Repertoire 1: Introduction
Fundamental Criteria
Let's begin by reviewing three essential principles articulated by the Second Vatican Council, which provide a clear and reasonable basis for the choice of music in the Liturgy of the Roman Rite. Notwithstanding the controversy which the Council and its documents have at times elicited, these principles, when read in the light of the Scriptures and Sacred Tradition, represent timeless truths. Here they are:
The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art... [This] treasure of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with great care. [i]
Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy... In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy, this full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else; for it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit... [ii]
Musicians will enter on this new work [of composing and singing new music for the Liturgy] with the desire to continue that tradition which has furnished the Church, in her divine worship, with a truly abundant heritage. Let them examine the works of the past, their types and characteristics, but let them also pay careful attention to the new laws and requirements of the liturgy, so that 'new forms may in some way grow organically from forms that already exist,' [iii] and the new work will form a new part in the musical heritage of the Church, not unworthy of its past. [iv]
In many ways, these three principles – which we can identify as “preservation”, “participation”, and “organic growth” - are inextricably connected. The only way to understand what liturgical participation means, is to know what it was intended to be by Christ, and what it has meant throughout Church history. And the only way to fully preserve and develop our great traditions of sacred liturgical music is to approach them from the “inside”, i.e., from the perspective of the reverent worship, metanoia, and loving communion which are at the heart of our participation in the Liturgy.
Those of us who have been responsible for the liturgical music of our dioceses, parishes, and communities need to ask: “How well have we done in implementing these clear directives?” “To what extent have we studied and been faithful to the light of our great spiritual traditions, which lead us to an ever fuller understanding of what it means to 'participate' in the Mystery of Christ?” “To what extent have we studied and practiced our great sacred music traditions, so as to learn from their genius, share their riches with others, and apply their vital principles to our present situations?” And “to what extent have we sought the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit so as to meet the many challenges of our time - including those concerning our sacred liturgical music - with grace, wisdom, inspiration, and integrity?”
The challenges we face
Those who do strive to do these things, as a general rule, discover that they must swim vigorously against the current of our contemporary culture, both secular and ecclesial, in order to go forward. For our present culture has been increasingly dominated by a secular humanism whose principles stand in stark contrast to those mentioned above. Some of these secular principles include:
The marginalization or dismissal of history and tradition as outdated and irrelevant. “History is more or less bunk.”(Henry Ford) [v]
The notion that human beings can be self-sufficient, solving their problems through so-called “science” and human creativity, independent of the grace, mercy, and guidance of God.
The “cult of self-worship” [vi] in which the feelings, preferences, and opinions of individuals are exalted above the common pursuit of objective truth, goodness, and beauty.
And so, many of the things which I am about to propose and expand upon in this section – rooted as they are in Catholic / Orthodox tradition and the cherished virtues of our Judeo-Christian heritage – might seem to be “out of touch” and unrealistic from the perspective of our contemporary culture, and those of us in the Church who, perhaps inadvertently, have embraced its tenets.
But my hope, nonetheless, is that my words can bring some insight, inspiration, and encouragement to all who can read them with an open mind in their search for truth. For the point of being rooted in history and sacred tradition is not to be caught in a dusty past, but to be liberated from the narrow-mindedness of our own era, so as to be fully alive and awake today! The fruit of pursuing wisdom and competence is fulfillment, peace, and the ability to serve others well in great love. And the realization of our radical need for the gracious help of God, is the doorway to sanity and ultimately to the fullness of joy.
Format
In the coming blogs and podcasts I will be presenting both a vision and a practical strategy, as to how the liturgical music in an “ordinary” parish or community can be renewed. This vision has its source in the Church's sacred traditions and teachings, at the heart of which is the blazing fire of Love which seeks to bring the light of Christ to all people. The strategy is based upon an awareness of many of the most common situations and challenges faced by Catholic church musicians, the inherent requirement for a step-by-step pedagogical approach, and the condition that it be pursued with constant prayer for the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.
In each episode, I will begin with a brief description and discussion of the particular sung part of the Mass we happen to be considering, beginning with the Introit (a.k.a. the Entrance antiphon) and working our way forward through the twenty some other sung parts until the Mass's conclusion. [vii] After this initial discussion in each post, I will present one or more recordings of what I hope can be radiant models of how this particular part can be sung well. Often this will include examples from our great traditions of chant and polyphony, which may or may not be feasible for your present use. But I will always include recordings of liturgical music being sung today, which is intended to demonstrate the synthesis of deep roots in tradition, adaptation, and participation of which we have been speaking. Many of these latter examples will be taken from a sung Mass which we recorded and filmed here in Massachusetts in 2019. It is a Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit, sung in its entirety (except for the priest's homily and the Eucharistic prayer) by priest, deacon, congregation, choir, and cantors. I invite you to listen to and learn from these recordings. But beyond this, I heartily encourage you to learn to sing this music as well if that is at all possible (more soon on how to obtain scores and practice tracks). In this way it can be not only appreciated and understood from “the outside”, but also incorporated as prayer: hopefully by choirs and congregations in their parish Liturgies, but also by all those individuals or small groups who would like to do so on their own.
So much for the vision, and a first small step towards its implementation. However, parishes and communities also need a strategic plan which will allow them to prepare appropriate music for every other Mass throughout the liturgical year. In this regard, many of the settings that we will study and learn here for the Ordinary of the Mass (those parts which are repeated every Sunday and Feast day) can work well for regular use in other Liturgies throughout the year. These can also be a springboard for discovering other fine settings of the Ordinary, both traditional and new, which can be chosen according to the needs of each particular parish.
Regarding music for the Propers of each Mass: the settings that will be presented here, as already mentioned, are for a Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit. This Mass can be celebrated throughout the year for various intentions, and its Propers are also particularly appropriate for Confirmation Masses. The choice of other settings of the Propers, for each particular Sunday and Feast day throughout the year, needs to be tailored to fit the needs and musical capacities of each parish or community. In response to these varying needs, we will look at some of the fine chant adaptations and new compositions which are easy to obtain, as well as others which are in the process of being completed and available already for some occasions throughout the year.
Finally, there is a third category of music for the Liturgy: all that which harmoniously adorns the Mass, without being united directly to its appointed sacred text. This includes on the one hand hymns, motets, and other choral pieces; on the other hand, fitting accompaniments and solos by the organ and other instruments. It will be important to discuss these as well.
So let's get started. You might want to begin by getting an overview of the entire Liturgy we will be studying and singing, which can be viewed and heard here on YouTube (The Fire of Your Love – The Sacred Liturgy) or purchased here (at pauljernberg.com) as an unabridged digital CD. You will notice on the YouTube recording, that there is a listing of all the sung parts, with links to their starting points, in the description box. For the sake of getting to the first part of our work, it might be helpful to skip over the opening hymn and begin directly with the Introit – The Love of God – which starts at 2:35. This is where we will begin in my next blog and podcast.
[i] Sacrosanctum Concilium (The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy), nos. 112 & 114
[ii] Ibid, no. 14
[iii] Ibid., no. 23
[iv] Musicam Sacram (Instruction on Music in the Liturgy), no. 59
[v] From interview with Charles N. Wheeler in the Chicago Tribune, May 25, 1916. Here is a fuller quote: “History is more or less bunk. It is tradition. We don’t want tradition. We want to live in the present and the only history that is worth a tinker’s dam is the history we make today.” Aldous Huxley, in his prescient dystopian novel Brave New World, presents this phrase as one of the governing principles of secular modernity's ideal society.
[vi] I borrow this phrase from the title of Dr. Paul Vitz's great book, Psychology as Religion: The Cult of Self-Worship
[vii] We will be looking not only at parts of the Mass which are the most commonly sung today, but also at the many other parts – such as the Introit, Readings, Creed, Offertory antiphon, etc. - which have traditionally been sung but which in recent times, as a general rule, have either been simply spoken or omitted completely.