The following came from Mr. Javier R.
[We usually redact names for anonymity’s sake.]
ELLO. I came across this document wherein Jeff Ostrowski posts his ORDER OF MUSIC for his parish Masses. One thing that caught my eye—and which I’ve been wrestling with—is how to fit Hymns with the Antiphons, especially during the entrance procession. Personally, I like the idea of only doing the INTROIT chant, but the reality is that the Church does permit Hymns, and at this point people have gained an affection towards them. As a way to prudently restore the Chants, I’ve considered doing a Hymn when the Procession starts and then transitioning to the INTROIT afterwards before the Priest begins with the Sign of the Cross. The practical issue I run into is when should the Hymn end and the INTROIT start? I mean without it feeling forced or unnecessarily prolonging the Entrance (especially when no incense is used). How does Mr. Ostrowski do it at his parish?
On 6 September 2024,
Jeff Ostrowski issued the
following response to Javier:
N JUST A MOMENT, I’ll fully address your question. At the outset, I heartily applaud your instinct to be hesitant when it comes to eliminating the OPENING HYMN at Mass—a tradition that began many decades before the Second Vatican Council. In a certain sense, the beginning of Sunday Mass presents a musical conundrum. In a recent article (“The Very Least We Can Do”), I posted a photograph of the JOGUES PEW MISSAL—which always begins with the INTROIT printed in both English and Latin. Why not begin Mass with the INTROIT? As you correctly point out, there are valid reasons to substitute an OPENING HYMN. For one thing, it’s what most Catholics currently expect in light of the musical situation that’s existed for the last 70 years. If the INTROIT is particularly somber (or sung poorly or by just one cantor), it can instill an atmosphere that might be perceived by today’s congregations as “overly mournful.” This conundrum isn’t unique to the Novus Ordo. The MISSALE VETUSTUM also has this tension, especially when the ASPERGES ME is sung after the procession, which isn’t the traditional way.1
Jeff’s Parish • At my parish, the OPENING HYMN is stopped after three (3) verses. Then we sing the INTROIT as the priest incenses the altar. Consider the following OPENING HYMN (which is a draft copy for a forthcoming Spanish hymnal):
Only Three (3) Verses • Notice how we only sing three verses. If you want the complete hymn, the Father Brébeuf Hymnal has a ton of awesome versions in English. For example: #430 and #432 and #435. Below is just one verse from the REX SEMPITERNE, which strikes me as particularly powerful:
As our redeemer, fastened to the
cross that we ought to have suffered,
You gave Your blood to the last drop
as the price of our salvation.
Bristol Tune Book • The Father Brébeuf Hymnal includes various melodies and translations in English for the complete hymn (which is very ancient and quite lengthy). In addition to various Catholic hymnals—listed at the bottom of each page—many Brébeuf tunes are found in The Bristol Tune Book. In other words, these melodies have been “tested and approved” for hundreds of years. They’re beloved. I wish someone knowledgeable about hymnody would be willing (via Zoom) to have a friendly debate vis-à-vis the Father Brébeuf Hymnal. I don’t know any other hymn book comparable to it in any way—at least from a Roman Catholic perspective. So far, nobody has accepted my challenge, but I’m not giving up hope!
Liceity Of This Practice • People sometimes ask whether it’s allowed to have both an OPENING HYMN and the INTROIT. The USCCB made clear in a 2012 statement that absolutely nothing prevents this. Notice in particular how the SECRETARIAT of Divine Worship says:
The GIRM “gives several options for what could be sung at the entrance. It does not speak in one way or another about whether one could do both, because it speaks only to the normative practice of an entrance procession that includes priest, deacon, and other assisting ministers, and not a more elaborate entrance procession at a stational mass with the bishop and the presbyterate. The GIRM never speaks to every possible scenario that could take place.”
* PDF Download • STATEMENT BY THE USCCB (2012)
—Courtesy of Jeffrey Tucker, formerly editor of the Church Music Association of America’s journal on sacred music.
Believe it or not, what’s licit in America is often considered licit worldwide. That’s because so many English-speaking countries follow whatever America does: South Africa, Singapore, the Philippines, Nigeria, and so forth. Great Britain, however, tends to “do its own thing” liturgically.
1 Before Vatican II, the ASPERGES ME was usually done before the procession—by a single priest wearing a cope accompanied by an altar boy—and the pre-conciliar books mention this option explicitly. The “ultra-traditionalist” refuses to admit this—but there’s nothing we can do about that. No amount of evidence (from books published long before Vatican II) will change his mind; nor will the testimony of priests ordained before Vatican II. Needless to say, having the ASPERGES ME after the procession is also fully licit—but can result in a “bloated” opening. Some believe the best solution for the MISSALE VETUSTUM is to have the priest do the ASPERGES ME before Mass, then have a powerful processional played on the pipe organ during the procession, followed by the Introit. (This cannot be done during Lent, however, owing to the prohibition of organ interludes.)
