Organist cassock and surplice
  • Protasius
    Posts: 468
    I just received the choir director's answer on the Mass and cassocks; the choir is vested in red cassock all around the year, except Advent and Lent when they wear violet cassocks. This corresponds to the habit of cardinals before the Reforms of Paul VI., when their choir habit made the same change for funerals, Advent, Lent, Ember days and other days of fasting like Vigils.
    That beautiful Mass they sang was the Missa Stabat Mater by Jheronimus Vinders.
  • Patricia Cecilia
    Posts: 400
    In the Anglo-Catholic church where I work, the tradition was the DM and organist in black cassock, split-sleeve surplice, and academic hood. (Ditto the only other Anglo-Catholic church in the very low-church diocese.) My former organist and I did so; the newer organist is Catholic and had it written into his contract that he would only wear coat-and-tie. When directing my schola (primarily EF, occasionally OF) I don't wear any sort of thing classified as a vestment, just classy-professional-women clothes and a chapel veil. Cassock/surplice or alb or whatever would be seen as totally inappropriate in any parish in the diocese.

    (Digression:My pastor loves to tease me about wearing the cassock 'at work' but doesn't have a problem with my working for Anglicans and wearing 'their uniform' as is necessary since there is no existing parish in the diocese which wants my skill set and can afford to pay me a living wage; but on the serious side, he has also forbidden me to do anything at work that would be reserved to a cleric or male cantor in the EF, as a spiritual discipline, as well as refraining from those things that would indicate that I accept the Anglican eucharist as Real. [Obviously I don't receive.] I do not mind the discipline. The only thing that saddens me about that restriction is no longer singing the Exultet.)
  • lhouston58
    Posts: 52
    The choristers at Saint Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, NYC wear red cassocks most of the year and black cassocks during Advent and Lent.
  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 536
    It was said earlier that Albs are never ok--is the Alb not a symbol of our white baptismal garment? I'll admit that I don't have time to research it at the moment, but I've always been taught that all lay ministers at Mass should be wearing one--including the lectors and extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist.

    I have to say that I'm quite partial to the beautiful, seamless, blue Albs worn by the choirs at Notre Dame in Paris. It seems that for alb or cassock, if yours is a Marian church, it wouldn't be an awful choice.

    Just last night, a parent of a member of my high school girl-choir offered to buy a full set of robes for them. While a lovely offer--that would keep me from sending them home to put longer dresses/skirts on before non-uniform events, the climate in Memphis would make their use questionable... During the summer, it gets quite hot--though many non-Catholic churches in the area use them. Maybe they have better air conditioners?
  • MHIMHI
    Posts: 324
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  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 536
    Excuse my lack of clarity--their 'robes' are made by a liturgical vestments maker in Lourdes, to the exact pattern as their Albs, but simply in blue fabric in honor of Our Lady. We have some of their white Albs in our parish, and they are the nicest I've ever seen.
    Thanked by 1MHI
  • MHIMHI
    Posts: 324
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  • hartleymartin
    Posts: 1,447
    The ordinary colour for the cassocks should be black, unless local custom dictates otherwise. "Local custom" doesn't mean that you go inventing new ones! Although, I am aware that it is customary in parishes run by Franciscans to use brown cassocks and for the altar servers to have their cinctures knotted on the right hand side instead of the left.
    Thanked by 1ddoyle1220
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,473
    "Local custom" doesn't mean that you go inventing new ones!


    Only people in the past may invent things, never people in the present.

    It's like the opposite of revolution, which is always legal in the first person ("our revolution") but never in the third person ("their revolution.")
    Thanked by 3SkirpR Spriggo MHI
  • MHIMHI
    Posts: 324
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  • rmills
    Posts: 2
    The UK tradition is - scarlet/red after permission given by the monarch. Some years ago there was a rumour that The Queen attended a Royal Maundy service at a cathedral where the choir had red cassocks - but permission had not been granted. New cassocks were ordered. At my Anglican school job, Blue and White are the "colours" of the Memorial Chapel, and so our cassocks are blue.
  • hartleymartin
    Posts: 1,447
    I suppose that I really meant not to invent silly new ones merely for the sake of doing so. Some years ago my choir wore calico waiter's jackets with black trousers, for example. Then they wore green cassocks (Sr Patrick) and now we're much happier that we use a geneva preaching gown in the colour of the bishop's cassock (we're a cathedral church).

    A custom or tradition needs to exist for some reason, in connection with other traditions and customs.
  • Tournemire
    Posts: 74
    We wear magenta color cassocks and surplices (as majenta is color for bishops) at the Oakland Cathedral. This was purchased prior to my appointment and I'm glad they did so.
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