HEN I BEGAN as the music director at my current parish, I was immediately impressed—and inspired—to find that the people were already singing much of the Ordinary of the Mass in Greek/Latin. Every Sunday, the Kyrie, Sanctus, Mortem Tuam, and Agnus Dei from Missa Jubilate Deo rang out beautifully from the pews. It was clear that this parish already had a love for the Church’s musical heritage.
A slight mismatch • There was, however, one musical mismatch. The Gloria was not in Latin, but rather in English from Marty Haugen’s Mass of Creation. Certainly a singable choice – as I’m sure was the consideration – as it is a setting well-known across the US for many decades. But its English text contrasted with the Latin movements surrounding it. I sensed the parish was ready for something cohesive.
I decided to introduce the (weekly) Gloria from the Missa de Angelis, the same beloved Mass setting that has united Catholic congregations for centuries. The change was not merely aesthetic. I knew that the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy told us that the faithful should be “able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 54).
To be fair to the vernacular, our community also learned a complete English setting—the Missa Simplex by Richard Proulx—so that we could alternate between Latin and vernacular Ordinaries throughout the year. This rhythm allows parishioners to experience both the universality of Latin chant and the accessibility of English texts, each enriching the other.
“Mr. Haas, WHY?!” • When I first retired the Mass of Creation Gloria, the reaction from my adult choir and congregation was overwhelmingly positive. Many parishioners expressed gratitude that our music felt even more unified and reverent. All of our five regular priests for Mass were eager to intone the opening line. But there was one group that didn’t share this enthusiasm—my Children’s Choir.
For them, the Mass of Creation Gloria was part of their musical DNA. Many of them had sung it for as long as they could remember, and its melodies were woven into their earliest memories of the Mass. I couldn’t blame them. Heck, I had been singing that Gloria with Capo 3 E-minor chords when I was a kid back in the days when strumming was the hip thing. When I announced we’d be learning something new, a chorus of groans erupted: “Mr. Haaaaaasssss, whyyyy?”
Many music directors are faced with this reaction from children and perhaps even their parents. It might be tempting to “sing what’s fun.” Or “sing something ‘youthful’ for them.” I resisted this urge and stood back objectively and knew that we needed to follow the Church’s instruction – we needed to learn this Gloria. (Just as I instruct my own children at home that we need to go to Confession. We may not want to go. But the Church teaches that we need this healing sacrament).
This was surprising • We began rehearsing the Gloria de Angelis for months leading up to the Easter season. Progress was slow at first, but the children gradually began to recognize its simple beauty and ancient joy. By Pentecost, they were singing it with confidence. And by nearly a year later, something remarkable had happened: nearly every child—and every adult singer—was singing the Gloria in Latin entirely from memory.
* Mp3 Download • Live Rec. (“Gloria VIII – Missa de Angelis”)
——”Gloria VIII (de Angelis) • Ave Maria Parish Children’s Choir • Mark Haas, conductor; Michael Olbash, organ.
Today, months later, I have scarcely heard a single request for the “old Gloria.” Instead, our entire parish—young and old, English and Spanish-speaking alike—joins together in the mother tongue of the Universal Church, singing, “et in terra pax homínibus bonae voluntátis!”
With one voice, we now echo the angels’ song that transcends centuries, cultures, and languages.
