Music programming for childrens' chant Masses
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    I'm working with my young (8-16) new (2 months) Youth Classical Schola to sing All Souls', Advent and Christmas Masses. We're going to sing the Masses Deus Genitor alme for All Souls' and Advent, and de Angelis on Christmas. The trick is going to be mixing propers and hymns.

    My parish loves to sing and is accustomed to English, Worship III-style music, though we sing Deus Genitor alme during Lent and Advent. There is a widely-held theory that the reason their kids don't go to Mass anymore is because music isn't "uplifting" like the modernistic parish down the street. So the Schola is breaking ground on several fronts: Latin, chant, non-congregational singing, and children's leadership of chant.

    I'd be interested in hearing ideas of how in this situation one could mix propers and hymns so that there would be plenty of congregational participation--this is a compelling consideration in my parish, where they sing like Methodists--and so that the chants were simple enough to learn by a talented, eager, but new children's schola.
  • soli
    Posts: 95
    We would be very interested in ideas as well. We have a group of girls (about 6-7 of them in Grs. 5, 7 and 8) who sing in our schola (mostly children of our adult members!) and this year we are forming a youth choir for Christmas, Easter and First Holy Communion - at least to start - hopefully more youth will join them. We are trying to see what kind of Christmas repertoire could be a step forward liturgically. Thank you for your ideas, Kathy. I haven't really thought too much of what we are going to do yet - just looking forward and starting to browse online resources. Are you going to try any 2-part music? What is the general level of skill of your young singers?
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    One of my questions: It seems weird to me to sing Hodie, Christus Natus Est at the Christmas vigil, because it's not Hodie, but tomorrow. However, that's one of the chants that I would like them to know, and it's so beautiful, that I am seriously considering singing it at the Vigil. How wrong is that?

    Ancilla,

    We're just singing chant, not polyphony yet. Each of them has The Parish Book of Chant, which takes care the Masses and some of the hymns that I know we'll do, such as Creator Alme Siderum and Veni, Veni Emmanuel. What we'll do with those is sing them as processional hymns. The Schola will line up in back of the church and sing a verse in Latin. Then the organ will come in and we'll sing the hymns congregationally as the procession begins. The Schola will be lined up across the front of the church. Maybe, just maybe, we'll sing the Introit before processing to the choir loft. (Our choir loft is behind the altar. It's a strange setup but it makes processions logical.)
  • Carl DCarl D
    Posts: 992
    In liturgical time, Christmas starts at sundown on Christmas Eve. That's why it's the Christmas Vigil Mass and not the Christmas Eve Mass. So it's very appropriate.

    Think of it as singing "hodie" at three minutes past midnight. That's OK, right?

    We get so hung up on our current system of time - that wasn't even invented then!

    Carl
  • soli
    Posts: 95
    Dear Kathy,

    I have not made any progress yet preparing the repertoire for Christmas for the youth choir. If I come across any good ideas, I will pass them on to you. I really don't have much experience with the propers yet, although the past 2 Masses at which our schola has sung, I and Sr. Marguerite have chanted the communion antiphon in english a capella - set to a gregorian psalm tone (no verses), then a moment of silence and a hymn or organ meditation or polyphony. This is our little introduction to propers in our little Parish. It sounds like your Parish is far more advanced musically and can take even more. We have to move slowly, but we are moving:) May God bless your wonderful efforts. Please keep me informed if you have any tips for us here. Thank you kindly!
  • soli
    Posts: 95
    I was looking for some recordings of children singing chant on youtube and found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpDn2wXHsfw

    Adults should have no trouble if she can sing it:) Such lovely Catholic piety in the dear children... so cute. I guess we too will forge ahead with Missa de Angelis Gloria for Christmas with the youth choir if our other choir director is in agreement.
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