I am very grateful for the offers of help, especially from priests.It would be wonderful to have a Solemn High Mass but there isn't really room on the sanctuary.
Servers: With our own servers, plus a MC and thurifer from East Grinstead we should be able cope.
Choir: We have 6 people confirmed for the choir, which is enough but if any chant aficionados want to come and join us we will be practising the propers this Friday at 7.30pm.
Introit and Communion will be to the correct tone. The rest will be sung to Psalm tones.
Priest, that is me: he can sing the things in the Missal that have notes, he is not quite sure about the Epistle and Gospel tones and would like some suggestions for help. Does anyone know of the lections with neums online? The priest is having a bit of difficulty memorising the prayer for the incensation.
8 comments:
Dear Fr.,
Neums online:
Suggest you contact Mark Miles via the blog I share with him:
In the sight of Angels
There may already be something in our sidebar which would give you a quick link. Otherwise I think Mark will be able to help.
Wish we could both join you!
Warm wishes and prayers for the success of Candlemas at St. Mary Magdalen.
J
I am a seminarian learning the EF and a priest advised me as to how he learned the prayer for the insensation. He wrote it out on little cards and placed them on the edges of the altar the first few times he said a sung Mass. Not the most elegant thing, but desperate times...
Best wishes to you father!
I know of a few churches in various parts of the country where the diocesan authorities (no less) plan to move the forward altar further back, not all the way to its original position against the wall (unfortunately), but sufficiently to allow a proper amount of room for celebration ad orientem.
This is of course a good thing. No altar should be sited so as to preclude the possibility of celebrating ad orientem.
Nevertheless, it is something of a half measure. They say the altar should be at the focal point of the Church. This usually means it is in an elevated position, up the altar steps, where it can clearly be seen. Site the altar too low down (which has happened all too often), and it is clearly visible only to the people in the front row.
One thinks of the magnificent Rampolla altar in St. Peter's, sited in front of Bernini's cathedra Petri, but unfortunately not on the original site, or even at the same height as the original. A pity !
I hope Father's plans for St. Mary Magdalen's will one day come to fruition. After all, this church was originally designed for the "old" Mass (including the full ritual of the Solemn High Mass).
I hope the Missa Cantata is a success.
From Father's post, it sounds as though there will need to be some poring over Fortescue & O'Connell !
Regarding Tones. If you have the right edition of the Liber Usualis you should be able to find them. The Epistle can be sung recto tono except for any questions in the text which have their own tone. There is also a solemn version which is nice but easy to confuse with the Epistle tone. I presume you would also put in all the ceremonial of the blessing of candles and a procession. Outside is nice but may not be practical in your setting unless you have a rear exit to a garden. The ordinary collect tone is used. The service is best held in the evening so you can have a genuinely darkened Church at the start. Unfortuneatly I have my own Missa Cantata that day with a professional choir as that day in 1902 was my mothers birthday.
How did they manage a high Mass pre Vatican II? Presumably they had them in your church!
I believe the epistle can be read out and does not necessarily have to be sung in Missa Cantatas, although all the traditional priests I know sing both the epistle as well as the gospel.
Gem, The altar in our church has been moved a long way forward. Originally it was attached to the reredos. Hopefully it will go back there. If there is a space behind the altar, things can fall off eg candlesticks. I have seen this happen the candlestick got bent and it could have fallen on someone's foot which makes it a Health and Safety Issue, same as altar rails need to go back for Health and Safety reasons.
Best wishes for it, Father!
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