Pope John Paul II announced a revised version of the Roman Missal during the Jubilee Year of 2000. Among other things, the revised edition contains prayers for the observances of recently canonized saints, additional prefaces for the Eucharistic Prayers, additional votive Masses and masses and Prayers for various needs and Occasions, and some updated and revised rubrics (instructions) for the celebration of the Mass. The English translation of the Roman Missal will also include updated translations of existing prayers, including some of the well-known responses and acclamations of the people. We have been preparing the past year to begin the implementation of this new Missal. We will begin learning and using a new Mass setting this fall. The full implementation begins the First Sunday of Advent.
New Mass Settings
What is a “Mass Setting”?
A Mass Setting is in short, a collection of commonly sung responses used in the Liturgy of the Eucharist each Sunday. Composers have ‘set’ the common responses of the priest and people to music so that we can sing, and so that there is a musical thread of continuity through the whole Liturgy. The most commonly sung parts of the mass at St. Paul’s Newman Center are:
Penitential Act
Gloria
Alleluia, or Gospel Acclamation
Holy, Holy
Memorial Acclamation
Amen
Lamb of God
We sing these parts each week, so before we even begin learning new ones, see if you can notice each of these separate parts in Liturgy this coming weekend. You may even be able to sing some by heart right now!
Over the course of the next year, we will be learning 2 new complete “Mass Settings”. They are the Storrington Mass by Marty Haugen, and the ICEL Chant Mass. Here is a bit of information about each of them, and a link by which you can listen.
The Storrington Mass
Commissioned by the Catholic Parish of Our Lady of England in Storrington, you may find that there are sounds and motives which are familiar to you in some way: this is because Marty Haugen is one of the most prolific writers of contemporary music for the Catholic Church post-Vatican II, and much of our repertoire at St. Paul’s Newman Center is Marty’s writing.
We will be learning this mass setting together through October, and November, and then using it to celebrate the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Ordinary Time. You can find music and lyrics in the latest edition of the Ivory Songbook in our pews.
Please listen, and perhaps even load these onto your iPod or personal mp3 player – the more we listen, the faster we will be able to learn and sing proficiently these wonderful new parts!
Penitential Act
Alleluia, or Gospel Acclamation
Gospel Acclamation
Lenten Gospel Acclamation
Holy, Holy
Memorial Acclamation
Amen
Lamb of God
The ICEL Chant Mass
ICEL stands for the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, and this group of Bishops has been key in the process of this new Third Translation of the Roman Missal. Up until now, we have referred to the ‘Roman Missal’ as the ‘Sacramentary’ – this is the large red book which our presider uses to assist in our prayer at Liturgy each day. It contains the prayers of the church, and some of the music of the church.
We will be learning together as a community the ICEL Chant Mass. These are chants that the Church has used for many hundreds of years, and which can be found in the Roman Missal – but more importantly, in the hearts of every English-Speaking Catholic. St. Paul’s Newman Center has used portions of the Chant Mass in Lent, but never the entire thing, so it may prove to be one of the most challenging mass settings for us to learn and use, but it will undoubtedly unite us in song and word to not only our Catholic brothers and sisters, but the rich heritage we all share.
Below, find links to listen to the parts of this mass setting which we will be using – we will learn them through the months of January and February, and will use them in Liturgy through the Lenten Season. Feel free to download these parts onto your iPod or personal mp3 player – the more we listen, the faster we will learn!
Penitential Act
Gloria
Holy, Holy
Memorial Acclamation
Lamb of God
