Requirements - propers for EF wedding.
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,464
    Hello, I have never done an EF wedding, and I find I am doing three soon.
    What are the music requirements? Do the propers have to be sung in some form? If so, where may they be found - in the books? May other motets and such be sung - but only if the propers are sung first?
    Any help is appreciated.
    Thanks you.
  • MarkB
    Posts: 1,025
    Here are the pages from the Liber Usualis for the propers for a nuptial Mass.
    EF Nuptial Mass.pdf
    730K
    Thanked by 2JonathanLC tomjaw
  • CharlesSA
    Posts: 163
    As at any sung Mass, the Propers must be sung in some form. Most often they are sung according to their chant versions, found in the Liber Usualis, Graduale Romanum, and elsewhere.

    If it is a Nuptial Mass (i.e. as opposed to the Mass of an occuring feast day which must instead be celebrated), propers can be found where MarkB indicated. If it is a feast day Mass, it will be in the Sanctoral calendar, and if it is a Sunday Mass (not sure whether Nuptial Masses can be said on Sundays), in the Proper of Time, according to whichever Sunday it is.

    Other music may be sung or played whenever there is time (generally, during Offertory and Communion), as long as it is done after the propers are sung.

    I know for sure that Nuptial Masses can't be celebrated on 1st Class feast days. Probably also 2nd Class feasts and Sundays, but I don't have the rubrics handy to confirm that.
    Thanked by 1JonathanLC
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,371
    The texts are on pp.[75]-[77] of the 1962 Missal. It is a 2nd Class Mass, and the rubrics about singing would, I think, be the same as for an ordinary 2nd Class Sunday. There is a Gloria, and the celebrant uses the solemn tone.
    If you will not have a suitable cantor available on these occasions for Gregorian chant, the Rossini Propers on the Resources page include the Nuptial Mass.
    341. By a votive Mass of the 2nd class is meant a votive Mass which may be celebrated on all liturgical days of the 2nd , 3rd and 4th class. The Mass for bride and bridegroom and the Mass of thanksgiving on the 25th or 50th wedding anniversary are prohibited, however, on all Sundays.
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,704
    We have sung a wedding today, and sang another a couple of months ago for two of our choir members and another to sing in 6 weeks time for another couple of choir members.

    So at the signing of the register we have sung a motet, today it was Bruckner's Locus Iste, the last wedding was Os Justi, Bruckner. Palestrina's Sicut Cervus is another popular choice... You could sing a hymn or English Song as it is not within Mass.

    The Propers come from a Votive Mass, but if the wedding is on a 1st Class Feast the Propers are of the Feast (My brother Married on the Feast of St. George 1st Class in England).
    We have been singing Missa super dixit Maria, Hassler at Weddings. No Creed, and if using 1962 rubrics you do have a Gloria. The older Rubrics had no Gloria and Benedicamus instead of Ite Missa est.

    You should have time to sing a motet at the Offertory, for the last two weddings we have sung Parson's Ave Maria You will also have time for a motet at Communion, today we had Mozart's Ave Verum.

    The bride may want to place her bouquet on Our Lady's Altar and we have sung Salve Regina at this point. It is common for the couple to process out to some organ piece rather than a hymn.

    I do have access to the booklets used and could send a pdf copy if needed.
    Thanked by 1mmeladirectress
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,217
    If possible, use the Gregorian communio proper chant. It is absolutely lovely.
    Thanked by 1mmeladirectress
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    May I put my oar in for Monteverdi's 3-voice Ave Maria?

    In this country, it is common for brides to want the wedding Ave Maria (which means either Sherbert or Saint-Saens). I encourage you to avoid both, so I thought I would put forward an option to these, first.
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,148
    Indeed, avoid the usual "wedding" Ave Maria settings. You might give this one a try.
    Giffen-Ave Maria-acc.pdf
    106K
    Giffen-Ave Maria-acc-192kbps.mp3
    4M
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,045
    Just a reminder that the wedding part of an EF happens before the Introit, unlike in the NO. You sound maybe not super comfortable with the rubrics, so review https://media.musicasacra.com/books/7848318-Psallite-Sapienter-A-Musicians-Guide-to-the-Extraordinary-Form.pdf (esp. #164ff) if you need to.

    There have been multiple threads on this topic. Try https://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/42/music-of-ef-nuptial-masses/p1. which is turn links to another thread.

    Polyphonic settings of the Nuptial Proper are few and far between. There are settings of the Bible verses from which the Proper is taken, which make for good motets but generally can't replace the Proper.
    Thanked by 2CCooze tomjaw
  • m_r_taylor
    Posts: 316
    Jehan Alain wrote a musical accompaniment to the Gregorian Nuptial Mass propers (+ a Gregorian ordinary) - for either organ or string quartet. I quite like it. See his "messe gregorienne de mariage" - there is a quartet version recording out there.
    Thanked by 1Jeffrey Quick
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,045
    The Kyrie and Gloria to this (at least; haven't heard the Sanctus/Agnus) are Mass II.
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