Instructions on Music in the Liturgy FROM THE VATICAN II DOCUMENTS: SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM MUSICAM SACRAM AND THE GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS OF THE ROMAN MISSAL 2002 LITURGY CULMEN ET FONS Source and Summit of our Christian Life. LITURGY IS PUBLIC PRAYER At the Last Supper, on the night when He was betrayed, our Saviour instituted the eucharistic sacrifice of His Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until He should come again, and so to entrust to His beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of His death and resurrection...SC47 SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM • The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy. VI –Sacred Music BENEDICT XVI • The importance of music in biblical religion is shown very simply by the fact that the verb “to sing” is one of the most commonly used words in the Bible it occurs 309 times in OT and 36 in NT. When man comes into contact with God, mere speech is not enough. Areas of his existence are awakened that spontaneously turn into song. II – Spirit of the Liturgy PAUL VI • "if music - instrumental and vocal - does not possess at the same time the sense of prayer, dignity and beauty, it precludes the entry into the sphere of the sacred and the religious“Address to the Participants in the General Assembly of the Italian Association Santa Cecilia (18 September 1968) BEATO JOHN PAUL II • In continuity with the teachings of St Pius X and the Second Vatican Council, it is necessary first of all to emphasize that music destined for sacred rites must have holiness as its reference point: indeed, "sacred music increases in holiness to the degree that it is intimately linked with liturgical action. 4-Chirograph on Tra le sollecitudini
Musicam Sacram • #5. Liturgical worship is given a more noble form when it is celebrated in song, with the ministers of each degree fulfilling their ministry and the people participating in it. • Indeed, through this form, prayer is expressed in a more attractive way • the mystery of the Liturgy, with its hierarchical and community nature, is more openly shown, • the unity of hearts is more profoundly achieved by the union of voices, • minds are more easily raised to heavenly things by the beauty of the sacred rites, and • the whole celebration more clearly prefigures that heavenly Liturgy which is enacted in the holy city of Jerusalem. • The practical preparation for each liturgical celebration should be done in a spirit of cooperation by all parties concerned, under the guidance of the rector of the church, whether it be in ritual, pastoral or musical matters. Benedict XVI Liturgy is for all. It must be “catholic” i.e., communicable to all the faithful without distinction of place, origin and education. Thus it must be “simple”. But that is not the same as being cheap. There is a banal simplism there is the simplicity which is the expression of maturity. The Feast of Faith p. 122 The Church must maintain high standards; she must be a place where beauty can be at home… Thus to ask what is “suitable” must always be the same as asking what is “worthy”; it must constantly challenge us to seek what is “worthy” of the Church’s worship. The Feast of Faith p. 125 •
#9. In selecting the kind of sacred music to be used, whether it be for the choir or for the people, the capacities of those who are to sing the music must be taken into account.
No kind of sacred music is prohibited from liturgical actions by the Church as long as: – it corresponds to the spirit of the liturgical celebration itself and – the nature of its individual parts, – and does not hinder the active participation of the people. – Music corresponds to the spirit of the liturgical celebration • ADVENT – 4 Sundays before Christmas • CHRISTMAS – Nativity of Christ • LENT – 40 Days before Easter
• • • • • • • • •
HOLY WEEK – (Inclusive of Lent) EASTER – Resurrection of Christ ASCENSION AND PENTECOST – (Inclusive of Easter) SOLEMNITIES OF OUR LORD – Trinity, Corpus Christi etc. ORDINARY TIME SOLEMNITIES AND FEASTS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY FEAST OF ANGELS AND NON-MARTYR SAINTS FEAST OF MARTYRS CELEBRATION OF SACRAMENTS AND SACRAMENTALS
Music corresponds to the nature of the individual parts of the rites • PROCESSIONS IN THE MASS - Entrance GIRM#47 - Presentation of the Gifts (Offertory)GIRM#73-74 - Communion GIRM#86 Entrance Hymn • #47. After the people have gathered, the Entrance chant begins as the priest enters with the deacon and ministers. The purpose of this chant is to open the celebration, foster the unity of those who have been gathered, introduce their thoughts to the mystery of the liturgical season or festivity, and accompany the procession of the priest and ministers. Preparation of the Gifts • #74. The procession bringing the gifts is accompanied by the Offertory chant (cf. above, no.37b), which continues at least until the gifts have been placed on the altar. The norms on the manner of singing are the same as for the Entrance chant (cf. above, no. 48). Singing may always accompany the rite at the offertory, even when there is no procession with the gifts. Communion • #86. While the priest is receiving the Sacrament, the Communion chant is begun. Its purpose is to express the communicants’ union in spirit by means of the unity of their voices, to show joy of heart, and to highlight more clearly the “communitarian” nature of the procession to receive Communion. The singing is continued for as long as the Sacrament is being administered to the faithful. If, however, there is to be a hymn after Communion, the Communion chant should be ended in a timely manner. Care should be taken that singers, too can receive Communion with ease. ORDINARY OF THE MASS -KYRIE GIRM#52 -GLORIA GIRM#53 -CREDO GIRM#67 -SANCTUS-BENEDICTUS GIRM#79b -AGNUS DEI GIRM#83 KYRIE ELEISON=LORD HAVE MERCY • #52. After the Act of Penitence, the Kyrie is always begun, unless it has already been included as part of the Act of Penitence. Since it is a chant by which the faithful acclaim the Lord and implore his mercy, it is ordinarily done by all, that is, by the people and with the choir or cantor having a part in it. • As a rule, each acclamation is sung or said twice, though it may be repeated several times, by reason of the character of the various languages, as well as of the artistry of the music or of other circumstances. When the Kyrie is sung as a part of the Act of Penitence, a trope may precede each acclamation. GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO = PAPURI SA DIYOS • #53. The Gloria is a very ancient and venerable hymn in which the Church, gathered together in the Holy Spirit, glorifies and entreats God the Father and the Lamb. The text of this hymn may not be replaced by any other text. • 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. If not sung, it is to be recited either by all together or by two parts of the congregation responding
one to the other. It is sung or said on Sundays outside the Seasons of Advent and Lent, on solemnities and feasts, and at special celebrations of a more solemn character. CREDO = SUMASAMPALATAYA AKO • 68. The Creed is to be sung or said by the priest together with the people on Sundays and Solemnities. It may be said also at particular celebrations of a more solemn character. • If it is sung, it is begun by the priest or, if this is appropriate, by a cantor or by the choir. It is sung, however, either by all together or by the people alternating with the choir. If not sung, it is to be recited by all together or by two parts of the assembly responding one to the other. SANCTUS = SANTO • #79b. Acclamation: In which the whole congregation, joining with the heavenly powers, sings the Sanctus. This acclamation, which is part of the Eucharistic Prayer itself, is sung or said by all the people with the priest. AGNUS DEI = KORDERO NG DIYOS • The priest breaks the Bread and puts a piece of the host into the chalice to signify the unity of the Body and Blood of the Lord in the work of salvation, namely, of the living and glorious Body of Jesus Christ. The supplication Agnus Dei, is, as a rule, sung by the choir or cantor with the congregation responding; or it is, at least, recited aloud. This invocation accompanies the fraction and, for this reason, may be repeated as many times as necessary until the rite has reached its conclusion, the last time ending with the words dona nobis pacem (grant us peace). • ACCLAMATIONS - GOSPEL ACCLAMATIONS GIRM# 62 - (SANCTUS) - MEMORIAL ACCLAMATION GIRM#79e - GREAT AMEN GIRM#79h - DOXOLOGY GIRM#81 GOSPEL ACCLAMATION • #62. After the reading that immediately precedes the Gospel, the Alleluia or another chant indicated by the rubrics is sung, as required by the liturgical season. An acclamation of this kind constitutes a rite or act in itself, by which the assembly of the faithful welcomes and greets the Lord who is about to speak to them in the Gospel and professes their faith by means of the chant. It is sung by all while standing and is led by the choir or a cantor, being repeated if this is appropriate. The verse, however, is sung either by the choir or by the cantor. • a. The Alleluia is sung in every season other than Lent. The verses are taken from the Lectionary or the Graduale. • b. During Lent, in place of the Alleluia, the verse before the Gospel is sung, as indicated in the Lectionary. It is also permissible to sing another psalm or tract, as found in the Graduale. SEQUENCE • #64. The Sequence, which is optional except on Easter Sunday and on Pentecost Day, is sung before the Alleluia. Memorial acclamation • #79e Anamnesis: In which the Church, fulfilling the command that she received from Christ the Lord through the Apostles, keeps the memorial of Christ, recalling especially his blessed Passion, glorious Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven. AMEN • #79h. Final doxology: By which the glorification of God is expressed and is confirmed and concluded by the people’s acclamation, Amen. • PATER NOSTER = AMA NAMIN • #81. In the Lord’s Prayer a petition is made for daily food, which for Christians means preeminently the eucharistic bread, and also for purification from sin, so that what is holy may, in fact, be given to those who are holy. The priest says the invitation to the prayer, and all the faithful say it with him; the priest alone adds the embolism, which the people conclude with a doxology.
Music promotes active participation • #15. The faithful fulfill their liturgical role by making that full, conscious and active participation which is demanded by the nature of the Liturgy itself and which is, by reason of baptism, the right and duty of the Christian people. Active Participation • This participation • (a) Should be above all internal, in the sense that by it the faithful join their mind to what they pronounce or hear, and cooperate with heavenly grace, • (b) Must be, on the other hand, external also, that is, such as to show the internal participation by gestures and bodily attitudes, by the acclamations, responses and singing. • The faithful should also be taught to unite themselves interiorly to what the ministers or choir sing, so that by listening to them they may raise their minds to God. Fr. Antonio Bermejo Worshippers are not passive, for instance, when listening to the readings or the homily, or following the prayers of the celebrant, and the chants and music of the liturgy. These are experiences of silence and stillness, but they are in their own way profoundly active. In a culture which neither favours nor fosters meditative quiet, the art of interior listening is learned only with difficulty. Here we see how the liturgy, though it must always be properly inculturated, must also be counter-cultural. The New Roman Missal and its Pastoral Dimension: Implications and Complications Some of the people's song, however, especially if the faithful have not yet been sufficiently instructed, or if musical settings for several voices are used, can be handed over to the choir alone, provided that the people are not excluded from those parts that concern them… …But the usage of entrusting to the choir alone the entire singing of the whole Proper and of the whole Ordinary, to the complete exclusion of the people's participation in the singing, is to be deprecated. MS 16c At the proper times, all should observe a reverent silence… MS 17 #43. Certain celebrations of the Sacraments and Sacramentals, which have a special importance in the life of the whole parish community, such as confirmation, sacred ordinations, matrimony, the consecration of a church or altar, funerals, etc., should be performed in sung form as far as possible, so that even the solemnity of the rite will contribute to its greater pastoral effectiveness. Nevertheless, the introduction into the celebration of anything which is merely secular, or which is hardly compatible with divine worship, under the guise of solemnity should be carefully avoided: this applies particularly to the celebration of marriages. #51. Pastors of souls, having taken into consideration pastoral usefulness and the character of their own language, should see whether parts of the heritage of sacred music, written in previous centuries for Latin texts, could also be conveniently used, not only in liturgical celebrations in Latin but also in those performed in the vernacular. There is nothing to prevent different parts in one and the same celebration being sung in different languages. #65. In sung or said Masses, the organ, or other instrument legitimately admitted, can be used to accompany the singing of the choir and the people; it can also be played solo at the beginning before the priest reaches the altar, at the Offertory, at the Communion, and at the end of Mass. #66. The playing of these same instruments as solos is not permitted in Advent, Lent, during the Sacred Triduum and in the Offices and Masses of the Dead.
SPIRITUALITY OF MUSIC MINISTERS #24. Besides musical formation, suitable liturgical and spiritual formation must also be given to the members of the choir, in such a way that the proper performance of their liturgical role will not only enhance the beauty of the celebration and be an excellent example for the faithful, but will bring spiritual benefit to the choir-members themselves.
Musical Formation RUDIMENTS OF MUSIC Elements of Musical Notation; Scales and Triads; Note reading; Solfeggio; Elementary Harmony and Keyboard LITURGICAL FORMATION • BASIC CATECHESIS -Basic Prayers; Creed; Commandments and Laws of the Church. -The Mass -Sacraments and Sacramentals -Liturgical Year -The Psalms -Vatican II: Documents on Liturgical Music SPIRITUAL FORMATION • Sacrament of Confession • Adoration of the Sacrament • Rosary, Meditations and Devotions • Monthly or Quarterly Recollections • Annual Retreat and Group recreation • Spiritual Direction/ counselling • Talks/seminars on Spirituality. • Pilgrimages
IUBILATE DEO OMNIS TERRA…. SERVITE DOMINO IN LAETITIA! Psalm 100 SING JOYFULLY TO THE LORD…SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS!
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From the PowerPoint presentation of Sir Ferdinand “Ferdz” Bautista
