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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Can’t sing? Sing the dialogues!

Richard J. Clark · November 7, 2014

HILE VISITING PARIS, I attended mass at Sainte-Eustache, a parish church. France has had a number of liturgical customs many that have endured for centuries. I expected to hear the organ voluntaries and improvisations during processions. One would not expect to sing hymnody with the same fervor as one may in the U.K. or in the United States.

However, quite striking was the ease with which the congregation sang the dialogues. The congregation also easily sang Gloria VIII and Credo III in Latin – also an accommodation for the high number of tourists. It was obvious that the dialogues (as well as the Gloria and Credo) were sung week in and week out.

For whatever reason, while there were no hymns to be sung, the congregation had plenty to sing. The dialogues were important.

The 2007 US Bishop’s document Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship (SttL) agrees: Dialogues and acclamations are the most important things to sing at mass. SttL is full of surprises!

While we are pretty good at singing the acclamations during mass, the dialogues are terribly neglected, perhaps because it requires the willingness of the deacon or priest, and a music director willing to work with him. This is an extra step, but one that bears much fruit for the congregation, the liturgy. It also gives clergy and musicians an opportunity to work together.

What if a priest or deacon can’t sing? Well, that hasn’t stopped many of them, and I believe that it is still very much worth it! Most recently, I played a mass at Boston College for a visiting bishop whose voice was perhaps much less than wonderful. During a weekday mass he sang the dialogues throughout. The congregation responded throughout. His voice was thin at times. The tones weren’t quite right or were just a simple recto tono. The Preface Dialogue was perhaps in the lowest key I’ve ever sung it. That stopped no one from full and active participation.

ERE’S WHAT DID HAPPEN: the sense of prayer, reverence, and internal participation increased through this act of external participation. Neither one nor the other, it accomplished both. That’s what the dialogues do so well! A priest who sings both energizes the liturgy and fosters interior prayer.

Furthermore, it bears repeating that one of the best ways to get a congregation to sing more is to sing the dialogues. Ironically, while we are addicted to accompaniments for security, congregations always sing better without it.

One more interesting thing happened at that mass. The hymns seemed to be a little less important – certainly not to the point of exclusion as they were at Sainte-Eustache in Paris. But by singing the words of the mass, hymns take on a different perspective. Singing the dialogues naturally lead to singing other things: the antiphons and psalms now make more sense. Hymns are no longer relied upon as the major point of external participation. Understand, as an organist, I love playing hymns and singing them. But singing the texts of the mass is considered most important for good reason, because the mass—not the hymns at mass—is our greatest prayer. Sing the mass!

Here is a playlist of practice videos for the ICEL Chants which include the dialogues.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Singing the Mass Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    PDF Download • Draft Copy (Pamphlet)
    A few days ago, I posted a draft copy of this 12-page pamphlet with citations about the laity’s “full, conscious, and active participation.” Its basic point is that choir directors should never feel embarrassed to teach real choral music; Vatican II explicitly ordered them to do precisely that! We’ve received tons of mail regarding that pamphlet, with many excellent suggestions for improvement. Please feel free to chime in!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Entrance Chant” • 23rd (Ordinary Time)
    This coming Sunday, 7 September 2025, is the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). You can download the “Entrance Chant,” conveniently located at the feasts website. I also recorded a rehearsal video for it (freely available at the same website). The Communion Chant includes gorgeous verses in FAUXBOURDON. I attempted to create a rehearsal video for it, and it’s been posted at the feasts website, called by some: “church music’s best kept secret.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • 3 September
    According to the MISSALE RECENS, the Feast of Saint Gregory the Great occurs on 3 September (the date Gregory became pope). Formerly, his feast was celebrated during Lent, on 12 March (the day Gregory died). In Latin, the feast is: Die 3 Septembris: S. Gregorii Magni, papæ et Ecclesiæ doctoris. you can download the Latin Introit, the Latin Offertory, as well as the Communion with gorgeous fauxbordon in English. Abbat Joseph Pothier—along with Dom André Mocquereau, Bishop Laurent Janssens, Father De Santi, and other Gregorian superstars—sang with a choir of 1,210 voices (from 36 different Roman colleges) under the direction of Monsignor Antonio Rella. That Mass included the “Alma cohors,” a special SEQUENCE for Saint Gregory…much to the dismay of those who believe in strict adherence to rubrics. The Mass on 11 April 1904 was celebrated by Pope Saint Pius X, at the great GREGORIAN CONGRESS held in Rome “to mark the 13th Centenary of the death of Saint Gregory the Great.” Someday, there’s much I’d love to say about this congress. We even have recordings (!) from it (made in 1904 by the Gramophone Company) with choirs conducted by Dom Pothier, Dom Mocquereau, Dom Janssens, Monsignor Rella, Baron Kanzler, and others.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“The banality and vulgarity of the [ICEL] translations which have ousted the sonorous Latin and little Greek are of a supermarket quality which is quite unacceptable.”

— Sir Alec Guinness (1985)

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