Our Sacred Music and Gregorian Chant

 

A typical program illustrating the beautiful and reverent Latin music that our biweekly traditional Mass at St. John Neumann features:

 

Feast of Christ the King (October 29, 2006)

 

Processional Hymn

--To Jesus Christ, Our Sovereign King
Introit
Kyrie
Gloria

Gradual/Allelujia
Credo
Offertory Verse
Offertory

-- Non nobis Domine (Byrd)
Sanctus/Benedictus
Agnus Dei

Communion Verse
Communion
-- Adoro te devote
-- Ave Verum Corpus (Mozart)
-- Panis angelicus
Benediction

--O Salutaris Hostia

--Vexilla Regis

--Tantum Ergo

Recessional Hymn

--Crown Him with Many Crowns

 

Frequently, the Asperges me that accompanies the opening sprinkling rite replaces the processional hymn, and an organ postlude replaces the recessional hymn.

 

The red-coded prayers (Kyrie, Gloria, etc) constitute the fixed "Ordinary parts" of the Mass.  In the 1974 booklet entitled Jubilate Deo that he sent to all the world's bishops, Pope Paul VI urged that all Catholic congregations learn to sing the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin and Gregorian chant (as do we at this Mass).

 

The green-coded parts are the variable "Proper prayers" — which change from one Sunday to another — that the choir sings in Gregorian chant.

 

The Ordinary and Proper chants are integral parts of the liturgy, rather than additions to it. With them we don't merely sing at Mass, we sing the Mass.

 

For a simple key relating these parts of the old Mass to the familiar parts of the new Mass, click here.

 

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