Organ after the Gospel
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,245
    New to me this Easter is the practice of playing a very brief piece on the organ immediately after the Gospel is sung. (In the traditional rite, this is.) I've never encountered it before but that certainly could be lack of experience. Who can tell new something about it?
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,950
    I suspect it is to do with the mediaeval Prose that was sung after the Gospel and before the Sermon. The FSSP in Switzerland sing some German text, I think from the Pentecost Sequence.
    Thanked by 1Andrew_Malton
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,478
    Well it’s also walking music since there’s a brief wait before the sermon (or Credo if you don’t preach).
  • trentonjconn
    Posts: 801
    My experience with the Old Mass has been that most down time is accompanied by organ improv when the rubrics permit it.
    Thanked by 1Roborgelmeister
  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 710
    My experience with the Old Mass has been that most down time is accompanied by organ improv when the rubrics permit it.

    I feel like this is something lacking in the OF, especially whenever there’s incensing involved and the hymn is coming to an end, but the incensing isn’t, or it has, but the priest still needs to traverse from one part of the sanctuary to the other. I grew accustomed to the satisfaction of the organ improvisation succinctly ending at precisely the same time as the the priest steps up to the ambo, or returns to his chair, or the server finishes incensing the congregation. It just really helps maintain the flow of Mass and keeping mentally in the focus zone, rather than get distracted by all the surrounding noise people make during Mass dropping metal water bottles on the pews, rummaging through their stuff, talking during Mass, repeatedly dropping their phones, texting during Mass with the sound on, opening and closing binder rings. People are so loud.
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,965
    For what it's worth, the sedevacantists at St. Gertrude the Great will sing a hymn as a segue following the Gospel into the homily, and they're hardly the ones for liturgical innovation (meaning it has been done elsewhere before).
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,087
    PULPIT HYMN! I want that.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,478
    « You can get a pulpit hymn in two places in Cincy: one good, the other bad. »
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,241
    Was never a practice in Milwaukee in the parishes where musicians were trained (or followed) J. Singenberger (Regensburg-educated, studied under Witt).

    Thanked by 1Roborgelmeister
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 3,239
    I do an organ improv whenever the bishop is presiding and the deacon needs to take the bon of the gospels over to him to kiss and thereafter bless the people with it. During Christmas and Eastertide, we simply repeat the alleluia after the reading of the gospel and I may or may not add a little organ tag depending on if there is any choreography to cover (such as the deacon stepping down and the priest walking over to the pulpit).
  • I've seen it done, I think at St. Clement's (FSSP) in Ottawa, when the priest would occasionally process to the raised pulpit in the nave, rather than just the ambo in the chancel. It seemed very appropriate as there was considerable time to cover and a sense of liturgical procession. I doubt it's innovative. I think it might be strange to me if it was just a few seconds, but I don't want to say for certain.
  • francis
    Posts: 11,324
    for @NihilNominis (see attached)

    for real (I usually improvise on the Alleluia.)
    pulpitHymn.png
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