FIELD REPORT: St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Portland, OR
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,502
    11am Sunday Novus Ordo Mass in English

    I don't have my program with me as I type this, so I can't provide a complete list of music, but...

    It was really good, y'all.

    Chanted Propers in English + Solid traditional hymns
    Ordinary plainchant from the Missal (sung unaccompanied and very robustly by the large, diverse congregation)

    Choir was AMAZING on a lovely contemporary setting of the "I am the Way" text of the Gospel (I'll find the name of the piece and composer later).

    [EDIT: It was In My Father's House by Philip Stopford]

    Organist was excellent.

    Just, overall, a really beautiful sacred music experience that showed off what the Novus Ordo liturgy can be at it's best. And, while certainly the volume/complexity of the choral repertoire and the quality of the performance is hard to achieve outside the resources of a cathedral, the basic shape of what was going on would be achievable in nearly any parish, and wouldn't (I think) be off-putting or alienating even to congregations unused to Traditional Liturgy: everything was in the vernacular (except the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei), the congregational hymns were easy to sing, the chanted propers were largely syllabic and easy to understand, the Missal chants should be deep in the bones of any English-speaking Catholic. Indeed a "Spirit of Vatican Two" partisan would have to stretch to find anything objectionable about it (not that some of those types aren't particularly flexible when the rhetorical situation calls for it). Actually, I'm sure it would be some of the more hardcore trad types who would have more complaining to do ("Hymns?!"), but they need hobbies and perspective. This was a normal Mass for normal people, while absolutely being Holy Things for Holy People.

    The music director Angela Westhoff-Johnson, as well as Archbishop Sample and rector Msgr. O’Connor, are to be commended for leading by example.
    Thanked by 12irishtenor ServiamScores RC_Liturgy_Music CHGiffen Kathy Chant_Supremacist PaxMelodious Steve Q Marc Cerisier GregoryWeber iMalton Abbysmum
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,502
    Complete Program

    Prelude: Fugue on B-A-C-H, Robert Schuman

    Introit: O sing a new song to the Lord... (unaccompanied plainchant, unsure of source)
    Processional Hymn: Come, Christians, Join to Sing (MADRID)

    Gloria: Congregational Mass by John Lee

    Responsorial Psalm: (unsure... something vaguely chanty from OCP, might be from the Respond and Acclaim series)
    Alleluia: Mode VI plainchant

    Offertory: O Sing Unto the Lord, Sing a New Song, Peter Aston

    Sanctus: Latin plainchant (from the Missal)
    Memorial Acclamation: English plainchant
    Lord's Prayer: English plainchant
    Agnus Dei: Latin plainchant

    Communion Antiphon: I am the vine... (unaccompanied plainchant, unsure of source)
    Communion Hymn (sung while the choir received): O Sacrament Most Holy (Heritage Missal #420)
    Communion Anthem: In My Father's House, Philip Stopford

    Final Hymn: All Creature of Our God and King (LASST UNS ERFREUEN)
    Postlude: Allegro maestoso from Sonata II in C Minor, Felix Mendelssohn
    Thanked by 7davido irishtenor CHGiffen Chant_Supremacist Marc Cerisier GregoryWeber Abbysmum
  • StPatrick
    Posts: 30
    There are at least 4 other parishes in downtown Portland who have music like this, it is a very happy thing :) glad you could join us!!!
    Thanked by 4Chant_Supremacist Adam Wood Adam Wood Abbysmum
  • Chant_Supremacist
    Posts: 316
    I'm curious, how did they handle doing both an entrance chant (introit) and a processional hymn? What was your impression of it? Whenever I've seen that done I've been dissatisfied by it. The only such combination I've seen in practice that seemed alright is processional hymn -> clean separation -> introit during incensing.

    I feel it's a bit of a shame that nowhere (as far as I know) gives the introit a really full treatment as an entrance in the NO, though I understand it's not "participatory" and thus a hard sell. One of things I like in theory about the optionalization of the sprinkling rite is that it makes it possible to treat the procession through the church and the final approach to the altar under a single continuous chant.

    Not to sound negative, I really appreciate what Abp. Sample has done.
  • StPatrick
    Posts: 30
    I know you weren't asking me, but all through the year except during Easter and Christmas we (a different parish in downtown Portland) sing the Introit with its verse as our entrance with no entrance hymn. Very few at my parish care about the "participatory" aspect as almost everyone is a convert and doesn't know to care about that kind of thing.

    At my parish, and I believe they do this at the Cathedral, the Introit (a cappella, no verses if there will be a hymn) is sung first, during the procession, then the Entrance Hymn is sung during incensing. Sometimes I will ask the servers not to begin processing until the short entrance antiphon is finished, so we have more time to sing the hymn without making the priest stand there waiting.
    Thanked by 3Chant_Supremacist Adam Wood iMalton
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,502
    > I believe they do this at the Cathedral, the Introit (a cappella, no verses if there will be a hymn) is sung first, during the procession, then the Entrance Hymn is sung during incensing.

    I believe this is what was done at the Cathedral, based on the program. I neglected to say, above, that I was a few minutes late for the beginning of Mass so I didn't actually see this happen, and cannot report on its "effectiveness".

    > There are at least 4 other parishes in downtown Portland who have music like this

    Amazing.
    Thanked by 1Chant_Supremacist
  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 603
    I'm curious, how did they handle doing both an entrance chant (introit) and a processional hymn? What was your impression of it? Whenever I've seen that done I've been dissatisfied by it. The only such combination I've seen in practice that seemed alright is processional hymn -> clean separation -> introit during incensing.

    In Houston, we sing the Introit from the Graduale just before the procession (beginning however long the Introit + verse is before the hour), and then all stand and the procession begins and is accompanied by a hymn.

    I feel it's a bit of a shame that nowhere (as far as I know) gives the introit a really full treatment as an entrance in the NO, though I understand it's not "participatory" and thus a hard sell.

    In terms of English plainsong, I've certainly seen this done (and done it myself) in many places. In relation to the Introit from the Graduale, I've experienced it used as the procession once before at St. Louis Abbey near St. Louis, MO. It was 100% an internal participation situation... it was a pretty tricky introit that week, and they took it at a good clip (as they should).
    Thanked by 1Chant_Supremacist
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,502
    I will add that the congregation sang both hymns and ordinary quite robustly. Given that, I would think taking away the opening hymn would be a pastoral mistake.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Chant_Supremacist
    Posts: 316
    Good to hear it happens in places. I don't get out much, clearly.
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,442
    I've not worked in a place where we ever fully replaced the entrance hymn with a Gregorian introit. I've been to Mass at a parish that uses English antiphons as the sole music for the entrance procession during Advent. Possibly Lent also?

    On that score, at that parish, for Advent they're doing:
    --English entrance antiphon
    --Offertory hymn
    --Communion antiphon + motet/anthem
    --Alma Redemptoris Mater as recessional

    I actually feel like that's too little room for hymnody during Advent. This past year we didn't sing any of these common Advent hymns: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel; Comfort, Comfort; Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus; People, Look East; O Come, Divine Messiah; Creator of the Stars of Night

    I've composed accompanied, metrical versions of the (English) Roman Missal entrance antiphon and used those for the entrance procession before. That was reasonably successful.

    What I like the best is: processional hymn, introit (Latin or English) during the incensing. Everybody wins.
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 3,278
    I believe they do this at the Cathedral, the Introit (a cappella, no verses if there will be a hymn) is sung first, during the procession, then the Entrance Hymn is sung during incensing.
    At St. Augustine Cathedral (Kalamazoo) we do exactly the opposite: sing the hymn, then we chant an introit once the priest has reached the altar. It seems to better match the energy, especially if the opening prayers are sung. You go from the big hymn down to the introit, down to the priest beginning his chanting. (It also feels to me to be more natural to be chanting during incensation, rather than singing a hymn.)

    In Houston, we sing the Introit from the Graduale just before the procession (beginning however long the Introit + verse is before the hour), and then all stand and the procession begins and is accompanied by a hymn.
    At one of my former parishes where we had just begun introducing chanted propers, we would chant the introit as the bells were ringing, just before the processional hymn started. It worked well. It's an "easy" way to introduce propers without disturbing people too much.

    've not worked in a place where we ever fully replaced the entrance hymn with a Gregorian introit. I've been to Mass at a parish that uses English antiphons as the sole music for the entrance procession during Advent. Possibly Lent also?
    Just this past year I ripped off the bandaid and we were doing easier & medium difficulty S&S introits as our sole entrance music. It was quite nice, actually, and if you choose an easy enough chant melody in the vernacular, people WILL attempt to sing it like a refrain. I even had people chanting along to the verses as well when set to meindrad-esque tones. It was refreshing, and a nice change for the season. I know one colleague who occasionally haunts this forum who has gone to simple S&S introits at all masses all year round, and he swears that the simpler introits causes people to sing the Gloria much more robustly, since they aren't tuckered out by a big entrance hymn.
    Thanked by 2trentonjconn hilluminar
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 666
    I feel it's a bit of a shame that nowhere (as far as I know) gives the introit a really full treatment as an entrance in the NO, though I understand it's not "participatory" and thus a hard sell.


    Westminster Cathedral (London) does, and it’s spectacular. You can watch their livestreams, but the procession goes something like this:

    – Improvisation in the key on the great organ as procession leaves sacristy via south aisle
    – When choir reach the main aisle, the introit is sung in procession, with the verse and Gloria Patri, with accompaniment of the choir organ
    – If this is not enough music to cover the censing of the altar, or if there is a very large procession, the great organ improvises some more.
    – Sign of the Cross, etc.

    It feels like the most natural and fitting thing one could imagine, and suits the space beautifully. In the Mass I attended, I felt there were as many places for the people to sing, if not more than in an American suburban Mass. Even though the ordinary was choral and the proper save the Gradual was sung, all the dialogues and prayers were sung, the Creed, universal prayer, Lord’s Prayer were sung, etc.

    I also went to the Saturday Mass there with a visiting choir. There were some hymns and a congregational K/S/A, which, through no fault of the organist, I found difficult to sing and rather unsuccessful in such a gigantic space, with nothing ever sounding quite together and the reverberation leaving one wondering where the beat actually fell.
    Thanked by 2Chant_Supremacist hilluminar
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,545
    We try to do the introit in procession at the TLM even if it (and especially if) they go the short way due to weather or, as is currently the case, the back/front (however one conceives of it) being inaccessible. On Holy Thursday of course I’d like to have the organ, but sometimes nothing gets prepared (it happens, miscommunication).

    And that would be splendid.

    Of course it’s a bit of a different animal in the NO but we still did the full introit for confirmation (doxology and repetition: making it as close to our normal Mass is a key element for my pastor). It was still pretty great even if you lose the seamlessness with the opening rites being out loud as a separate part unlike at the high Mass where they are prayed quietly at the altar steps.

    The one drawback to the sung TLM is that we don’t have processional music for much of the year due to the silencing of the organ before the Asperges, but if we had a second sung Mass, I would use the processional introit yearround. They are often long enough that extending with verses is not necessary; my pastor sat down yesterday, in fact, for the Kyrie.
  • StPatrick
    Posts: 30
    At St. Augustine Cathedral (Kalamazoo) we do exactly the opposite: sing the hymn, then we chant an introit once the priest has reached the altar. It seems to better match the energy, especially if the opening prayers are sung. You go from the big hymn down to the introit, down to the priest beginning his chanting. (It also feels to me to be more natural to be chanting during incensation, rather than singing a hymn.)


    I like this idea, we actually don't sing an entrance hymn most of the year but when we go back to them for Solemnities and Christmas I think I will try this. Definitely seems like a more sensible progression of things.
    Thanked by 1hilluminar
  • novusgordo
    Posts: 15
    At one of the four Sunday Masses at the parish I sing at, we've actually replaced the entrance hymn entirely with the Gregorian entrance chant! That being said, our parish church is an early-1990s semi-circular design, so the entrance procession is too short to sing both a hymn and the entrance chant, even with the use of incense every Sunday. (We tried, but we quickly realized that it was stupid.)
    Thanked by 2Chant_Supremacist hilluminar
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,680
    From 2006 to 2021, the Phoenix Cathedral used the Gregorian Introit as its sole entrance processional music at the 11am Mass. 15 years is a long time.
    Thanked by 2hilluminar ServiamScores
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 3,278
    at the 11am Mass
    this warrants a discussion unto itself (I should start a thread: but I’ve long wondered about whether or not it’s good to do all the weekend masses the same (my approach) vs. each mass time getting a different treatment.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,545
    So long as the general idea is the same, and the main Mass on holy days and especially the liturgies of the Triduum, are not rotated out to different groups so that you never know what you are going to get, yes, I think that letting things be different at one Mass is easier (it might have more overhead at least the first year though). I don’t believe in evening Mass anyway (our VG would prefer only one per deanery on Saturdays!) but if I do go late, I really do want a low Mass with no music. Same if it’s very early.

    One Mass being the high Mass or its equivalent is good. The other not-early and not-late Masses should be someone lesser in importance and that probably means hymns and maybe not even singing the Mass parts at all (Musicam sacram is entirely wrong here in its framing), and on days like Palm Sunday, if you want palms, go to the main Mass. The others should be simply to fulfill your obligation. We also have only one Mass on Ash Wednesday (a low Mass) and on holy days (a high Mass in the evening but we prefer mornings and would do that if we had holidays on our holy days).
Add a Comment