Transcript Change and Opportunity

CHANGE AND
OPPORTUNITY
MUSIC & THE NEW ROMAN MISSAL
David Pitt
June 30, 2011
CHANGE AND OPPORTUNITY
INTRODUCTION: SINGING THE LITURGY
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.”
Sacrosanctum Concilium 14
Liturgical participation by all the baptized is the primary liturgical
concern
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.”
Musicam Sacram, 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
INTRODUCTION: SINGING THE LITURGY
Gloria (13:20)
(St. Mary of the Angels, London)
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.
INTRODUCTION: SINGING THE LITURGY
Participation: Sacrosanctum Concilium (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 Missal 53: “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.”
INTRODUCTION: SINGING THE LITURGY
Participation: Musicam Sacram (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…”
INTRODUCTION: SINGING THE LITURGY
Participation: Musicam Sacram (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: Musicam Sacram was published before the publication of
the English language Sacramentary
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
CHANGE AND OPPORTUNITY
THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE
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…
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 firsttime 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…
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…
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
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
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
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?
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
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
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
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
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 III refrain, 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
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)
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.
THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE
The Primary Challenge: Full, Conscious, Active Participation
• Recognizing what musical texts are changing, and which are
not
THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE
Changing
Constant
• Opening Hymn
• Penitential Act (Kyrie)
• Gloria
• Responsorial Psalm
• Gospel Acclamation
• General Intercessions
THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE
Changing
Constant
• Offertory
• Sanctus
• Memorial Acclamation
•
•
•
•
Amen
Lord’s Prayer
Agnus Dei
Communion Chant
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
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,
unless absolutely 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
CHANGE AND OPPORTUNITY
OPPORTUNITIES EMERGING FROM CHANGE
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
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
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
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
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
THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE
Changing
Constant
• Opening Hymn
• Penitential Act (Kyrie)
• Gloria
• Responsorial Psalm
• Gospel Acclamation
• General Intercessions
THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE
Changing
Constant
• Offertory
• Sanctus
• Memorial Acclamation
•
•
•
•
Amen
Lord’s Prayer
Agnus Dei
Communion Chant
CHANGE AND OPPORTUNITY
MUSIC & THE NEW ROMAN MISSAL