Queritur (EF): Communion antiphon spoken/chanted recto tono?
  • Everything I've always been taught/read says that the Propers (and Ordinary) which are chanted by the schola are read sotto voce by the celebrant, and I have assumed that this also means the Communion antiphon. This past Sunday (at a Missa Cantata offered for our first-Sunday-of-the-month diocesan EF stable group, Missa Cantata for the first time in months), my pastor insisted that he was supposed to have read aloud/chanted the Communion antiphon, so I should have made certain that the schola was finished chanting it by the time the missal was moved, before he began his prayers at the center of the altar. (I do understand that Psallite sapienter says that the music should conclude as soon as possible after the missal being moved; in this case, the missal was moved as he was praying at the center, while we were in mid-antiphon. I have a few new members in my schola, so the antiphon was probably not sung as quickly as it might have been, but we did finish as soon as we could.) Advice? My pastor trained at Fontgombault, so perhaps there is a different custom than the rubrics there? Or have I misread the rubrics? Psallite sapienter was not specific enough on the point, and I would really need a citation of some sort. Thank you.
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    Our priest does not chant it. He reads it sotto voce, such that we can hear from the back that he is reading it, but not make out the words. No singing. I don't recall any Colloquium EF Masses where the priest sang any propers.
    Thanked by 1Patricia Cecilia
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    I would suppose that in a monastic setting, many things are different.
    Thanked by 1Patricia Cecilia
  • gregp--when you say 'no singing', are you referring to the priest? I have edited my original query to try and make it more exact but may have just muddled it up.
  • My understanding is that Communion is read softly and Post-Communion is chanted --- but perhaps an expert can verify?
    Thanked by 1Patricia Cecilia
  • JahazaJahaza
    Posts: 468
    No, at a Missa Cantata the priest does not sing the communion antiphon or recite it aloud.

    The proper references are to the General Rubrics of the Roman Missal 511-514:

    IX - What Is to be said aloud and what quietly in the Mass
    511. In a low Mass the following are said aloud:
    a) the words In nomine Patris, etc.; the psalm Iudicda me, Deus, with its antiphon; the Confiteor and what follows up to the Oremus inclusive; but the prayers Aufer a nobis and Oramus te, Domine are said quietly;
    b) the antiphon as the introit with its verse and the Gloria Patri, and the Kyrie, eleison;
    c) the hymn Gloria in excelsis;
    d) the Dominus vobiscum, Oremus, Flectamus genua, Levate, the collects;
    e) the lessons, the epistle, the gradual, the tract, the Alleluia with its verse, the sequence and the gospel;
    f) the creed;
    g) the Dominus vobiscum, Oremus and the antiphon at the offertory, and the words Orate, fratres;
    h) the preface and the Sanctus-Benedictus;
    i) the words Nobis quoque peccatoribus; the Lord’s Prayer with its preface; the Per omnia saecula saeculorum and the Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum; the Agnus Dei, etc.; the words Domine, non sum dignus before the communion of the celebrating priest; the formulas at the communion of the faithful; the antiphon at the communion; the Dominus vobiscum and the post communions; and the words Humilitate capita vestra Deo and the prayer over the people;
    j) the Ite, missa est or Benadicamus Domino or Requiescant in pace; the blessing and the last gospel.
    The rest is said quietly.

    512. The priest must take great care to pronounce the words that are to be spoken aloud distinctly and becomingly. He should not go so fast that he cannot pay attention to what he is reading, nor so slowly as to become tedious to his hearers. Nor, if he is celebrating at a secondary altar, should he raise his voice so as to disturb others who may happen to be celebrating in the same church at that time; nor should he lower it so much that he cannot be heard by those nearby. He must pronounce the words that are to be said quietly in such a way that he hears himself but is not heard by those nearby.

    513. In a solemn Mass the celebrant:
    a) sings: the Dominus vobiscum whenever it occurs, except in the verses after the Confiteor; the collects; the Oremus before the antiphon at the offertory; the Per omnia saecula saeculorum with the preface; the Per omnia saecula saeculorum with the Pater noster and its preface; the Per omnia saecula saeculorum with the Pax Domini;
    b) begins in chant: the Gloria and the Credo, when they are to be said;
    c) says aloud the formulas at the communion of the faithful and the words of the blessing at the end of the Mass;
    d) says in a suitable voice the parts to which the sacred ministers are to respond;
    e) says quietly the other words which are said aloud in a low Mass;
    f) omits what is pronounced by the sacred ministers or by a lector.

    514. In sung Masses, that is, those sung without sacred ministers, the celebrant must observe what has been said in the preceding section, and he must sing the parts proper to the sacred ministers. The epistle may be sung by a lector. If it is not sung by a lector, it will be satisfactory for the celebrant to read it without chant; the celebrant may, however, sing the epistle in the usual way.
  • Thank you both for the proper reference. I had not realized that the General Rubrics of the Roman Missal 1960 are available online at divinumofficium.com; that will be very helpful.

    Follow-up question: Is there an official document like the General Rubrics that describes the specifics of the music at the EF? Looking at Psallite sapienter, the most extensive work in the bibliography appears to be Fortescue, and I do not see anything official. I have noticed that different priests have different interpretations of Fortescue's prescriptions. For instance, Psallite says that the offertory chant ends as soon as possible after Orate fratres; my pastor says the music must end well before it.
    Thanked by 1Penny
  • JahazaJahaza
    Posts: 468
    The rubrics for the music are found largely in the Liber Usualis itself.
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,704
    This thread has the rubrics from the liber... N.B. The rubrics were changed so you will find an earlier version as well as those in force in 1962.

    I don't seem to be able to link to the thread, but only a comment within it.

    Liber Usualis / Anybody have a copy with RUBRICS IN ENGLISH from before 1961 ?

    http://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/comment/74509#Comment_74509
    Thanked by 1Chrism
  • Chrism
    Posts: 868
    Follow-up question: Is there an official document like the General Rubrics that describes the specifics of the music at the EF? ... For instance, Psallite says that the offertory chant ends as soon as possible after Orate fratres; my pastor says the music must end well before it.


    The latest music legislation for the EF is found in De Musica Sacra et Sacra Liturgia from 1958. At Sung Mass, "The singing should never last beyond the Secret." The Secret is said quietly and immediately follows the Orate Fratres, so it would seem that the advice given by Psallite is closer to the rubric than the advice given by the pastor.

    On the other hand, it doesn't seem that the pastor would be exceeding his authority to restrict optional music during the allowed periods, as long as the proper Gregorian Offertory chant can be sung.