Midnight Mass 2025
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,919
    St David's Parish became part of a 'cluster' last year, but we hadn't felt the bite until last week when we learned there will be no Midnight Mass. Here's what we rehearsed, and will, after singing as planned at my wife's church's early Service, perhaps repeat at a favorite Chinese restaurant instead:

    This day Christ was born Byrd
    Hodie Christus natus est Palestrina
    Ave Maria Bruckner
    Bogorodiste devo Rachmaninoff
    Today the Virgin Tavener
    O magnum mysterium Ann Callaway
    Verbum caro factus est Callaway
    There were shepherds…Glory to God Handel
    Thanked by 5Chant_Supremacist CHGiffen tomjaw Liam LauraKaz
  • Chant_Supremacist
    Posts: 256
    I'm sorry to hear that. By nature I'm pretty goal-oriented, but this is a situation where you have to try and take satisfaction in the process and effort, to which God, of course, was witness.

    At St. Ann's, Hamilton.

    Carols: Silent Night, What Child is This, Gaudete, Good Christian Men Rejoice, Angels We Have Heard on High, Lo How a Rose, Once in Royal David's City, Of the Father's Love Begotten.

    Missa O Magnum Mysterium (Victoria)
    Introit, Gradual, Alleluia, Offertory, and Communion (with verses) from the GR
    Credo IV (couldn't manage the polyphony)
    Tollite Hostias (Saint-Saens) after the Offertory proper
    O Magnum Mysterium (Victoria) after Communion
    The First Noel for recession
    Thanked by 3tomjaw CHGiffen Richard Mix
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,201
    No Christmas Mass at all at my gig (thank you Pope Francis). So "Christmas" for us is Sunday Within the Octave. But I'm guesting, and here's what we're singing.

    St. Paul Akron OH: Midnight Mass (Missal of Paul VI)

    Choral prelude:
    Psallite (Praetorius/Robinson)
    Jesu Redemptor Omnium (Monk of Strasbourg/N. Montani)
    Gaudete (arr. RJ Batastini)
    Ave Maria (solo) (Lorenc)
    In natali Domini (anon Specialnik Codex)
    Puer natus in Bethlehem (arr. CCRS)
    Ave Maria ("Arcadelt")
    Plus instrumental bits TBA

    Nativity proclamation
    Processional: Adeste fideles
    Dominus dixit ad me (chant)
    Mass VIII
    Tecum principum (chant)
    Alleluia Dominus dixit (chant)
    Credo III
    Tollite Hostias (Saint Saens/Montani)
    Silent night
    In splendoribus (chant)
    Ave verum Corpus (chant, arr. Heath Morber)
    Alma Redemptoris mater (simple tone)
    Recessional: Joy to the world

    SAB sextet (including the DM Heidi Guttermuth when she's not at the organ) and a violin. Decent people, clean product.
    Thanked by 3Chant_Supremacist CHGiffen rich_enough
  • trentonjconn
    Posts: 779
    St. Aelred, Madison GA (Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter)

    Mass in the Night, 10:00pm
    Prelude of carols begins at 9:30pm

    Ordinaries: Englished Mass IX (Communion Service Four)
    Prelude: Chorale Prelude on Puer Nobis Nascitur, Willan
    Blessing of creche, sung Christmas proclamation
    Procession: O Come, All Ye Faithful
    Introit: Graduale Romanum w/ Viadana fauxbourdon Gloria Patri
    Gradual: Graduale Romanum
    Alleluia: Graduale Romanum
    Credo: Credo I, Englished (#720 Hymnal 1940)
    Offertory: Graduale Romanum
    Offertory hymn: Angels We Have Heard on High
    Communion: Graduale Romanum
    Communion Other:
    - Quempas as a choral motet, arranged by our very own NihilNominis
    - Silent Night during ablutions
    Recessional: Hark, the Herald Angels Sing (Willcocks organ reharm v. 3)
    Postlude: BWV 729 "In Dulci Jubilo"

    We also have sung Masses w/ cantor/organ only at 7pm and 9am.
    Thanked by 2Chant_Supremacist CHGiffen
  • Noctcaelador
    Posts: 22
    No Christmas at all for me on account of ditching the parish life for academia...

    But here's the hymn sing my wife and I did a couple nights ago, plus the readings for Catholic Lessons and Carols, while the cat made a nuisance of herself:

    Compline
    Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen, Op. 122 no. 8 - Johannes Brahms
    Once in Royal David's City - descant by Sir David Willcocks
    Lo, How A Rose - first verse by Jan Sandström
    O Come All Ye Faithful - descant by Sir David Willcocks
    Conditor Alme Siderum - Guillaume Dufay
    O Magnum Mysterium - Tomás Luis de Victoria
    Ave Maria - my setting based on Kapsperger
    Silent Night - descant by me
    Reges de Saba - Sethus Calvisius
    Verbum caro - Sethus Calvisius
    Viderunt Omnes - Léonin
    Hark! The herald-angels sing - descant by Sir David Willcocks

    On the plus side, not a single person complained about "too loud" or "too much Latin," but attendance was rather sparse.
    Thanked by 3Chant_Supremacist CHGiffen Abbysmum
  • emac3183
    Posts: 88
    Holy Family Catholic Church (St. Louis Park, MN)

    9pm Mass during the Night

    Prelude:
    Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
    In the Bleak Midwinter (Darke)
    Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence - Bairstow
    Good Christian Men, Rejoice
    Lullay, My Liking (Holst)
    It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
    O Holy Night (Adolph/Le Bas)

    PROCESSIONAL: O Come All Ye Faithful (Arr. Willcocks)
    INTROIT: gregorian
    MASS ORDINARY: Missa de Angelis
    RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Rice/Schmitt
    ALLELUIA: Easter Alleluia
    OFFERTORIUM: gregorian
    OFFERTORY: Verbum Caro Factum Est (Hassler)
    Communion chant: gregorian
    COMMUNION:O Magnum Mysterium (Victoria)
    COMMUNION: Of the Father’s Love Begotten (Wohlgemuth)
    POST COMMUNION HYMN: Silent Night SMH #747
    RECESSIONAL: Hark the Herald Angels Sing (arr. Willcocks)
    POSTLUDE: BWV729

    The day Masses are very similar, swapping out the gregorian propers, Pueri Concinite (Herbeck), O Little One Sweet (Bach) and See, Amid the Winter's Snow for a few selections.

    The 4pm Mass Christmas Eve Mass with Children's Choir is featuring Saint-Saens' Tollite Hostias, Yon's Gesu Bambino, Marier's A Boy is Born in Bethlehem, and Ravanello's Jesu Redemptor Omnium.

    Also playing In Quiet Joy by Dupre and a few other quiet organ preludes.
    Thanked by 4Chant_Supremacist CHGiffen rich_enough PaxTecum
  • Charles_Weaver
    Posts: 161
    St. Mary's (Norwalk, Connecticut)

    Choir with Baroque String Orchestra

    Prelude at 11:30:
    1. Handel, Pifa from Messiah
    2. O little town of Bethlehem (St. Louis)
    3. What child is this? (Greensleeves)
    4. Praetorius, In dulci jubilo à 2 & à 4
    5. Holst, In the bleak midwinter
    6. Guerrero, Niño Dios
    7. Silent Night

    Mass at Midnight (Extraordinary Form)
    Adeste Fideles (Willcocks but in Latin)
    Gregorian propers
    Charpentier, Messe de minuit
    Victoria, O Regem caeli
    Victoria, Christe redemptor
    Victoria, O magnum mysterium
    Postlude BWV 729

    Christmas Day
    Gregorian propers
    Victoria, Missa O magnum
    Lassus, Resonet
    Sweelinck, Hodie
    Thanked by 4Chant_Supremacist CHGiffen rich_enough PaxTecum
  • Diapason84
    Posts: 149
    I won't doxx myself except to say that I will be at a NO Mass with Darke's "In the bleak midwinter" accompanied by me on a late Romantic American organ. That instrument is a Godsend!
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • 32ContraBombarde32ContraBombarde
    Posts: 148
    St. John Paul II Scioto Catholic Parish, Portsmouth, OH
    St. Mary of the Annunciation

    Prelude: Of the Father’s Love Begotten (Wohlgemuth)
    Nativity Proclamation
    Procession: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
    Introit: Gregorian
    Ordinary: De Angelis
    Psalm/Alleluia: Bartlett/S&S
    Offertory Proper: Gregorian
    Offertory Hymn: Silent Night
    Communion Proper: Bartlett/S&S (English)
    Communion Motet: O Magnum Mysterium (Victoria)
    Recessional: O Come, All Ye Faithful (Willcocks)
    Postlude: Adeste Fideles (Dethier)
    Thanked by 3Chant_Supremacist CHGiffen PaxTecum
  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 596
    Co-Cathedral, Houston

    Midnight Mass

    Prelude
    Carol - O Little Town of Bethlehem (arr. Aaron David Miller)
    Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest - Conrad Susa
    Carol - It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
    Carol - Go Tell it on the Mountain
    Magnificat - J. S. Bach
    Carol - Angels We Have Heard on High
    Carol - Joy to the World (arr. ADM)

    Proclamation of the Birth of Christ

    Introit - Graduale Romanum

    Entrance - O Come, All Ye Faithful

    Kyrie & Gloria - Mass of St. Gregory the Great - Luke Mayernik

    Psalm 96 - Michael Emmerich
    Alleluia - Mass of St. Gregory the Great - Luke Mayernik

    Preparation - Echo Jubilate - Samuel Scheidt

    Mass Ordinary - Mass of St. Gregory the Great - Luke Mayernik

    Communion
    Carol - Silent Night
    Carol - Away in a Manger
    Communio - Graduale Romanum
    Away in a Manger - arr. Peter Latona
    There is no Rose - Jessica Nelson
    Carol - Of the Father's Love Begotten
    Carol - Christ Was Born on Christmas Day

    Recessional - Hark the Herald Angels Sing

    Postlude - Organ Flourish on Joy to the World - Michael Dell


    Not the question at hand, but if anyone is interested this is the lineup for the Mass in Spanish that precedes this:

    Prelude
    Organ - Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659 - J. S. Bach
    Carol - Como Estrella en Claro Cielo - arr. Richard Proulx
    Organ - Divinum Mysterium - Craig Phillips
    Carol - Vamos, Pastores, Vamos
    Organ - Lullaby - Bill Ives
    Carol - Divino Mesías, Venid - arr. Yves Castagnet

    Introit - Graduale Romanum
    Processional - Venid, Fieles Todos - arr. Willcocks

    Kyrie & Gloria - Misa de la Inmaculada Concepción - Cerisier (GIA)

    Psalm 88(89) - Cerisier (available on CRCCM Repertoire site)
    Alleluia - Mode 6 (with Meinrad tone for verse)

    Preparation - Ha Nacido el Niño Dios - arr. Yves Castagnet

    Mass Ordinary - Misa Melódica

    Communion
    Communio - Graduale Romanum
    Pastores - Carlos Cordero
    Carol - Noche de Pas, Noche de Amor - arr. Cerisier (available on CRCCM Repertoire site)

    Recessional - Dichosa Tierra, Proclamad

    Postlude - Bring a Torch - Keith Chapman
    Thanked by 5Roborgelmeister LauraKaz Chant_Supremacist CHGiffen PaxTecum
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,070
    Old St. Mary's | The Cincinnati Oratory

    Carols at 11.20p
    Oratory Choir, Laudate Pueri Children's Schola (37 children)
    Modern Instrumentalists (2vln, French Horn)
    Historic Instrumentalists (Vln, Cornetto, Sackbuts)

    Once in Royal David's City
    Lo, How a Rose - with historic instruments
    Angels We Have Heard - with modern instruments
    O Holy Night - verses sung by trebles, with modern instruments
    Gaudete

    Interludes: Christum wir sollen and Von Himmel hoch, S. Scheidt, Geistliche Konzerte - historic instruments

    Mass at Midnight
    Oratory Choir, St. Philip Neri Choristers (13 children)
    Historic Instrumentalists

    Procession: Adeste Fideles / O come, all ye faithful
    Proper: Full Gregorian
    Ordinary: Missa 'O magnum mysterium', Victoria (with historic instruments)
    Credo III, Et incarnatus est, Botkins
    Motets: Quempas, Praetorius (with historic instruments - trebles solo verses)
    O magnum mysterium, Victoria
    Alma Redemptoris, Palestrina
    Puer natus in Bethlehem, plainsong
    Silent Night / Stille Nacht
    Joy to the World

    Interludes: In dulci jubilo, Hans Leo Hassler (instrumentalists only)
    Elevation, Dom Paul Benoit (a Christmas tradition for me)

    Postlude: In dir ist Freude, BWV 615 or, if the fatigue has gotten to me, I may punt to BWV 729
    Thanked by 7Chant_Supremacist Charles_Weaver CHGiffen trentonjconn davido rich_enough PaxTecum
  • trentonjconn
    Posts: 779
    Man, that sounds like an amazing lineup, especially with the historical instrumentation. Were recordings made?
    Thanked by 1NihilNominis
  • Charles_Weaver
    Posts: 161
    That does look like a great lineup. Praetorius is one of my all-time favorite composers/arrangers. We didn't do the Quempas-Lied, but we did one of the duets on In dulci jubilo, and his two-part writing is a masterclass in inventiveness (as is every other kind of writing he does).

    Which words did you use for Lo how a rose? I love P's harmonization of that dearly, but I find the protestantization of the words unfortunate. Several years ago I stumbled on the very nice Hymnal 1940 version, which has an English translation of the older Catholic words, in which Mary is the rose.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen NihilNominis PaxTecum
  • Benton
    Posts: 17
    Saint Paul’s Newman Center
    Fargo, ND

    Vespers I
    Gregorian antiphons, English Psalmody
    Victoria’s Magnificat Octavi Toni, even verses

    Introit (Prelude before lector welcome): Hodie scietis
    Entrance Hymn: O Come, All Ye Faithful
    Kyrie: Missa O Magnum Mysterium (Victoria)
    Gloria: Heritage Mass
    Responsorial Psalm: Source and Summit
    Alleluia: Source and Summit
    Offertory Hymn: Angels We Have Heard on High
    Sanctus: Missa O Magnum Mysterium (Victoria)
    Benedictus: Mass XVIII
    Memorial Acclamation: We proclaim (ICEL)
    Agnus Dei: Missa O Magnum Mysterium (Victoria)
    Communion: Revelabitur
    Communion Hymn: Silent Night
    Recessional Hymn: Joy to the World
    Postlude: Gaudete, Christus est Natus
    Thanked by 4Chant_Supremacist CHGiffen NihilNominis PaxTecum
  • SMays
    Posts: 4
    Sacred Heart Church (Savannah, GA)
    Christmas Day - Extraordinary Form

    Due to illness we found ourselves without tenors, but still managed to keep the spirit with S(S)AB.

    Mass Ordinary - VIII Missa de Angelis
    Credo I with fauxbourdon at "Et incarnatus.."
    Gregorian Propers

    Motets:
    Gaudete (traditional)
    Beata Viscera (Perotin)
    There is No Rose (trad., Carols for Choirs II)
    Angelus ad Virginem (trad., Oxford Book of Carols)

    Procession Out: O Come, All Ye Faithful (Willcocks)
    Thanked by 6davido CHGiffen Chant_Supremacist NihilNominis rich_enough PaxTecum
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,274
    @NihilNominis is that Et incarnatus by Nick Botkins by chance or is there another Botkins out there?? Anyway I would love to have it. I’m looking for ideas there.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,201
    (Vln, Cornetto, Sackbuts)

    Who is playing early brass down there? As a retired sackbut player, I'm curious.
    Thanked by 1NihilNominis
  • AbbysmumAbbysmum
    Posts: 121
    Thank you all so much for sharing your music lists!

    A question: I'm noticing that a lot of you have restricted all (or nearly all) the carols to the prelude/pre-Mass caroling, and then during Mass you have either all chant or more ancient texts/pieces mixed in with some carols.

    Is this a standard practice? There's such a treasure trove of ancient texts and hymns that I would love to incorporate into the Nativity Mass, but I'm not sure how to do it.
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,070
    Merry Christmas to all! I have included a small selection from our Midnight Mass attached!

    @trentonjconn

    Yes, multiple recordings were made as it turns out! Attached you’ll find the Quempas. Taken by one of my basses with his phone somewhere in the loft, but it came out quite well.

    I’ll hold off on sharing other things until the downstairs recordings become available to me!

    @Charles_Weaver

    In German we use the Catholic words, but I was unaware that there was an English translation that mirrored them. I will have to bear that in mind for next year!

    Praetorius and I met in middle school, at the hands of a very disinterested general music teacher who shared the recordings that she was supposed to share with us one day in class. It was mind-blowing for me. He’s been an absolute favorite ever since.

    @MatthewRoth

    The same! Years ago on Facebook he posted a video called, “Fun with Credo III” which included this stunning Et incarnatus and a fanfare for Et resurrexit. I asked him for the music once, and he said it was probably something he had just scribbled down. I believe he’s OK with the fact that I transcribed it and sing it now… If he’s not he can let me know here ha ha!

    @Jeffrey Quick

    There’s a sackbut player in town called Sean McGhee (I was led to him by a gamba player that I have worked with). He had a friend willing to come in from Bloomington to join him (cornetto), and another who was in town on a different gig for the other sackbut.

    My violinist, who is a member of our choir, brought her gut instrument, but unfortunately we couldn’t tune it up to the organ reliably, so she’s on modern strings, but I think she does a fantastic job getting it to fit in with the sound.

    @Abbysmum

    Our lineup is basically necessitated by liturgical expectations. Carols are great, but I do hate to see them displace the actual liturgical music of Christmas. Once the culture is built, however, the carols reinforce the liturgical music, and vice versa. Especially if you line up the carols right, there is a sense of going deeper and deeper into the mystery that is naturally answered by the deeper and more resonant liturgical music.
    Quempas 2025.mp3
    5M
    Thanked by 5Abbysmum CHGiffen Drake rich_enough Chant_Supremacist
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,679
    Out on some vacation golf/beach island in the south -
    Prelude -
    Organ works by Franck and Guilmant
    Carol arrangements for horn and oboe of STILLE NACHT, O Holy Night, and GOD REST YE
    Schubert Ave
    Carols: IN DULCIS JUBILO, GLORIA
    Dominus Dixit, GR
    ADESTE FIDELIS
    a Mode I Kyrie from the Simplex
    Heritage Mass Gloria
    Source and Summit Psalm
    Duncan Alleluia
    ANTIOCH
    Heritage Mass Sanctus
    a Mode VI Agnus from the Simplex
    Source and Summit Communion
    STILLE NACHT
    He Shall Feed his Flock
    MENDELSSOHN
    Franck Postlude
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Chant_Supremacist NihilNominis
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,078
    For the "Et incarnatus est" with Credo III, I've used an excerpt from the Lassus Missa Pilons l'orge, as sung by the Westminster Cathedral Choir in this video (score at CPDL).
    Thanked by 2Chant_Supremacist PaxTecum
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,078
    Sts. Cyril and Methodius Oratory, Bridgeport. Connecticut (Institute of Christ the King)
    Carols before Mass
    carol: Angels We Have Heard on High
    Blessed Be That Maid Marie - arr. Wood
    Verbum Patris humanatur - 12th cent.
    Dadme albricias, hijos d’Eva - 16th cent. (Cancionero de Uppsala)
    In the Bleak Midwinter (CRANHAM)
    H. Praetorius – In dulci jubilo (arr. for SSATTB)
    carol: Silent Night
    prelude: Corelli - Pastorale from Christmas Concerto (2 recorders and organ)

    Mass
    hymn: Adeste fideles - arr. Willcocks
    Mass setting (sung by smaller group): Tallis - Missa Puer Natus Est
    Credo III - with "Et incarnatus est" from Victoria - Missa Alma Redemptoris Mater
    offertory: Dering - Quem vidistis, pastores?
    communion: Palestrina - O magnum mysterium
    hymn: Joy to the World
    postlude: BWV 729

    Christmas morning we sang Victoria's Missa O magnum mysterium, and the motet, and Lassus' Laetentur caeli.
    Thanked by 3Chant_Supremacist Charles_Weaver PaxTecum
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,274
    Thanks for the ideas @rich_enough (one for Christmas to Candlemas too!)

    @NihilNominis if you post it we’ll find a way to use it. I enjoy mixing it up.
    Thanked by 1rich_enough
  • Chant_Supremacist
    Posts: 256
    @Abbysmum

    If it's a TLM the available carol (and perhaps "carol adjacent") music is fairly restricted. Puer Natus, Resonet in Laudibus, Adeste Fideles, In Natali Domini, and Personent Hodie come to mind as options, and my choir will be singing those soon. Maybe there are Latin translations of others.

    I'd be happy to do Adeste or Puer during the midnight mass, but just decided to go big this year (and maybe going forward, resources allowing). I fixated on doing Tollite Hostias this Christmas after someone mentioned it in my 19th/20th Century Repertoire thread, so that took up the available (offertory) slot where I might otherwise have selected Adeste. But I like to make the pre-mass caroling selections fairly populist, to have both ends of the spectrum.

    Even if I could include vernacular in our mass, I find most carols do not have the solemnity I envisage for the midnight mass in particular, which I see as not only joyous but momentous/stupefying/mysterious/insert preferred word. Singing Victoria's O Magnum mass and motet, I feel like he saw things this way too. And this is also why I do Credo IV for the midnight mass, and Credo III for the day mass and Christmastide.
    Thanked by 1rich_enough
  • PaxTecum
    Posts: 341
    Novus Ordo in Connecticut

    Before Mass:
    BWV 751
    Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming (Praetorius)
    Away in a Manger (Kirkpatrick / Willcocks)
    Ding dong! Merrily on High (Wood)
    While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks
    Alma Redemptoris Mater (G. P. da Palestrina) a 4
    Silen Night

    Procession: O Come, All Ye Faithful (Willcocks) vs. 1, 6, 7
    The Solemn Proclamation of Christmas
    Introit: Dominus dixit ad me
    Kyrie: Missa Secunda (Michael Haller) a 3
    Gloria: Missa de Angelis
    Gradual: Tecum principium
    Alleluia: Dominus dixit ad me
    Offertory: Laetentur coeli
    Offertory: Infant Holy, Infant Lowly (Willcocks)
    Sanctus: Missa de Angelis
    Mysterium Fidei: Mortem tuam
    Agnus Dei: Missa Secunda (Michael Haller)
    Communion: In splendoribus sanctorum
    Communion: It Came Upon The Midnight Clear (Willis)
    Communion: O Magnum Mysterium (T. L. de Victoria)
    Marian Antiphon: Alma Redemptoris Mater (simple tone)
    Recessional: Joy to the World
    Recessional: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Willcocks)
    Postlude: BWV 729
    Postlude: Movement 4 "Point d’Orgue sur les Grands Jeux" from A solis ortus by Nicolas de Grigny
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