In my parish, we know several mass settings. I usually "rotate" them weekly in Ordinary Time, but stick to Chris Walker's "Ferial Mass" for the whole of Advent and Lent, and a more "festal" set for the whole of the Christmas and easter seasons.
My PP has asked me to vary things during the Christmas season this year as he "gets fed up and the people probably do too" with the same set.
On the other hand, I have been castigated in the past by former PP's for rotating settings "before people get a chance to know them" - although on the rare occasions a new setting is introduced we sing it for a number of weeks - at least 6. (The ones who complain are usually the ones who don't come every week)
Views welcomed please.
Rotation of Mass settings
Moderators: Dom Perignon, Casimir
Re: Rotation of Mass settings
The dilemma we all face! How do you keep things 'fresh' and yet not alienate/confuse/lose the congregation? I think that there is no 'right' answer and that it depends on your congregation. Some seem to adapt quickly to new stuff (and even complain if there's nothing new at times!), others hate change, and most of us hate coming out of our 'comfort zones'.
We find that Advent is the best time to introduce a new mass setting. New church year, preparation for the second coming, preparation for Christmas, fresh start and all the other aspects of Advent seem to lend themselves to doing something new and different, and marking the change of time and season. Practically, you don't need to worry about the Gloria (yet!). We warm the congregation up to expecting it a week or so in advance as part of the preparation for the new season/year. We don't always rehearse the congregation. Week 1 we often just do it with choir/cantor and let people hear it. Week 2 we encourage the congregation to join in and evaluate it. If it is not 'catching on', then weeks 3 and 4 have pre-mass rehearsals. If I think the setting may be tricky, I introduce a new part each week and rehearse it.
At Christmas we use an old favourite (not the same one every year - often Janco's Angels & Saints, Inwood's Millennium Mass or Coventry Acclamations plus PJ's Gloria). When we start the Sundays of the Year we revert to the 'new' one, but add the Gloria, then we change for Lent (usually, but not always, unaccompanied plainchant). Then we have a changes for Eastertide and Pentecost through to summer (with the odd change for Confirmations, First Communions and the like). During the summer holidays when the choir is off, we tend to use Lawton's Celtic Saints and Inwood's Gathering - and before you know it, we will be looking at a new one for the next year (possibly!). We also find that giving the congregation the melody line in print makes a huge difference. They know when they are expected to sing and (as Shirley Bassey, who has steadfastly refused to learn to read music, put it on TV the other night), it tells me when "the music goes up and down".
Wish me luck for 11.00 today - it's James MacMillan this year!
We find that Advent is the best time to introduce a new mass setting. New church year, preparation for the second coming, preparation for Christmas, fresh start and all the other aspects of Advent seem to lend themselves to doing something new and different, and marking the change of time and season. Practically, you don't need to worry about the Gloria (yet!). We warm the congregation up to expecting it a week or so in advance as part of the preparation for the new season/year. We don't always rehearse the congregation. Week 1 we often just do it with choir/cantor and let people hear it. Week 2 we encourage the congregation to join in and evaluate it. If it is not 'catching on', then weeks 3 and 4 have pre-mass rehearsals. If I think the setting may be tricky, I introduce a new part each week and rehearse it.
At Christmas we use an old favourite (not the same one every year - often Janco's Angels & Saints, Inwood's Millennium Mass or Coventry Acclamations plus PJ's Gloria). When we start the Sundays of the Year we revert to the 'new' one, but add the Gloria, then we change for Lent (usually, but not always, unaccompanied plainchant). Then we have a changes for Eastertide and Pentecost through to summer (with the odd change for Confirmations, First Communions and the like). During the summer holidays when the choir is off, we tend to use Lawton's Celtic Saints and Inwood's Gathering - and before you know it, we will be looking at a new one for the next year (possibly!). We also find that giving the congregation the melody line in print makes a huge difference. They know when they are expected to sing and (as Shirley Bassey, who has steadfastly refused to learn to read music, put it on TV the other night), it tells me when "the music goes up and down".
Wish me luck for 11.00 today - it's James MacMillan this year!
Keith Ainsworth
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Southern Comfort
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Re: Rotation of Mass settings
A lot of wisdom so far from both correspondents.
Regarding the specific problem of Christmastide, I would probably tend to have a rather less festive setting on the Sunday following Christmas, Holy Family, which always seems to me to be a quieter, more reflective day, meditating on the great mystery we have just celebrated. That would help the PP. And why not have two festal settings for the whole season up your sleeve, rather than just one? Add in your quieter setting for Holy Family and that makes three for the season.
Regarding the specific problem of Christmastide, I would probably tend to have a rather less festive setting on the Sunday following Christmas, Holy Family, which always seems to me to be a quieter, more reflective day, meditating on the great mystery we have just celebrated. That would help the PP. And why not have two festal settings for the whole season up your sleeve, rather than just one? Add in your quieter setting for Holy Family and that makes three for the season.
Re: Rotation of Mass settings
Well, the MacMillan went ok'ish. It will get better as we progress through Advent.
I agree with SC about the Feast of the Holy Family. We tend to go for something that can be sung with no rehearsal (as the choir will not have rehearsed), which means some 'easy singing' on that day, which also seems to fit the tone of the feast.
I agree with SC about the Feast of the Holy Family. We tend to go for something that can be sung with no rehearsal (as the choir will not have rehearsed), which means some 'easy singing' on that day, which also seems to fit the tone of the feast.
Keith Ainsworth
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docmattc
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Re: Rotation of Mass settings
I agree with SC about Holy Family too, I made the mistake of scheduling in Peter Jones' Coventry Gloria for all of Christmastide a few years ago- it was fine at midnight Mass with most of the choir, but the following Sunday we had three altos and a goat*... not really enough to carry it!
I do Mass settings for a season, or for a 2-3 month block in ordinary time. One of Paul Inwood's 'Sound Reflections' columns in Music and Liturgy a while back reminded us musicians that the less musically adept in the congregation will be getting comfortable with a piece just as the musicians are getting bored with it. When I was at primary school we sang Mass XVIII every Thursday morning for 7 years! There was never a suggestion of varying things. (we didn't live in the parish so I've no idea what happened on a Sunday)
We started singing the Farrell Dm in September and sang it through to advent. Today we sang the missal tone acclamations unaccompanied. This was partly to do something very different and mark out the season, and partly to remind them, in preparation for my departure from the parish in the new year, that it is possible to sing without instrumental accompaniment. We'll sing these, Taize Kyrie, Mass XVIII Agnus and Prendergast advent Gospel acclamation throughout the season.
My brother's parish seems to have introduced 4 new settings in as many weeks. To me that's extraordinarily bad practice.
*this may not be literally true
I do Mass settings for a season, or for a 2-3 month block in ordinary time. One of Paul Inwood's 'Sound Reflections' columns in Music and Liturgy a while back reminded us musicians that the less musically adept in the congregation will be getting comfortable with a piece just as the musicians are getting bored with it. When I was at primary school we sang Mass XVIII every Thursday morning for 7 years! There was never a suggestion of varying things. (we didn't live in the parish so I've no idea what happened on a Sunday)
We started singing the Farrell Dm in September and sang it through to advent. Today we sang the missal tone acclamations unaccompanied. This was partly to do something very different and mark out the season, and partly to remind them, in preparation for my departure from the parish in the new year, that it is possible to sing without instrumental accompaniment. We'll sing these, Taize Kyrie, Mass XVIII Agnus and Prendergast advent Gospel acclamation throughout the season.
My brother's parish seems to have introduced 4 new settings in as many weeks. To me that's extraordinarily bad practice.
*this may not be literally true
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presbyter
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Re: Rotation of Mass settings
docmattc wrote:I made the mistake of scheduling in Peter Jones' Coventry Gloria ......but the following Sunday we had three altos and a goat*... not really enough to carry it!
Re: Rotation of Mass settings
It really is a pain when only one goat can be bothered to turn up. I wouldn't stand for it - and sack them all - PJ Gloria or no PJ Gloria!
Keith Ainsworth
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docmattc
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Re: Rotation of Mass settings
I did tell them off, and they looked quite sheepish. But then again they do anyway, its quite difficult to tell the difference...
But back on topic folks, before I have to moderate myself.
But back on topic folks, before I have to moderate myself.
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festivaltrumpet
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Re: Rotation of Mass settings
Other sites have reported the settings used at St Peter's throughout the year:
Advent Sundays: Mass XVII Credo IV
Christmas Sundays: Mass IX Credo IV
Lent Sundays: Mass XVII Credo IV
Easter Sundays: Mass I Credo III
Ordinary Time Sundays: Mass XI Credo I
Feasts in Ordinary Time: Mass VIII Credo III
Marian Feasts: Mass IX Credo IV
Feasts of Apostles: Mass IV Credo III
One may not necessarily choose to use all, or indeed any, of these settings, however this is an example one might chose to follow in determining the pattern throughout the liturgical year. The use of only one setting for Ordinal Sundays may be less desirable in a parish where the congregation could be less transitory than that in St Peter's may be.
Advent Sundays: Mass XVII Credo IV
Christmas Sundays: Mass IX Credo IV
Lent Sundays: Mass XVII Credo IV
Easter Sundays: Mass I Credo III
Ordinary Time Sundays: Mass XI Credo I
Feasts in Ordinary Time: Mass VIII Credo III
Marian Feasts: Mass IX Credo IV
Feasts of Apostles: Mass IV Credo III
One may not necessarily choose to use all, or indeed any, of these settings, however this is an example one might chose to follow in determining the pattern throughout the liturgical year. The use of only one setting for Ordinal Sundays may be less desirable in a parish where the congregation could be less transitory than that in St Peter's may be.
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pirate
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Re: Rotation of Mass settings
At choir practice a few weeks back, someone suggested the acclamations they'd heard at a diocesan event - turned out to be the Gathering Mass - I started to sing it and they all joined in, no music, no words, off they went. Encouraged, I put it in for Advent (even though I think it's a bit long for Advent, but will carry through to Christmas well). Sang through the 'Hosannas' for everyone before Mass, encouraged people to join in same with looks and melody line... and bingo! People either knew it already or cottoned on quickly.
I do remember singing this at a Summer School at New Hall a lot of years ago, and being the lone voice carrying the melody when everyone hit the parts - it was like being caught inside a piano...
I do remember singing this at a Summer School at New Hall a lot of years ago, and being the lone voice carrying the melody when everyone hit the parts - it was like being caught inside a piano...
Re: Rotation of Mass settings
pirate wrote:At choir practice a few weeks back, someone suggested the acclamations they'd heard at a diocesan event - turned out to be the Gathering Mass - I started to sing it and they all joined in, no music, no words, off they went. Encouraged, I put it in for Advent (even though I think it's a bit long for Advent, but will carry through to Christmas well). Sang through the 'Hosannas' for everyone before Mass, encouraged people to join in same with looks and melody line... and bingo! People either knew it already or cottoned on quickly.
I do remember singing this at a Summer School at New Hall a lot of years ago, and being the lone voice carrying the melody when everyone hit the parts - it was like being caught inside a piano...
Gathering Mass never really took off here for some reason, and our previous PP banned it after the time he got confused by the Hosannas after the memorial acclamation and started the Eucharistic Prayer again, thinking we'd just sung the Sanctus!
PS-Glad that the goat business got "milked" for all it was worth. Getting a bit "cheesed" off now though!
