Chants that are sung by deacons?
  • roger1941
    Posts: 6
    I have a dear friend who is preparing for ordination to the permanent diaconate this year. He wants me to help him learn the chants that are appropriate for a deacon to sing. Could someone please tell me which chants are considered appropriate for a deacon, and direct me to where I could find musical notation for them? I am guessing that they are in the new Roman Missal. Is that right?

    Thank you for all your help.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,699
    The deacon chants the dialogues at the Gospel, the Gospel itself (if sung), the invitation to give the sign of peace (if done), and the dismissal. He may also sing the intercessions/Universal Prayer if it is sung. At the Easter Vigil the deacon sings the Exsultet. He should also know the dismissal with double alleluia for Easter, Easter II and Pentecost.
    Thanked by 5M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen Paul F. Ford CCooze irishtenor
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,410
    Matthew has covered it all.

    In the Ordinariate the deacon also says the invitation to our 'confiteor', which occurs betwixt the Prayers of the Faithful (Universal...) and Offertory in the Ordinariate Use. His words are 'Make your humble confession to Almighty God, meekly kneeling upon your knees'. Just thought you all would like to know that. Our English brethren wanted those words, taken from the English BCP.

    The American 1929 BCP, which those of us born on these western shores of our pond grew up saying, has '...make your humble confession to Almighty God, devoutly kneeling'. It is perhaps to be expected that the Americans didn't favour 'meekly' kneeling?
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,211
    Not only in the Ordinariate but in other Roman-rite Masses, the deacon may chant the Penitential Rite, so it would be suitable for a deacon-in-training to learn to sing it, or at least the simpler forms of it.
    Thanked by 4M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen CCooze irishtenor
  • RevAMG
    Posts: 162
    This was put together for us in seminary. The links within are broken now but the new link would go to the NPM Chants of the Roman Missal page.
    Diaconal Chants.pdf
    461K
    Thanked by 1irishtenor
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,699
    It's my personal opinion that if the deacon sings the Kyrie that he should stick to the ones in the Roman Missal. The Kyriale chants (which should be the norm) belong to the schola, not the deacon.
    Thanked by 5M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen chonak CCooze irishtenor
  • fcbfcb
    Posts: 338
    In RMIII the deacon also sings the opening invitations to the solemn collects on Good Friday. If he presides at a wedding, he can also sing the nuptial blessing (the music for it is found in the new translation of the marriage rite). A wedding ceremony without Mass can be pretty minimalist; I find singing the nuptial blessing gives it some added solemnity.
    Thanked by 4chonak M. Jackson Osborn irishtenor CHGiffen
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,460
    GIRM trumps the Graduale Praenotanda. The Kyriale chants belong to the schola and the congregation alternatim, or failing a schola to cantor and congregation.
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen
  • Caleferink
    Posts: 434
    A couple of the other longer chants besides the Exsultet, the deacon can (and should, if present) do the Proclamation of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ before the Midnight Mass and the Proclamation of the Date of Easter and Movable Feasts on Epiphany, if these are done in his parish.
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