Sometimes you don't need accompaniment
Our music group plays at the Vigil Mass every fortnight. On the alternate weeks I lead the singing unaccompanied. Strangely, our small congregation often - though not always - sings more heartily when there is no accompaniment.
I know that we are not alone in this. Talking with other music leaders, and reading liturgy forums, I know that this happens elsewhere. I'm not entirely certain why this is the case, and I'm sure that there are a number of reasons, but it does mean that we don't need to afraid of leading unaccompanied singing.
Hymn singing is a recent phenomenon in the Catholic Mass. More traditional is the singing of Processional Songs or Chants. Put simply, these are similar to the Responsorial Psalm in that there is an antiphon (response) sung by everyone and verses from a psalm sung by a cantor(s). We use John Ainslie's "English Proper Chants". If we had an organist we would doubtless make use of that; instead we sing the processionals in a plainchant style, unaccompanied, with one male and one female cantor singing the verses together. I was a little apprehensive when we first introduced these Processional Chants but they have been well received: "Very prayerful" is a common observation.
We more usually use Communion Processional chants, perhaps every third or fourth Mass. But I like to use the Entrance Processional chant for Laetare Sunday (4th Sunday of Lent) since it is from the incipit of the Entrance Antiphon that we get the term Laetare Sunday: "Laetare Ierusalem, et conventum facite, omnes qui diligitis eam; gaudete cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis, ut exsultetis, et satiemini ab uberibus consolationis vestrae." (Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast.)
As I have noted before, you don't need cantors who are faultless singers; and there is certainly safety in numbers. So long as they have opportunity to practise together, you can comfortably have 2-4 cantors singing the verses of the psalm together.
Here is a recording of the Processional Chant sung during the Presentation of the Gifts at the Maundy Thursday Mass. It is beautiful and the English translation of the chant works just as well.
I know that we are not alone in this. Talking with other music leaders, and reading liturgy forums, I know that this happens elsewhere. I'm not entirely certain why this is the case, and I'm sure that there are a number of reasons, but it does mean that we don't need to afraid of leading unaccompanied singing.
Hymn singing is a recent phenomenon in the Catholic Mass. More traditional is the singing of Processional Songs or Chants. Put simply, these are similar to the Responsorial Psalm in that there is an antiphon (response) sung by everyone and verses from a psalm sung by a cantor(s). We use John Ainslie's "English Proper Chants". If we had an organist we would doubtless make use of that; instead we sing the processionals in a plainchant style, unaccompanied, with one male and one female cantor singing the verses together. I was a little apprehensive when we first introduced these Processional Chants but they have been well received: "Very prayerful" is a common observation.
We more usually use Communion Processional chants, perhaps every third or fourth Mass. But I like to use the Entrance Processional chant for Laetare Sunday (4th Sunday of Lent) since it is from the incipit of the Entrance Antiphon that we get the term Laetare Sunday: "Laetare Ierusalem, et conventum facite, omnes qui diligitis eam; gaudete cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis, ut exsultetis, et satiemini ab uberibus consolationis vestrae." (Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast.)
As I have noted before, you don't need cantors who are faultless singers; and there is certainly safety in numbers. So long as they have opportunity to practise together, you can comfortably have 2-4 cantors singing the verses of the psalm together.
Here is a recording of the Processional Chant sung during the Presentation of the Gifts at the Maundy Thursday Mass. It is beautiful and the English translation of the chant works just as well.
Comments
Post a Comment