New Mass text and music

[Mithras]

Today's Tablet carries an article (p 32) concerning the proposed new Mass texts and the possible problems these might pose for composers. It seems that plainsong is envisaged as having a much more prominent role in the musical settings used. It would appear that ICEL "aimed to preserve and recover the tradition of unaccompanied singing in the Roman rite".

Vestiges of earlier dusciplines remain, hwoever; all is not to be given up at once, for "UK music publisher Kevin Mayhew .... felt sure that favourites such as the 'Clap Hands Gloria' and the 'Israeli Mass' would remain in use".

Where would we be without such optimism?

M

[presbyter]

Today's Tablet carries an article (p 32) concerning the proposed new Mass texts and the possible problems these might pose for composers.

Oh I don't think the new texts are all that problematic, are they? If the most problematic text is the Glory to God, then a recent conversation I've had with the composer of the Coventry setting has informed me that a first draft of a re-write is being tried out at a Summer School seminar, together with at least two settings of the text by other members of this forum. Another SSG member I know also has at least one setting ready for the publishers.

Mayhew might be wise to grasp that these texts will be set texts. The challenge will be to produce noble, simple, and joyful settings for communities whose musical skills do not rise above that of the "Clap Hands Gloria"

(Doesn't Mayhew realise what mockery he invites in calling it that? The initial adjective might be assumed to be spoken in un accento cantonese or even be construed in greater derogatory fashion as an unfortunate medical condition requiring a few grams of tetracycline to expunge its infection.)

[Nick Baty]

I'm sure many communities will continue to use unofficial texts regardless of the new translations. Israeli Mass et al were banned back in the 80s (can't remember exact reference). And, in our free market economy, there is nothing to stop publishers selling what they like to the parishes. Could we perhaps persuade the parishes not to buy? The parishes who embrace the present texts will be the ones which embrace the new. Those which sing masses Israeli, Swedish, Georgdie etc will doubtless continue to do so.

I know of several composers who are adapting existing settings for the new texts. I'm sure this will be successful in many settings. Where this isn't the case, might it be better to move on to something new?

[festivaltrumpet]

Vestiges of earlier dusciplines remain, hwoever; all is not to be given up at once, for "UK music publisher Kevin Mayhew .... felt sure that favourites such as the 'Clap Hands Gloria' and the 'Israeli Mass' would remain in use".

Words fail me. Sadly, Mayhew may be correct

[Nick Baty]

Is there, as yet, an instruction on repetition of words or phrases for musical reasons? For example, there are plenty of settings of the present Holy which turn "Lord God of power and might" to "Lord God of power, Lord God of might..." Will composers still have this freedom? I think it was mentioned in the draft directive for composers but that is, as yet, still a draft.

[presbyter]

And, in our free market economy, there is nothing to stop publishers selling what they like to the parishes.

This will take years to achieve realisation but there might be - so I've heard - the possibility of texts for singing in the liturgy requiring an Imprimatur at some future date. So it won't be a case of what the publishers want to sell but what the Church deems suitable to buy.

[Nick Baty]

We can but live in hope! But I suspect it will be almost impossible to police. Having said that, Pius X wiped out many hymn tunes at a stroke in 1903 – certainly by the time the 1912 Westminster Hymnal was published, some of the worst excesses of Crown of Jesus music had disappeared.

[presbyter]

Will composers still have this freedom?

Possibly the freedom will be akin to what Fauré did with the text of the Sanctus in his Requiem - and that was under the Missal of Pius V. I don't know.

[musicus]

I think that the Tablet's headline has confusingly conflated two things: one, the provision of chant settings (so as to make at least something freely available to all from the start), and, two, the challenge to composers presented by the new translations, some of which could be rather tricky.

[Gabriel]

I continue to be bemused by the Tablet's abysmal ignorance of matters liturgical. Nobody tell them but there's lots of chant in the current Missal too

[musicus]

"Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts", which correctly follows the punctuation of the Latin original, will be challenging. Of course, JS Bach got it right (and then some!) in his B minor Mass: just listen to that fantastic bass phrase: "Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth"!

[docmattc]

I agree with Gabriel. The article is not helpful. It claims "music settings... reveal a greater use of plainchant" but only actually discusses one setting, which is itself replacing an existing plainchant setting. I can't see how a 'like for like' change can be described as revealing a greater use.
There is no evidence given in the text of the 'dilemma' refered to in the title. The subtext of the article seems to be "There is going to be change, and you won't like it"

Let us hope that the revision of HO&N that Mayhew is reported to be bringing out drops all those Mass settings which were banned years ago.

[Mithras]

Is there, as yet, an instruction on repetition of words or phrases for musical reasons? For example, there are plenty of settings of the present Holy which turn "Lord God of power and might" to "Lord God of power, Lord God of might..." Will composers still have this freedom? I think it was mentioned in the draft directive for composers but that is, as yet, still a draft.

Furthermore, what of those settings of the Memorial Acclamation - two immediately spring to mind - which incorporate the Hosanna from the Sanctus? And while I'm at it, what of settings - Israeli et al aside - which have the word "Holy" sung four times rather than three? One immediately springs to mind. This surely is (a) a questionable departure from the scriptural (Isaiah) basis of the hymn and (b) detracts from the implicit Trinitarian framework of the Eucharistic prayer which culminates in the Per Ipsum.

M

ps full Tablet article here (just got it after posting this but enough time to edit and add it!)

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/article/13453

[presbyter]

Furthermore, what of those settings of the Memorial Acclamation - two immediately spring to mind - which incorporate the Hosanna from the Sanctus? And while I'm at it, what of settings - Israeli et al aside - which have the word "Holy" sung four times rather than three?

In regard to the Mystery of Faith - now called Memorial Acclamation - the present texts no longer apply (although the US Bishops seem to be seeking to retain Christ has died). We are starting from scratch (without Hosannas).

A – We proclaim your death, O Lord,
and profess your Resurrection
until you come again.

or B – When we eat this Bread
and drink this Cup,
we proclaim your death, O Lord,
until you come again.

or C – Save us, Savior of the world,
for by your Cross
and Resurrection,
you have set us free.

Four Holy - just so they fit neatly in a two/four bar phrase - is (imhbco) crass - but I can see a case for six sung responsorially, the assembly repeating three individual Holy and thus echoing the song of the angels. However, melodies for congregation don't necessarily have to be composed in four bar phrases. Holy, Holy, Holy lord God of hosts could be a five bar phrase, for example. Why not?


And if anyone doesn't know where to see the texts - they are here http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/missalformation/peoplesparts.pdf

[NorthernTenor]

"Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts", which correctly follows the punctuation of the Latin original, will be challenging. Of course, JS Bach got it right (and then some!) in his B minor Mass: just listen to that fantastic bass phrase: "Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth"!

This is one of those cases where the new translation successfuly moves away from the ditty-like tonic poetry that mars the old in places (say the first sentence of the old Gloria, finish it with a 'boom-boom' and you'll see what I mean). It's not that difficult to set, either, if one is prepared to move away with the translators from that rythmic approach - consider the Merbecke setting of the first line of the Sanctus.

ps I hope commenters will rise above the peculiar tribal snobbery that bedevils mention of the Anglicans' wrestling with these problems, well before they even occurred to us.

pps just off to put the Bach b minor on!