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Views from the Choir Loft

Permission Needed to Replace the Propers?—(7 of 7)

Aurelio Porfiri · March 3, 2015

195 monks singing N THE LONG post-Vatican II season, one of the main problems had to do with the Mass Propers—antiphons for the Introit, Offertory and Communion. De facto they disappeared from the common practice to remain as a sort of relic in the pages of the Roman Missal. 1 The perception was that this “new season, new spring, new beginning” had given up on the idea that Mass Propers were still relevant. Replacing them were all kinds of liturgical songs (“liturgical” in the best of situations).

But this perception was—and is—wrong.

It is true that the General Instruction for the Roman Missal (GIRM) gives the possibility of substituting for the Proper antiphon “another appropriate song,” but this is a possibility of substitution, not a mandate. The first choice should always be the Proper antiphon for each liturgical feast and for each liturgical moment. This is what the GIRM asks.

It is like going to a restaurant and having to eat something different from your favorite dish: “We are sorry, we have not pasta with salmon; but we can give you instead pasta with meat sauce.” Yes, it is okay, this second one; but your first choice was another one, and eating too much meat is not healthy… In the situation we are here concerned with, the antiphons are there—they never go out of stock! We should be more and more convinced that they are “healthier” than the possible alternative songs: they are from the Scriptures and are parts of the mosaic presented by the other readings of that specific day; they are specific for each liturgy, allowing us to go deeper in the understanding of the mystery celebrated that specific Sunday; they are presented following a pedagogy that goes back centuries.

I know that a major problem for some with regard to singing the Propers is that the congregation is not supposed to be capable of managing different antiphons each Sunday of the year, but this is not correct. Were that the case, congregations would be incapable of listening to different readings every Sunday; readings often based on arduous theological concepts or full of historical information. I feel this might be just one more excuse to allow things to follow other directions, to reinforce the concept that making everything “easy” is good for the congregation.

One of my books is called Il canto dei secoli (“The Song of the Centuries”). The Propers constitute this “singing of centuries,” because they were preserved during our history as a living witness of the faith of our fathers and mothers and as an incomparable tool to enhance the level of our liturgical prayer.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Introit and Communion, but not Offertory.


This article is part of a series:

Part 1 • Richard Clark

Part 2 • Veronica Brandt

Part 3 • Andrew Leung

Part 4 • Dr. Lucas Tappan

Part 5 • Andrew Motyka

Part 6 • Cynthia Ostrowski

Part 7 • Aurelio Porfiri

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Hymns Replacing Propers Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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Aurelio Porfiri

About Aurelio Porfiri

Renowned as composer, conductor, theorist, author, pedagogue, and organist, Aurelio Porfiri has served the Church on multiple continents at the highest levels. Born and raised in Italy, he currently serves as Director of Choral Activities and Composer in Residence for Santa Rosa de Lima School (Macao, China).

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Here’s an audio excerpt (33 seconds) of a setting for Kyrie VIII which was recorded live last Sunday at our parish in Los Angeles. The setting (“Missa de Angelis”) is by composer Richard Rice, and you can download the free PDF if you click here and scroll to the bottom. I think Richard’s composition is marvelous. I missed a few notes on the organ, but I’ll get them right next time.

—Jeff Ostrowski
5 April 2021 • When Girls Sing

Covid restrictions here in California are still extremely severe—switching “two weeks to flatten the curve” into “two years to flatten the curve.” Since 2020, we’ve had police breaking into our church to check if everyone is wearing a mask…even when only 5-6 people are present! But we were allowed to have a small percentage of our singers back on Easter Sunday, and here is their live recording of the ancient Catholic hymn for Eastertide: Ad Cenam Agni Providi. The girls were so very excited to sing again—you can hear it in their voices!

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“E.S.” in North Dakota writes: “I just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for all the hard work you have put—and continue to put—into your wonderful website. In the past two years, my parish has moved from a little house basement into a brand new church and gone from a few families receiving Low Masses twice a month to several families (and many individuals) receiving Mass every Sunday, two Saturdays a month, and every Holy Day. Our priest has been incorporating more and more High Masses and various ceremonies into our lives, which has made my job as a huge newbie choir master very trying and complicated. CCWatershed has been an invaluable resource in helping me get on my feet and know what to do!!! Thank you more than I can express! May God bless you abundantly and assist you in your work and daily lives!”

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