The Key for Singing an OF Mass for the EF Musician

HERE IS A LOT OF ADVICE for people accustomed to the regular vernacular Mass looking for tips on how to sing an old-style Latin Mass. What about those who have spent the last 10 years attending a Latin Mass and haven’t heard an English Sung Mass much less prepared the music for one.

I know that may sound unlikely, but believe me, they do exist! Or at least, one did, until last week.

Because if you have a Liber Usualis and know how to use it, what more could there possibly be to know? Surely if it’s not in the over 2000 pages of the Liber Usualis, then it’s not worth worrying about.

Can you smell the hubris?

Sure, you can side-step the difficulty of learning the “new” ICEL translations for the Gloria and Sanctus by singing them in Latin – a totally legitimate option. You can revel is singing the Pater Noster.

There are heaps of options for incorporating the propers.

But then the priest intones “The mystery of faith”

And you suddenly realise that “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again” just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Be not afraid! the ICEL has a one page sheet ready to print. It is just one of a collection of chants from the Roman Missal.

And now, to my chagrin, I find these scores are already available here on Corpus Christi Watershed along with practice videos.

There is also a huge collection of English Mass Settings of the Roman Missal 3rd Edition.