Throughout the next year, and until the implementation of the New Translation of the Roman Missal, The Authentic Update will focus on issues surrounding the New Translation and developments in Sacred Music arising from it. I hope you will visit here frequently and join in the conversation as the Church enters into this remarkable period of liturgical transformation.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Corpus Christi at Christ the King

This evening at 6;30PM will be the Mass for Corpus Christi at Christ the King parish in Sarasota Florida. The Scholae have prepared the following program...

Schubert, Salve Regina (St. Philomena Choir)

Introit: "Cibavit eos" (Scholettes )

Kyrie: Missa Secunda, Hassler

Gloria: Missa Secunda, Hassler

Gradual: "Oculi omnium" (St. Philomena Choir + Cindy)

ScSequence: Lauda Sion TRH 106 (women odd, men even)

Credo III (omnes)

Offertory: "Sacerdotes Domini" (men's schola)
Jubilate Deo, Mozart

Sanctus: Missa Secunda, Hassler

Agnus: Missa Secunda, Hassler

Communion:
"Quotiescumque manducabitis" (men's schola )
Ave Verum, Byrd
Sacris Solemniis STG 111

Procession: Pange Lingua TRH 122 (v 1-4)
Adoro Te Devote TRH 101
Ave Verum Corpus TRH 103
Jesu Dulcis Memoria TRH 90
Anima Christi TRH 102

Benediction: Tantum Ergo TRH 122 (v 5-6)
Holy God We Praise Thy Name TRH 217

There may be recordings to post in a day or two...

Monday, June 20, 2011

An Excellent Article on the SEP

For the past year and a half, we have used the Simple English Propers as a resource for the Communion Antiphon, and more recently, since the beginning of Lent 2011, for the Entrance Antiphon at most of our parish Masses. This is an interesting article from the Catholic Phoenix about this new music resource and the impact it is having on Catholic liturgical music across the US.

Friday, June 17, 2011

USCCB President Authorizes Gradual Introduction of Musical Settings of New Roman Missal Starting In September

Modification will help people learn new parts, ease implementation

BELLEVUE, Washington—Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Divine Worship, announced that diocesan bishops may permit the gradual introduction of the musical settings of the people’s parts of the Mass from the new Roman Missal in September. Primarily this affects the the Gloria, the Holy, Holy, Holy and the Memorial Acclamations.

This variation to the implementation of the Roman Missal, Third Edition, set to take place all at once on November 27, was authorized by USCCB president, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, and adopted by the committee to allow parish communities to learn the various parts of the new translation “in a timely fashion and an even pace.”

The Committee on Divine Worship made the decision in response to requests from several bishops, echoed by the National Advisory Council. Some suggested that the various acclamations could be more effectively introduced throughout the fall, so that when the full Missal is implemented on the First Sunday of Advent, the congregation will have already become familiar with the prayers that are sung.
“I ask you to encourage this as a means of preparing our people and helping them embrace the new translation,” Archbishop Gregory told the bishops. The announcement took place June 16, during the U.S. bishops Spring Assembly near Seattle.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

The Pentecost Sequence

Like many parishes this year, we will be chanting the sequence for the first time in probably many years rather than either reading it (ughh...) or singing it to a forced metrical hymn (the OLD 100th setting comes to mind...).

This is a good thing, and only required a little bit of ingenuity on my part. I say that because I was asked first that it be sung in English (OK...we've been doing a lot of vernacular chant as of late) and second that I use the text given in the Missalette.

Yikes. The text in the missalette is intended to be sung to a metrical hymn, but thank heavens they just printed the text rather than the actual metrical setting as well. This enabled me to do a bit of improvising. What came to mind was something like a chant hymn, using an AA-BB form rather like the Dies Irae; Two distinct melodic strophes sung twice each in alternation. Rather than use an existing chant hymn (not to mention that I couldn't find one in 677 meter that sometimes changes to 767 or 777...it was just too strange!) I decided to just, well....make one up.

I don't know whether this is really the best solution here...but given what I had to work with, it isn't such a bad one if I may say so myself. I may want to fix the "Amen; Alleluia" at the end...after listening to it I don't think it really works all that well.

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS - Pentecost Sequence (English)

I wonder if this sort of thing is going to become more common in years to come?

Monday, June 6, 2011

Ascension Thursday at Christ The King, Sarasota

I've finally had the chance to get back to making posts... it has been a very busy Easter/Divine Mercy/First Communion/Ordination/Graduation season... it's nice to finally have some time on my hands!

I'm posting the audio of some of our Ascension Thursday Mass at Christ The King Parish in Sarasota. Although small, I think our schola sounds pretty good! Leo Labreque does an excellent job with us given the VERY limited rehearsal time and unpredictable attendance...

Ascension Thursday Music Selections

Introit - Viri Galileai

Offertory -Ascendit Deus

Communio - Psallite Domino

Sanctus Mass VIII - (Polyphonic Setting)

Motet - Ave verum Corpus (Mozart)

Motet - Exsultati Justi in Domino

Now...as I said before, I think we sound pretty good, which brings me to another point I would like to make. For nearly 50 years or so, our impression of what chant (and polyphony) should sound like has been shaped to a great extent by recordings, as this music has been mostly absent from the liturgical life of Catholics worldwide. As such, there has arisen an attitude that unless you can sound like the Monks of Santo Domingo De Silos you have no business singing at Mass. This is worrisome, because the recording studio can produce a kind of perfection that is never really possible to duplicate, either technically nor accoustically.

I also find this attitude to be much like what I used to find expressed at Life Teen conferences regarding the music component of that particular venture. There, it was emphasized that it was important to get professional (paid is possible) musicians and to try and replicate the sound of the recordings as closely as possible and that anything less would bee seen as "lame" or "amateur" by the intended teen audience. While studio recordings are great for a lot of reasons, they aren't and shouldn't be the model for what we sing at Mass, whether in the OF or EF!

I hope you enjoy the recordings..