Unaccompanied Sung Liturgy

[John Ainslie]

In my parish, we began singing the Rimsky-Korsakov Lord's Prayer some years ago. Last year we dropped the organ accompaniment for Lent, with the choir providing the harmony. It sounded so good that we have never had it accompanied since. The whole congregation sings it with great fervour.

We also sing simple English chant unaccompanied, either versions of the Latin 'Gregorian' repertoire or new compositions based on melodic formulae derived from it.

[Nick Baty]

There are times when the simple chants John cites are sublime, simply through their simplicity, a case of less is more. But the RK Our Father is truly delicious. Mention of it reminds me of Tamblyn's Vigil Mass: sublime unaccompanied singing. Tricky for parish choirs in places when it divides into many (up to 8?) parts. Does anyone still use it? Sing me that and you can do what you want with me!

[NorthernTenor]

In my parish, we began singing the Rimsky-Korsakov Lord's Prayer some years ago. Last year we dropped the organ accompaniment for Lent, with the choir providing the harmony. It sounded so good that we have never had it accompanied since. The whole congregation sings it with great fervour.

We also sing simple English chant unaccompanied, either versions of the Latin 'Gregorian' repertoire or new compositions based on melodic formulae derived from it.

The Rimsky-Korsakov Lord's Prayer is wonderful. I'm also very pleased by your second paragraph.

[FrGareth]

Our Saturday night Mass only has an organist on alternate weeks. I take the view that if we're having a hymn sandwich we MUST sing Mass parts too, though sometimes managing to sing requires me to fall back on inexact renderings (cough...)

Here's our seasonal selection at the moment, which works without organ: Hymn numbers are Liturgical Hymns Old and New. Recently Saturday crowd has picked up our home-grown Celebration Mass and I might try Our Lady of Peace (Rees) next...!

GAISFORD MASS – for *Feasts and for Solemnities
Taizé Kyrie 18
Salazar Gloria 26
Celtic Alleluia 37
Holy Holy - Gaisford
Eucharistic Prayer sung (*said)
Acclamation - Gaisford
Great Amen - Gaisford (*plainchant)
Lamb of God – Maher

SPRING MASS 2009 (Ordinary Time between Christmas and Lent)
Lord Have Mercy - said
Gloria – 29 Leftley – Sing to God a song of Glory [tune: Daily Daily]
Alleluia – St Dyfrig's triple alleluia
Holy Holy – Schubert (German Mass) 62
Acclamation - “When we,” Irish 74 OR "Dying you destroyed" to old 100th.
Great Amen - plainchant
Lamb of God - said

BONIFACE MASS – for Advent and Lent
Kyrie - Boniface
Gloria – omitted
Alleluia – St Dyfrig's double alleluia or Lenten Chant [55?]
Bidding Prayers – “O Lord Hear my Prayer” 882 used as the response
Holy Holy - Sanctus Boniface
Acclamation - Boniface ("Christ has died" fitted to the Sanctus tune)
Great Amen - plainchant
Lamb of God - Boniface

[SAUnison]

In my parish we sing unaccompanied quite often - and in parts too (sometimes even the parts written by the composer!).
Unaccompanied singing can be very effective, yet there does seem to be an attitude that it is second best - especially if you are only a small group of singers or just a solo cantor. I'm sure it isn't a universal view, but it is there and perhaps encouraged in part by singers themselves - either apologising ('our organist can't make it today so we'll just muddle through...') or by giving up completely ('our organist can't make it today so we can't possibly sing...').
It would be good to see musicians having the confidence to sing unaccompanied more often - and not just when they have no other choice.

[Southern Comfort]

Welcome to the forum, SAUnison!

SC

[NorthernTenor]

I sing quite a lot of unaccompanied liturgical music. Usually it's in an ecclesial community, but sometimes it's at Mass, Vespers or Compline. There's quite a mine of it, you know, and I believe it was quite popular with the founders of the Society of Saint Gregory.

Nice to see you here, SAUnison!

[Gabriel]

Welcome SAUnison. I am sure you will find the forum stimulating and that people will have the courtesy to listen to what you say.

[Lakelark]

I fully endorse the sentiments and opinion of our new friend SAUnison. I am old enough to remember the days when the organ was forbidden during most of Advent and Lent, and it was during those periods, I suggest, that we really learned how to sing. I believe the regulation no longer exists, or if it does it is by-passed "to support weak singing". Might it not become a voluntary discipline once more? I am certain that it would be a step in the direction of restoring the quality of catholic music, the absence of which is so frequently noted.

[Nick Baty]

I think this has been discussed elsewhere but many of us, I suspect, cut the organ down as much as possible in Lent. (Advent's a rather different animal.) It's part of the seasonal shift as much as changing the colour of the vestments. I just wish more instrumental ensembles knew how to arrange parts so they sounded brighter and more joyous – simply so they could then knock them out during Lent, if you see what I mean. Having said that, the choice of music spells out the seasons too – for example, we last year we sang Haas's Deep Within at least three times during Lent, making it as much of a seasonal song as Adeste Fideles at Christmas. This is another reason I plan Eucharistic Acclamations a year ahead (currently two years), so I can see that seasonal shift. But this has already been the subject of another thread and I'm wittering when I should be out buying wallpaper!

[Dot]

I am most encouraged by this thread, which puts the emphasis on the most important part of liturgical music.

I was unsettled by the imbalance between instruments and voices in our parish for years. As the instrumental group has dwindled, we now have a much better balance and I am more aware of the people's singing, though it will never be strong. I am happy to sing hymns to the accompaniment of just two instruments, or even just a bass line. It is also possible to sing some pieces written for keyboard accompaniment without the accompaniment - for instance, try Martin Hall's Lamb of God (printed in M&L in 1999 - one of the last Music Supplements )

Dot

[Hare]

On another thread there is discussion about unaccompanised sung liturgy and some have taken that to mean plainchant.

Out of interest, at our church on Sunday we sang everything unaccompanied as neither organist were there. Don't know if that was deliberate but that is the way it was.

We sang:
Entrance: Be Thou My Vision
Gospel Acclamation: Easter Alleluia started by the reader of the 2nd reading
Preparation of Gifts: In Bread We Bring You Lord
Sanctus: Paul Inwood's Gathering Mass
Memorial Acclamation: Paul Inwood's Gathering Mass
Communion: This is My Body
Recessional: O Praise our Great and Gracious Lord.

All was sung well except the last one which people were not too sure about but those of the choir who were there scattered around the church carried it through.
All except the Gospel Acclamation were started off by the priest but he was not left to do it on his own.

I am just back from 3 weeks in France (a story in itself) where slow dial-up kept me off the internet.

I am curious to know what happened about the 4 bar interlude in the Gathering Sanctus..............?

[monty]

Why would you need a 4 bar organ interlude if there wasn't an organ? I have heard the Gathering Mass sung unaccompanied and people just go straight into the "Blessed ...". In my opinion, it actually works much better without the interlude.

[Hare]

Why would you need a 4 bar organ interlude if there wasn't an organ? I have heard the Gathering Mass sung unaccompanied and people just go straight into the "Blessed ...". In my opinion, it actually works much better without the interlude.

If you chop and change - ie, play the interlude if there is an instrument(s) but go straight on if unacompanied, confusion is sure to set in.

In my parish, there is a prayer group that meets one evening a week and they sing a hymn unaccompanied. Their favourites are (predictably) Here I am, Lord, I will be with you, and Do not be afraid; all of which have interludes, very long notes, or both. When we sing any of these, accompanied, at mass, those who have recently sung them unaccompanied go blasting straight in where they shouldn't, and accuse me of "playing it wrongly".

[monty]

So Hare, what exactly are you saying?

A congregation should have the music in front of them and know enough to count 4 bars
or
that they should not be trusted with singing anything unaccompanied?