The role of the Offertory Chant
  • FitReverentia
    Posts: 5
    I'm trying to better understand the Offertory Chant in its relation to the Mass (TLM).

    The Introit and Communion are related to procession, and their duration and style match accordingly.
    The Gradual/Alleluia take as long as they take; meditative psalms that hold their place among the readings.

    The Offertory...I have heard as the musical offering, made in conjunction with the offering of the bread and wine, but maybe that's not the whole picture. Is it practically meant to last until the incesation of the altar begins? The offertory varies in length much more diversely than the Introit and Communion, so it seems to be a "as long as it takes" approach, not entirely unlike the Gradual/Alleluia. There are also the ornate Offertory verses that can be added to extend the chant, but what is the practical coverage that the offertory is meant to serve?

    I understand that many will use the time after the Offertory chant to offer other hymns or songs that they find suitable, but I first want to better understand the nature of the Offertory. For example, I recently learned that the communion is short for a Sung Mass because practically no one, historically, received communion except the celebrant, meaning that anything longer would have expanded the chant past its role in the overall liturgy.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,645
    Uh, yes, but no. The processional aspect to communion is a bit ad hoc, justifying the general communion at every Mass.
  • OMagnumMysterium
    Posts: 362
    My understanding is that the Offertory was originally meant to cover the incensing as well. In addition to the chant printed in the Graduale (or Liber Usualis), there were verses (more ornate, like Gradual verses, not Introit verses) which were sung as needed to make the music last longer. These days most places don't sing the verses, just the required Offertory chant without verses, and fill the remaining time with some other piece (sung or organ). Although the Requiem Mass still requires that one verse (Hostias et preces) is sung. Patrick Williams wrote a good article about Offertory verses for CCWatershed, but it's no longer on the site (this happened before they switched to subscription model anyway). You can read it here.

    In short though, yes, it is musical insence, with the original intention of covering the Offertory up to the end of the incensing, as I understand it. The chant was very florid and elaborate at times (particularly the verses) because, well, they could be. It was really a majestic musical offering, perfectly in the spirit of that part of the Mass, and beautifully parallel to the physical incense.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen tomjaw novusgordo
  • OMagnumMysterium
    Posts: 362
    This book by Carl Ott gives many of the Offertory verses (with their Offertories) in modern chant notation. There's room for improvement on Ott's scholarship, but it still gives a good idea of the general shape of these chants. An edition of Ott's book was later made with St. Gall and Laon neumes added: the Offertoriale Triplex. You can buy it, but it's not online as far as I know.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen tomjaw novusgordo
  • fcbfcb
    Posts: 411
    In Ordo Romanus Primus the offertory involves a rather elaborate collection of small loaves and flasks of wine from the people, a selection of which then had to be arranged on the altar and emptied into a chalice. This seems like it might have taken quite a bit of time. At the end of this ORP says "Et pontifex inclinans se paululum ad altare, respicit scholam et adnuit ut sileant [and the pontiff bows slightly to the altar and then turns to the choir and signals to them to be silent]". This suggests that the Offertory, like the Introit and Communio, was originally a processional chant, in this case covering the people coming forward with their gifts of bread and wine. ORP doesn't mention incense being used at this point.
    Thanked by 2Andrew_Malton Roborgelmeister
  • smvanroodesmvanroode
    Posts: 1,114
    Anton Stingl has a Offertoriale restitutum cum versiculis on his website.
    Thanked by 4OMagnumMysterium DCM CHGiffen novusgordo
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,686
    [Aside]The Communion verses facilitate general communion, but what justifies it, apart from repeated papal exhortations, is Trent Session XXII chapter vi https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/creeds2/creeds2.v.i.i.ix.html
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen novusgordo
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