt on Emendemus)
Offering: O Breathe on Me, O Breath of God (from OCP hymnal)
Offertory: sadly omitted (see above)
Sanctus, Anamnesis, Lamb of God: from my own miserable setting, revised for MR3
Communion: Qui meditabitur in English, from the Palmer-Burgess Gradual, with verses from Communio with English Verses. Comparisons to elderly geese were not spoken out loud, at least not where I could hear them, but the Communion is important, and it was not as vocally demanding as some of the other pieces.
Also "Softly and Tenderly" from the OCP hymnal.
Recessional: We Will Rise Again from the OCP Hymnal. This is a parish-wide Mass, and we have to pick things that will please all the ensembles. I would have preferred silence to any hymn, but that won't fly at my parish just yet.

benedictgal,

What is the reason for your conviction that the SEP is intended for acapella use only?

Ryand. Thank you for asking. I have been chanting the SEPs for almost eight months acapella. I have also listened to the Sistine Chapel Choir chanting without accompaniment. There is that sense of returning to sacred music in its purist form.

The human voice is the original instrument. While the organ is, perhaps, the instrument that comes closest to the human voice, chant, as I have experienced it, is best done without accompaniment.

Even if the notes for the organ had been transposed so that they could have been within my range, I still believed that the SEPs would seem better suited without accompaniment.

Someone above commented on DBP's use of the organ on Ash Wednesday at Mt Calvary in Baltimore. True, in the Roman rite, the organ's use is permitted sparingly if at all during Lent. In the Anglican tradition, though, there is some variety (I hesitate to say 'laxity') in this regard. There is a plenitude of beautiful and fitting organ music for Lent and Holy Week, and it is not at all uncommon to make use of it in Anglican usage. Quite a few Anglican churches follow the norms of the Roman rite during this season, but this is by no means compulsory or uniform in our practice. Much, very much, commends the Roman legislation in this regard, but the evocative spiritual value of penitential organ music is also commendable. The important point in all this is that, if the organ is used, it should be with restraint, and should contribute to the spiritual mood of the season. It seems to me that it would be most appropriate for Roman rite musicians to observe their historic norms, and that those of Anglican Use parishes should be most judicious in their choices if they choose at all to have the organ make a contribution to liturgy of the season.

MJO, you do realize that wasn't DBP's posting, right, but Ryand's?

I too wouldn't support any instrumental music (or postlude) on Ash Wednesday...it is a Lenten weekday. I wouldn't do it on Sundays in Lent, either, but if someone did ONLY AFTER MASS, I suppose it would be justifiable since Sundays are solemnities. However, I think the absence of the Alleluia and Gloria should be a hint to us organists. :)

The solution is to give a Lenten organ recital. Anyone that can't hear the Crucifixion portrayed musically toward the end of Bach's "O Lamm Gott" organ chorale just might have a heart of stone...so why let your parishioners miss out on that?

Way to go C in CA - fight flame with flame?

Cool.

I've gotta admit, I'm a bit confused as to why some (Charles and JDE) experienced Kyries/Penitential Rites on Ash Wednesday...

@Ryan, yeah, we cool.
@Chuck- I'm happy you got the point of the rococo excess. (Lipstick, sow maxim) Noel's been busting me for years on that point, rightly so.
@MJM: had no choice, parochial vicar initiated the chanted confiteor, hence....

Church of the Holy Innocents, NYC
Feria quarta cinerum Ash Wednesday

Missa cantata in forma extraordinaria 08:30
Gregorian Propers from Graduale Romanum
Ordinary: Mass XVIII from Kyriale
Prose: Attende Domine
Marian Antiphon: Ave Regina caelorum (Mode VI)
Blessed Ashes distributed after Mass

Missa solemnis in forma extraordinaria 18:00
preceded by Blessing and Imposition of Ashes
Exaudi nos (Mode VII)
Immutemur (Mode I)
Juxta vestibulum (Mode IV)
Emendemus (Mode II)
Mass as above

Low Masses in the Ordinary Form were offered at 07:00, 07:30, 08:00, 12:15, 13:15, and 17:00. In addition, ashes were distributed continuously from 07:00 - 19:00 to well over 5,000 people and confessions were heard throughout the day.

I was going to let PaixGioiaAmor do this, but he's not in a bragging mood, I guess. So here's what he did:
Introit: Misereris omnium Dominum, Gregorian
Psalm: Jeffrey Quick (I wrote this for Michael O'Connor, but since it was there...)
Imposition: Parce Domine, Gregorian
Offertory: Lord, for Thy tender mercies' sake, Farrant (not what we were going to do, but people don't learn their notes)
Sanctus to Agnus: ICEL chant
Communion: Qui meditabitur, Gregorian
Motet: Parce Domine, Obrecht
Hymn: Lord who throughout these 40 days (St. Flavian)

Re Mt. Calvary: When we manage to silence the instruments in the Roman Rite churches (and not until), we can have an attitude about Anglican Use (if then; I'm a "let a hundred flowers bloom" kind of guy myself). At St. James (which is ACC, not RC). the organ was only off for Holy Week, until the Gloria of the Easter Vigil, and that seemed quite enough. The last year I was there, the power was out in the church but not the parish hall. The handyman/tenor hauled a ton of extension cords out of his truck so there was light at the altar, and a table lamp for the choir, but 240 for the blower wasn't happening. We tried our best to sub for the organ...which fortunately was back on for Easter.

In the past we have followed the GIRM with regards to the organ in Lent. Now I just subdue it and perform Lenten organ voluntaries that are way too beautiful not to play especially on a fine instrument. During Holy Week we do not use the organ except when necessary for support of singing.

The masses at this parish for Ash Wednesday number five with one mass said.
All the masses are standing room only serving about 3000 folks.

Mass 10:00 A.M. Parish School (Piano with school student cantors and instrumentalists)
Processional Hymn The Lord, your mercy does extend, TALLIS CANON
Psalm Guimont
Lenten Gospel Acclamation Praise to you, Word of God, Gardner (WLP)
Imposition of Ashes Deep within, Return to God, Remember your love
Offertory Improvisation
Sanctus Mass of Resurrection, DeBryurn
Agnus Dei Vat. Ed. XVIII
Communion Hymn Adoramus te, Joncas (GIA)
Recessional Hymn Weekly text. PASSION CHORALE - one verse
Marked with a cross of ashes a sign of hope and love.
God Father, Son and Spirit, One God in heav’n above,
O hold us in your care Lord, throughout these forty days.
Fed by your Blood and Body, we walk in grace-filled ways.

Mass 12 Noon Cantor and Organ
Processional Hymn The Lord, your mercy does extend, TALLIS CANON
Psalm Guimont
Lenten Gospel Acclamation Praise to you, Word of God, Gardner (WLP)
Imposition of Ashes Deep within, Return to God, Remember your love
Offertory Improvisation
Sanctus Mass of Resurrection, DeBryurn
Agnus Dei Vat. Ed. XVIII
Communion Hymn Adoramus te, Joncas (GIA)
Recessional Hymn Weekly text. PASSION CHORALE - one verse
Postlude: Soft improvisation on Passion CHORALE

Mass 5:00 P.M. Cantor and Organ+
Organ Voluntary: O Mensch Bewein Dein Sunden, Bach
Processional Hymn The Lord, your mercy does extend, TALLIS CANON
Psalm Guimont
Lenten Gospel Acclamation Praise to you, Word of God, Gardner (WLP)
Imposition of Ashes Deep within, Return to God, Remember your love
Offertory Organ: Ich Ruf Zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ, Bach
Sanctus Mass of Resurrection, DeBryurn Agnus Dei Vat. Ed. XVIII
Agnus Dei Vat. Ed. XVIII
Communion Hymn Adoramus te, Joncas (GIA)
Recessional Hymn PASSION CHORALE - one verse
Postlude: Soft improvisation on Passion CHORALE


Mass 7:30 P.M. Choral Mass+
Organ: O Mensch Bewein Dein Sunden, Bach
Choral Introit Remember, Harris (GIA)
Processional Hymn The Lord, your mercy does extend, TALLIS CANON
Psalm Guimont
Lenten Gospel Acclamation Praise to you, Word of God, Gardner (WLP)
Universal Prayers chanted
Imposition of Ashes Miserere Mei Deus, Allegri
Offertory Anthem O only hope, Salieri (GIA)
Preface dialogues and preface, chanted
Sanctus Mass of Resurrection, DeBryurn Agnus Dei Vat. Ed. XVIII
Agnus Dei Vat. Ed. XVIII
Communion verse (Psalm Tone)
Communion Hymn Adoramus te, Joncas (GIA)
Recessional Hymn PASSION CHORALE - one verse
Postlude: Soft improvisation on Passion

+Mass is completely chanted according to the Roman Missal by the priest and deacon except for the Eucharistic Prayer.

Hoffman, you guys have come a long way since I first set foot in the parish back in 1987, when Bill Davis was the director of music. In fact, there are still a few things that I imported from my old parish so that I could use them down here. What I really enjoy using is the Lenten Gospel acclaimed.atkon by David Hurd, as well as Richard Proulx's Mass settings.