Change and Opportunity

1. Change and Opportunity Music & The New Roman Missal David Pitt June 30, 2011

2. Change and Opportunity Introduction: Singing the Liturgy

3. Introduction: Singing the Liturgy Participation: “The Church earnestly desires that all the faithful be led to that full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations called for by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people (1 Pt 2:9; see 2:4-5) is their right and duty by reason of their baptism.” “The 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.” SacrosanctumConcilium 14 Liturgical participation by all the baptized is the primary liturgical concern

4. Introduction: Singing the Liturgy Participation: Internal and External • Internal: “By it the faithful join their mind to what they pronounce or hear, and cooperate with heavenly grace.” MusicamSacram, 15 • External: The means by which “internal participation can be expressed and reinforced by actions, gestures, and bodily attitudes, and by the acclamations, responses, and singing. The quality of our participation in such sung praise comes less from our vocal ability than from the desire of our hearts to sing together of our love for God. Participation in the Sacred Liturgy both expressed and strengthens the faith that is in us.” Sing to the Lord, 13 Internal and External Participation cannot be fully divided

5. Introduction: Singing the Liturgy Gloria (13:20) (St. Mary of the Angels, London)

6. Introduction: Singing the Liturgy Gloria (13:20) (St. Mary of the Angels, London) Notice how the priest is saying the Gloria while the choir sings it. This is because the Rite demanded that the priest say it – in effect, the choir’s singing of the Gloria is unnecessary and additional. Notice also how the priest returns to his chair after he has finished saying the Gloria, to wait for the choir to finish singing it.

7. Introduction: Singing the Liturgy Participation: SacrosanctumConcilium (1963) 26. Liturgical services are not private functions, but are celebrations belonging to the Church, which is the “sacrament of unity,” namely, the holy people united and ordered under their bishops. 28. In liturgical celebrations each one, minister or layperson, who has an office to perform, should do all of, but only, those parts which pertain to that office by the nature of the rite and the principles of liturgy.” General Instruction of the Roman Missal53: “The Gloria is intoned by the priest or, if appropriate, by a cantor or by the choir; but it is sung either by everyone together, or by the people alternately with the choir, or by the choir alone.”

8. Introduction: Singing the Liturgy Participation: MusicamSacram (1967) 15. The faithful carry out their proper liturgical function by offering their complete, conscious, and active participation. The very nature of the liturgy demands this and it is the right and duty of the Christian people by reason of their baptism. 16. A liturgical celebration can have no more solemn or pleasing feature than the whole assembly’s expressing its faith and devotion in song. Thus an active participation that is manifested by singing should be carefully fostered…”

9. Introduction: Singing the Liturgy Participation: MusicamSacram (1967) 17c. Some of the congregational parts may be assigned to the choir alone, however, especially when the people are not yet sufficiently trained or melodies for part-singing are used. But the people are not to be excluded from the other parts proper to them. 20. Choir directors and parish priests (pastors) or rectors of churches are to ensure that the congregation always joins in the singing of at least the more simple parts belonging to them. Note: MusicamSacram was published before the publication of the English language Sacramentary

10. Introduction: Singing the Liturgy Summary • Full, conscious, and active liturgical participation is the “right and duty” for all of the baptized • Full, conscious, and active liturgical participation is both internal and external • External participation corresponds to liturgical function • Liturgical participation expressed clearly through the embodied experience of liturgical music • Full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical music should be pastorally sensitive

11. Change and Opportunity The Challenge of Change

12. The Challenge of Change “June 11, 2011: Pentecost Sunday (vigil) in a local western Sydney parish brought with it the first in-liturgy use of the new translation. Members of the assembly listened ahead of Mass as the liturgy coordinator reminded them that today was when we would begin using the prayer-cards found in the pews to aid us in praying the new translation. The assembly’s new responses would also be flashed up at the appropriate times on the overhead screen. The parish leadership team had made the decision to introduce all of the new text in one hit. For some weeks prior, the parish priest had taken a little time after the homily to give the assembly an opportunity to practice reading through its new prayer-responses together, which meant these were not completely unfamiliar to those gathered…

13. The Challenge of Change The nervous parish priest did his best to pray the still unfamiliar presidential texts (including Eucharistic Prayer III), stumbling over the wording from time to time, head buried in the folder holding the new translation. His optimistic ‘let’s have a go’ attitude helped the assembly to do just that in this liturgy. His acknowledgment that this was going to take some getting used to for everyone, permitted the assembly to learn in situ and to make mistakes without being overly concerned, as it was a first-time through. Heads were buried in pew-cards and there was some fumbling as people learned when they would need the new text in front of them and when it was unnecessary. Because only some of the assembly’s responses were different, while others remained the same, confusion as to what exactly had been changed, remained. At times there was a smattering of simultaneously prayed old/new responses as habit and familiarity overruled even the best intention to try the new translation…

14. The Challenge of Change … How much actual praying went on for much of this liturgy was hard to say as levels of discomfort and unfamiliarity prevailed among the assembly, except during the readings and those parts of the translation that remained unchanged. When a group knows that something is different but is not exactly sure of when the next different part is to come, uncertainty is only to be expected. This uncertainty will lessen as the assembly gains confidence in the new translation with practice. The liturgy had more of a feeling of ‘classroom’ than prayer-event at times. There was muted conversation among the assembly throughout much of the liturgy, as well as lots of shifting in place, movement of prayer-cards, and a distinct lack of unison in the spoken responses (especially in the Nicene Creed). It will take time and repetition for the local assembly to find its new prayer rhythm with these texts…

15. The Challenge of Change Fortunately the new musical settings of the Ordinary had been introduced during the first 6 months of the year, and the assembly was finding its way to confidence with elements of those sung prayers. Higher levels of familiarity with these musical settings will take more time and repetition to attain. Wisely, given all that was new in this liturgy, the hymns chosen for the liturgy were very familiar to the assembly and it was during the singing of these hymns that the full confident voice of the church at prayer could be heard.” Clare V. Johnson “And So It Begins…” www.praytellblog.com

16. The Challenge of Change The Primary Challenge: Full, Conscious, Active Participation • Full, conscious, and active participation (i.e., internal and external participation) rests heavily on familiar patterns • Humans tend to organize the world into coherent patterns, enabling the mind to discern and respond to what deviates from (i.e., threatens the stability of) the pattern • Senses: our mind filters what we normally see, hear, and smell, in order to highlight the things that we do not normally see, hear, and smell • In order to “join their mind to what they pronounce or hear,” some pattern must be established – otherwise individuals are focused on how “they pronounce or hear.” • The Stages of Reading: early readers are not able to focus on content and narrative – they must focus on sorting out letters and words

17. The Challenge of Change The Primary Challenge: Full, Conscious, Active Participation • Ritual patterns are embodied patterns • Embodied patterns engage kinetic memory, thereby becoming more deeply engrained… and more resistant to change • Driving home: we might not be able to describe the journey, but we can drive it from memory • Signing one’s name: we can routinely sign our name while thinking of other matters, or under the influence of sedatives

18. The Challenge of Change The Primary Challenge: Full, Conscious, Active Participation • Ritual patterns are embodied patterns • What happens when embodied patterns change? • Driving home via a detour: requires more careful thought than driving the normal route • Signing one’s new name (i.e., after marriage): how long does it take to become comfortable signing a new name without thought? How long until one no longer mistakenly signs a prior name? • How much “preparation” has gone into such a name change?

19. The Challenge of Change The Primary Challenge: Full, Conscious, Active Participation • Liturgical Music is an embodied ritual pattern • What happens when musically embodied patterns change? • Substantive changes: Singing different lyrics to a song • “All Creatures of our God and King” or “Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones?” • “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” or The Pentecost Sequence? • These are consistently discernable alterations to the pattern • Familiar melody, different (new) words

20. The Challenge of Change The Primary Challenge: Full, Conscious, Active Participation • Liturgical Music is an embodied ritual pattern • What happens when musically embodied patterns change? • Slight changes: Singing altered lyrics to a song • “I am the Bread of Life” – “And I will raise [you/him] up” • “Taste and See” – “I called the Lord [who/and he] answered me” • These are inconsistent alterations to the pattern, which violate the bodily expectations they have established

21. The Challenge of Change The Primary Challenge: Full, Conscious, Active Participation • Liturgical Music is an embodied ritual pattern • What happens when musically embodied patterns change? • Musical example: Missa Emmanuel(Proulx) • Uses familiar melodic material with different text • Call and response structure highlights new translations • Furthers the teaching process in an immediate way

22. The Challenge of Change The Primary Challenge: Full, Conscious, Active Participation • Liturgical Music is an embodied ritual pattern • What happens when musically embodied patterns change? • Musical example: Christmas Gloria(Hughes) • Uses familiar melodic material with familiar text • Refrain-verse structure enables: • appropriate congregational participation in the refrain • Familiar “language” helps establish community • Inductive formation of the new texts in the verses

23. The Challenge of Change The Primary Challenge: Full, Conscious, Active Participation • Liturgical Music is an embodied ritual pattern • What happens when musically embodied patterns change? • Problem: Christmas Gloria is linked to a short season • Musical Example: Gloria IIIrefrain, Christmas Gloria (Hughes) verses • As before, it uses familiar melodic material with familiar text • Refrain-verse structure enables: • appropriate congregational participation in the refrain • Familiar “language” helps establish community • Inductive formation of the new texts in the verses

24. The Challenge of Change The Primary Challenge: Full, Conscious, Active Participation • Liturgical Music is an embodied ritual pattern • What happens when musically embodied patterns change? • Problem: Refrain-Verse Gloria structure is not the ultimate vision • Musical Example: Gloria – Mass of the Divine Presence (Harris)

25. The Challenge of Change • Refrain-Verse structure is not the goal • Mass of the Divine Presence, commissioned by Loras College for Archdiocesan musicians, is intended to be a “teaching setting,” which easily converts out of this mode once the community is more able to assume the texts that belong to it.

26. The Challenge of Change The Primary Challenge: Full, Conscious, Active Participation • Recognizing what musical texts are changing, and which are not

27. The Challenge of Change Changing Constant Opening Hymn Penitential Act (Kyrie) Responsorial Psalm Gospel Acclamation General Intercessions • Gloria

28. The Challenge of Change Changing Constant Offertory Amen Lord’s Prayer Agnus Dei Communion Chant • Sanctus • Memorial Acclamation

29. The Challenge of Change The Primary Challenge: Full, Conscious, Active Participation • Recognizing what musical texts are changing, and which are not • The more familiar structure that can be provided in this time of change, the more effectively new elements can be fit into the experience of the liturgy • “The Eucharistic Prayer is a single liturgical act, consisting of several parts… In order to make clear the ritual unity of the Eucharistic Prayer, it is recommended that there be a stylistic unity to the musical elements of this prayer, especially the Sanctus, the Memorial Acclamation, and the Great Amen.” Sing to the Lord, 177-178 (Emphasis added) • Full, Conscious, and Active Participation is the primary concern; • Stylistic unity is a secondary concern

30. The Challenge of Change Summary There will be inevitably be a sense of disorientation with so much textual change in the liturgy! • Maintaining as much familiarity as possible will better ensure the transition to the new texts • This should occur primarily amidst the elements that are not changing in and of themselves • No new hymns or musical settings of the unchanged texts should occur, unlessabsolutely necessary, for at least one year, if not two • This will need to occur differently in the elements whose texts are changing • The focus of the new settings ought to be enabling participation more immediately – but the focus should look beyond the immediate to the end goal • Settings using familiar tunes (with different words) solve the problem of learning new music as well as learning new words • Using familiar Revised Mass Settings should probably be avoided, as their strength (familiarity) will actually lead to confusion: these are already differently ingrained into bodily memory - using unfamiliar revised settings defeats their intended purpose

31. Change and Opportunity Opportunities Emerging from Change

32. Opportunities Emerging from Change • Liturgical Music has greatly contributed to the recovery of the full, conscious, and active participation of the faithful, which is the “right and duty” for all the baptized • Liturgical Music has, by its nature, helped further the connection between internal and external liturgical participation, and can thereby aid in navigating the sense of loss • In order to more fully realize the essential nature of full, conscious, and active participation within an ordered church, however, Liturgical Music practice has not done nearly as well

33. Opportunities Emerging from Change “The priest joins with the congregation in singing the acclamations, chants, hymns, and songs of the Liturgy. However, the priest does not join in the singing of the Memorial Acclamation or the Great Amen. To the greatest extent possible, he should use a congregational worship aid during the processions and other rituals of the Liturgy and should be attentive to the cantor and psalmist as they lead the gathered assembly in song. In order to promote the corporate voice of the assembly when it sings, the priest’s own voice should not be heard above the congregation, nor should he sing the congregational response of the dialogues. While the assembly sings, the priest should step back from a microphone, or, if he is using a wireless microphone, he should turn it off.” Sing to the Lord, 21

34. Opportunities Emerging from Change “The choir must not minimize the musical participation of the faithful. The congregation commonly sings… the primary song of the liturgy.” Sing to the Lord, 28 “When the choir is not exercising its particular role [singing in dialogue or alternation, adding harmonies and descants], it joins the congregation in song. The choir’s role in this case is not to lead congregation singing, but to sing with the congregation, which sings on its own or under the leadership of the organ or other instruments.” Sing to the Lord, 30

35. Opportunities Emerging from Change “The cantor should take part in singing with the entire gathered assembly. In order to promote the singing of the liturgical assembly, the cantor’s voice should not be heard above the congregation. As a transitional practice, the voice of the cantor might need to be amplified to stimulate and lead congregational singing when this is still weak. However, as the congregation finds its voice and sings with increasing confidence, the cantor’s voice should correspondingly recede. At times, it may be appropriate to use a modest gesture that invites participation and clearly indicates when the congregation is to begin, but gestures should be used sparingly and only when genuinely needed. Sing to the Lord, 38

36. Opportunities Emerging from Change Summary • The voice of the gathered assembly is always primary • The assembly is not responsible for singing everything, and solo texts (invocations, verses of psalms and acclamations) should stand out • When the voice of the gathered assembly appears as backdrop to the voice of individual ministers, the priority of the assembly is minimized • In a period of disorientation, there is more need than ever to emphasize the place that the assembly has in liturgical music. • This optimally happens within those elements that are not changing, and do not need to change. Relying on familiar material here will better ensure the full, conscious, and active participation of the faithful

37. The Challenge of Change Changing Constant Opening Hymn Penitential Act (Kyrie) Responsorial Psalm Gospel Acclamation General Intercessions • Gloria

38. The Challenge of Change Changing Constant Offertory Amen Lord’s Prayer Agnus Dei Communion Chant • Sanctus • Memorial Acclamation

39. Change and Opportunity Music & The New Roman Missal