If there is no singing at the entrance, the antiphon in the Missal is recited either by the faithful, or by some of them, or by a lector; otherwise, it is recited by the priest himself, who may even adapt it as an introductory explanation.
The only reason a hymn or song can replace the perscribed texts found in The Roman Missal, the Roman Gradual or the Simple Gradual is if no one leading the liturgy is capable of performing the required music.
14. a) In sung Masses only Latin is to be used. This applies not only to the celebrant, and his ministers, but also to the choir or congregation.
"However, popular vernacular hymns may be sung at the solemn Eucharistic Sacrifice (sung Masses), after the liturgical texts have been sung in Latin, in those places where such a centenary or immemorial custom has obtained. Local ordinaries may permit the continuation of this custom 'if they judge that it cannot prudently be discontinued because of the circumstances of the locality or the people' (cf. canon 5)" (Musicæ sacræ disciplina: AAS 48 [1956] 16-17).
That rule has been superseded. What must be sung is the Mass, its Ordinary and Proper, not “something”, no matter how consistent, that is imposed on the Mass. Because the liturgical service is one, it has only one countenance, one motif, one voice, the voice of the Church. To continue to replace the texts of the Mass being celebrated with motets that are reverent and devout, yet out of keeping with the Mass of the day amounts to continuing an unacceptable ambiguity: it is to cheat the people. Liturgical song involves not mere melody, but words, text, thought and the sentiments that the poetry and music contain. Thus texts must be those of the Mass, not others, and singing means singing the Mass not just singing during Mass.
There is no part of the mass that is required to be sung. In fact, the Gospel Alleluia is not done if it is not sung.s if no one leading the liturgy is capable of performing the required music. If some are capable, it would seem that they would be required to. However, no one is ever required to sing anything but the prescribed texts as there is always the possibility of no singing.
It's really time to move on, drop congregational singing except for the responses, since they are about the only thing the majority of Catholics might sing.
The only reason a hymn or song can replace the perscribed texts found in The Roman Missal, the Roman Gradual or the Simple Gradual is if no one leading the liturgy is capable of performing the required music.
My first issue is the low Mass / high Mass / solemn high Mass hierarchy, and the concern deals with money.
To fulfill the obligation of a high Mass stipend ($5.00), the Mass ordinaries and propers required they be sung.
Otherwise, an unsung Mass fell into the category of a low Mass ($2.00)—nothing sung.
In regard to the relative frequency of High Mass and chanting of the proper of the Mass, comprehensive data are a little spotty for the US. William Whitehouse's dissertation refers to two surveys in the early 1950's, one by Paul Hume (see Catholic Church Music), and the other by Rev. Cletus P. Madsen, under the auspices of the National Catholic Music Educators Association (which I haven't seen). Thomas Day in Why Catholics Can't Sing also discusses this. These sources suggest that about half of US parishes in the 1950s did not celebrate a High Mass on Sunday, having instead low Mas with Hymns for the principal Mass. Those parishes that did have High Mass were usually connected to a school, and the proper of the Mass was sung by a children's choir with Rossini propers. Only about 10% of parishes had High Mass on Sunday with an adult choir. There were still many situations where sung propers were omitted from High Mass, but less so than earlier in the 20th cent. Other information presented by Whitehouse suggests that in the wake of the Instruction, De musica sacra et sacra liturgia, High Mass was even further abandoned in favor of low Mass with hymns.
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