The Vigil of Pentecost in the EF
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    A member of our schola is getting married on June 11, and she asked the schola to sing for the Nuptial High Mass. When we actually looked in the Liber Usualis for the that day,though, we discovered that it is the Vigil of Pentecost. It appears that this Vigil is very similar to the Easter Vigil, having the same lessons, tracts, and prayers before the Gospel.

    After verifying with the priest that yes, the VIgil takes precedence over the regular Nuptial Mass readings and propers, I have decided that, in the interest of brevity (for the congregation) and sanity (for the schola) we will sing the simpler versions of the tracts from the Chants Abreges. However, there seems to be very little information out there about this Mass.

    Does anyone know anything more about it than is listed in the Liber Usualis?
  • dvalerio
    Posts: 341
    > she asked the schola to sing for the Nuptial High Mass

    Since you mention the LU, I presume this is a Mass in the EF.

    > the VIgil takes precedence over the regular Nuptial Mass readings and propers

    Yes it does.

    > It appears that this Vigil is very similar to the Easter Vigil

    All this changed with the reform of the Holy Week of Pope Pius XII, that also changed this Vigil. (It can be argued that the changes were for the worst, but that is not the point here.) Check the 1962 Missale Romanum p. 354 (p. 435 of the PDF), or the 1961 edition of the LU (updated to reflect these changes) p. 859 (p. 1047 of the PDF). All that was left was 1) the Introit, actually stolen from a ferial day of Lent; 2) the Alleluia Confitemini, which I'm sure your schola can handle; 3) the Tract, which is the shortest Tract of all, with 2 verses only, but the Psalm has no more verses to sing; 4) the Offertory; 5) the Communion. So it's pretty much a normal Mass.
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    Yes, thank you dvalerio, I noticed that my physical copy of the LU was different than the one online, and then I realized that must be what happened.

    Thanks for the summary of the changes; I think that's manageable.
  • Michael O'Connor
    Posts: 1,637
    Question. If the wedding is in the morning, would the Vigil still override?
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    Evidently it does. I'm not a liturgical expert, but the ones consulted were unanimous. Strangely enough, we have exactly the same situation later this year on Saturday, August 6, which is the Feast of the Transfiguration.
  • Chrism
    Posts: 868
    Actually a different situation, Gregp, as the Transfiguration is only a II Class feast in most places in the 1960 rubrics, whereas the Vigil of Pentecost is I Class.
  • dvalerio
    Posts: 341
    > If the wedding is in the morning

    Differences between Masses in the morning and Masses in the evening, with Vigils restricted to the later, are a novelty of the Ordinary Form. (A novelty, that is, if you do not count what was done in several places many centuries ago before Masses were restricted to the morning...)
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    Chrism, thanks, that's good to know, because we haven't started checking that one yet (one set of new propers at a time!).
  • Michael O'Connor
    Posts: 1,637
    Ah yes, I had forgotten... The Vigil is the entire day.
  • Arthur Connick
    Posts: 494
    Chant propers for the Vigil are posted here.
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