How Is S.A.L.’s Mass Music Selected? The Approach: The Foundation Undergirding the Selection Process The texts for every single Mass are already prescribed, written out, pre-determined. This includes the texts for the songs at the Entrance, Psalm, Offertory, and Communion. These texts are called the propers, because they change by week, just as the readings do. The prescribed propers texts are psalms with their antiphons. The propers are integral to the structure of the liturgy and have been sung since the earliest centuries. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal 2011 (GIRM) gives 4 specific instructions about which texts to use at the Entrance, Offertory, and Communion processions. Below is the instruction for the Entrance (#48). The same instruction is repeated later in the GIRM under #74 and #87: In the Dioceses of the United States of America, there are four options for the Entrance Chant*: (1) the antiphon from the Missal or the antiphon with its Psalm from the Graduale Romanum, as set to music there or in another setting; (2) the antiphon and Psalm of the Graduale Simplex for the liturgical time; (3) a chant from another collection of Psalms and antiphons, approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop, including Psalms arranged in responsorial or metrical forms; (4) another liturgical chant that is suited to the sacred action, the day, or the time of year, similarly approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop. *Although plainchant is given pride of place in the Roman Catholic liturgy, “chant” in this context refers to both non-metricized and metricized forms of singing From these instructions we can see that: 1. Text is paramount 2. The propers (specific psalms) are requested 3 out of 4 times 3. Non-propers texts are requested to be in line with the Mass’s action, readings, or at least the liturgical season 4. The sung texts hold a specific function within the liturgy- they are not add-ons 5. The Catholic liturgy is not a structure into which we plug-n-play some music we like. We need to be very intentional about the texts with which we choose for Mass. Bishop Sample (now Archbishop Sample) summed up this point well in his Pastoral Letter on Sacred Music in the Divine Worship Rejoice in the Lord Always: (all bold excerpts are my own emphasis): “…This understanding would preclude the common notion that we take the Mass and simply “tack on” four songs (the opening hymn, offertory hymn, communion hymn and recessional hymn), along with the sung ordinary of the Mass (Gloria, Sanctus, etc…). We must come to see that, since sacred music is integral to the Mass, the role of sacred music is to help us sing and pray the texts of the Mass itself, not just ornament it.” Later in that same letter he states: (1.f.1) “The liturgical books (the Missal, Graduale and Lectionary) envision that, as a rule, we sing the Mass at Mass, rather than sing songs during Mass. To truly sing the Mass as described *below (*in his letter) is the ideal and should be an overall priority for parish worship.” The Process: 1. Fill in my music selection sheet with the following: - All parts of the weekend/special Mass which need music - The readings for the day - Brief commentary on the readings - Song suggestions from three online Catholic sources 2. Read through all the Readings: a. What are the singular and connecting themes? b. Do any phrases point specifically to a hymn text we know? c. Research questions about the texts for further understanding if necessary 3. Compare 5-7 online and offline music suggestion lists, noting which songs are suggested most often 4. Read through the texts of the most suggested songs 5. Question the text: a. Is it the propers set to music? b. If it is a metrical setting of a psalm: i. How close to a formal equivalence translation is the text? ii. Does the editor insert his own words and ideas within the setting, thus changing the meaning or focus? c. Does the text support the lessons for this Mass? d. Does the text define, reflect, or catechize for the Catholic faith? e. Is God, Christ, or the Holy Spirit the center? f. If this text were spoken or sung outside the liturgy, would it undoubtedly point those hearing it towards the Catholic faith? 6. Choose the texts (if not the propers) which most closely align with the themes for the day 7. Question the music to which the texts are set: a. Do we know these tunes? i. Compare each song to lists of the music known to St. Alphonsus parishioners; lists extend back to 2000. b. If we know the tune, keep the song as a possibility for Mass c. If we don’t know the tune: i. Is this a strong text I’d like us to continue using? 1. If no, cross it off the list for that week 2. If yes: a. Is it worth learning a new tune for it? b. How much ‘new’ have we learned lately? i. Is it too soon to learn something new? ii. Is now a good time to learn something new? iii. Will I be able to repeat it next week or in the near future? c. Is the song simple or challenging? d. Does the range work for us? e. Do have other texts set to the same tune that will reinforce the tune memory? 8. I choose to teach a new song if I think it useful to our repertoire liturgically and musically, we will use it in the future, and ‘now’ is a good time. 9. Each new song is rehearsed with the congregation before the Mass at which it is sung. Typically I will repeat it a week later, or in close proximity to the weekend it was learned. 10. While the psalm settings and the Mass Ordinary (Kyrie / Gloria / Sanctus / Agnus Dei) stay consistent throughout each weekend Mass, I typically choose different styles of the remaining music for our different Masses, although text is still the primary determining selection factor: - 5:30p Mass: uses more of the 70’s 80’s folk music, with some traditional if it is known, or if I’m teaching a new song. - 8a and 10:30a Masses: on purpose use more traditional music, especially since the 10:30a is our Principal Mass - 5:00p Mass: will continue to expand into more contemporary music usage 11. Sources for the texts and music we use at St. Alphonsus hail from Catholic resources: - Hymns/Songs – the 1994 Gather Comprehensive hymnal in our pew racks (25 years!) - Mass settings – revised to use the prescribed Formal Equivalence translations (Roman Missal 2011) - Psalms – settings by Psallite (Collegeville Composers Group), Guimont, and Gelineau, using the official ICEL (International Commission on English in the Liturgy), Grail, or Revised Grail verse translations - Entrance and Communion antiphons – Psallite, St. Meinrad 12. What to do when asked to sing music new to you: a. Please accept this as an opportunity to sing your faith through a different tune: the text and music were deliberately chosen as part of that day’s propers, or as texts which support the lessons of the day or the themes of the liturgical season b. Please choose to open your hymnal: even if you cannot sing it right away, you can actively participate in Mass by reading the text c. Encourage others to do the same! And remember, ‘All music was once new!’ A. Lee Barlow, Director of Sacred Music 11 July 2019 .