Grassroots Liturgist

In an  earlier post I observed that the first thing that tends to be thought about when preparing the music for a Sunday parish Mass is what hymns to sing.  However, as the graphic below makes clear, they should not be the priority. There is a hierarchy of five levels and I guess that, rather like Piaget's stages of cognition, you shouldn't really start one level until you have fulfilled the preceding one.  If there is to be singing at the Mass (and, frankly, there should be some singing at every Mass since we are, naturally, musical creatures) then the absolute priority, before anything else, are the Gospel Acclamation and the Eucharistic Acclamations (Sanctus; Memorial Acclamation; Great Amen). Even at a weekday Mass, with no accompaniment, this should present little problem; who doesn't know the triple Alleluia? (though not during Lent, of course.)  And the music for the Eucharistic Acclamations can be found in our Missals.  The (English) Sanctus is base...

One thing that I try to keep to the front of my considerations when planning liturgy is to remember that the music must serve the Mass - the Mass is not there as a vehicle for the music.  To this end it is so important that we understand the Mass more and more - through both study and prayerful participation - so that our music is sensitive to the ebb and flow of what is happening during the Mass. Back in the day, when attending yoof Masses, the "Sign of Peace" was often followed by "Let there be peace shared among us".  It was always sung enthusiastically but (and leaving aside the fact that there is no provision for this in the General Instruction to the Roman Missal) it was a rude interruption on what is a very solemn part of the Mass.  It just doesn't fit!  Immediately following this lively rendition we were expected to behold, in prayerful wonder, the Lamb of God in the Blessed Sacrament.  As human beings we cannot go from such exuberance to such wondrous...