From a reader:
I have been asked to coordinate the creation of a Schola Cantorum at a church in our diocese that plans to offer the Extraordinary Form of the Mass beginning on First Friday in February. (They have not yet made a formal announcement, but I will notify you when they do.)
My question is which set of "the Red" we should do. The Mass will formally be a Low Mass, primarily due to limitations of a well-aged celebrant. [A "Novello" will do just fine, you know.] But he would like there to be as much music as possible. The Musicam Sacram of 1967 offers us a great deal of flexibility, but I am not certain we should consider it as our guide. It addresses, for example, the congregation joining in the singing of the Pater Noster which, I thought, was not even spoken by the people as of 1962.
What we would like to do would be to chant Mass VIII along with hymns as prelude, Offertory, Communion and Marian postlude. (In the short time to prepare I am uncertain of our ability to sing the propers yet.) Doing so would, I believe, enhance the prayerfulness of the Mass for all participants while maintaining its dignity within the intent of the rubrics. I want to do so, however, without having the first EF Mass in the history of our diocese make a shambles of the rules. But references such as Psalllite Sapienter, Musicam Sacram, and the similarly named blog offer a variety of guidance. I detect a bit of "Say the Black. Do the Rose." out there.
hmmm….
I am not sure how to advise you. Usually Low Mass doesn’t have a lot of music.
Holy Church assigns the antiphons for Mass, which should be preferred to hymns, but … since this is a Low Mass…
Perhaps some readers out there can relate their experiences of what is happening in their parishes and chapels with TLM, the Low Mass.
Help this fellow out.
