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Views from the Choir Loft

Rediscovering “Musicam Sacram”

Christopher Mueller · October 12, 2015

213 Vatican II AVING RECEIVED an absurd Facebook suggestion (albeit in jest) regarding music for a funeral, a friend replied with a very pithy, “Sorry: Musicam Sacram 60.” I decided to look that up, 1 and encountered anew this wonderfully clear and concise document about music in the liturgy.

Musicam Sacram is the official “instruction on music in the liturgy,” released in 1967 as one of the teaching documents of the Second Vatican Council. Not only does Vatican II have a lot to say about liturgical music, but it also has a lot to say about choirs particularly. Sometimes people criticize choral music in the Mass, suggesting that it doesn’t belong, or that all music should be sung by the people and there is really no need or use for a choir.

However, Musicam Sacram in paragraph 7 discusses the roles of liturgical participants in relation to music, with the closing phrase that there is even a role for the “choir alone.” Paragraph 9 contrasts sacred music “for the choir or for the people.” Paragraph 16 elucidates conditions under which “some of the people’s song” may be “handed over to the choir alone.” And paragraphs 19-24 discuss in some detail the role of the choir, different types of choirs, and formation of its singers, beginning with this remarkable statement:

The role of the choir “has become something of yet greater importance and weight by reason of the norms of the Council concerning the liturgical renewal.” (MS 19)

So we can say unequivocally that, yes, Vatican II prescribes choral singing at Mass.

To the criticism one sometimes hears, that the choir is elitist or set apart from the rest of the church, Musicam Sacram offers this direct corrective:

The nature of the choir “should be clearly apparent—namely, that it is a part of the whole congregation, and that it fulfills a special role.” (MS 23a)

Finally, as more general point, music is central to the celebration liturgy. We are instructed that “there is no reason why some of the Proper or Ordinary should not be sung” in a spoken Mass. Read that again: there is no reason to exclude music altogether from a Mass!

Therefore, singing at Mass, and specifically, choral singing at Mass, are manifestations of the true spirit of Vatican II.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Musicam Sacram 60 states, “Anything done in churches… [which is] unbecoming to the holiness of the place [or] the dignity of the liturgy… must be avoided.”

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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Christopher Mueller

About Christopher Mueller

Christopher Mueller is a conductor and composer who aims to write beautiful music out of gratitude to God, Author of all beauty.—(Read full biography).

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20 January 2021 • REMINDER

We have no savings, no endowment, and no major donors. You can help us (please) by subscribing to our mailing list. It’s incredibly easy; just scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address. Thank you!

—Jeff Ostrowski
19 January 2021 • Confusion over feasts

For several months, we have discussed the complicated history of the various Christmas feasts: the Baptism of the Lord, the feast of the Holy Family, the Epiphany, and so forth. During a discussion, someone questioned my assertion that in some places Christmas had been part of the Epiphany. As time went on, of course, the Epiphany came to represent only three “manifestations” (Magi, Cana, Baptism), but this is not something rigid. For example, if you look at this “Capital E” from the feast of the Epiphany circa 1350AD, you can see it portrays not three mysteries but four—including PHAGIPHANIA when Our Lord fed the 5,000. In any event, anyone who wants proof the Epiphany used to include Christmas can read this passage from Dom Prosper Guéranger.

—Jeff Ostrowski
6 January 2021 • Anglicans on Plainsong

A book published by Anglicans in 1965 has this to say about Abbat Pothier’s Editio Vaticana, the musical edition reproduced by books such as the LIBER USUALIS (Solesmes Abbey): “No performing edition of the music of the Eucharistic Psalmody can afford to ignore the evidence of the current official edition of the Latin Graduale, which is no mere reproduction of a local or partial tradition, but a CENTO resulting from an extended study and comparison of a host of manuscripts gathered from many places. Thus the musical text of the Graduale possesses a measure of authority which cannot lightly be disregarded.” They are absolutely correct.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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“In the Latin Church the pipe organ is to be held in high esteem, for it is the traditional musical instrument which adds a wonderful splendor to the Church’s ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man’s mind to God and to higher things.”

— Vatican II Council

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