The thorny issue of whether and when to sing the Gloria
Today we had a staff meeting that focused on the parish music program. Various issues were brought up, from the newly instituted choir Mass / cantor Mass practice to the question of repertoire.
Singing the Mass versus singing at Mass was also brought up. Readers will take note that the Gloria is not sung here on a weekly basis except during the Christmas and Easter seasons. Also, the Kyrie is only sung throughout Advent and Lent. I lobbied for singing both whenever possible, of course. Our director isn’t entirely in favor of singing the Kyrie, unfortunately. He also suggested that since the Gloria is technically a hymn, we could use it as the opening hymn on occasion, but I’m not so keen on doing that.
It seems that he may view post-VII settings of the Gloria as uniformly grandiose or long, which is why he is hesitant to incorporate it during Ordinary Time. In response to that, I’ve circulated copies of the ICET Gloria text set to Psalm tone 2D, the Theodore Marier (R.I.P.) “Gloria on G“, and a table illustrating the time needed to sing each setting versus the time needed to recite it.
We’ll see where this takes us. Hopefully it won’t be to a dead end. Anyone care to enlighten me on the practice of using the Gloria as/in lieu of an opening hymn? [FYI, during the Easter season here, it's been used to accompany the sprinkling rite in place of the Vidi aquam.]
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I’m always wary of people who are concerned about the length of a song. Sure, stylistic concerns are an issue but sheer length shouldn’t be. Honestly, people won’t die if the Mass goes over an hour (although many of them seem to think they will). We’re at Mass to celebrate — how often do people at a wedding reception get concerned with keeping the length of the celebration to a minimum?
Using the Gloria as an opening hymn — I know you’re frustrated at the liturgical violations there, but what happens when you point them out?
Just read the rest of your post. The Gloria is to be sung or recited after the Penitential Rite or Rite of Sprinking at every Sunday Mass outside of Advent and Lent, and on every feast and solemnity throughout the year. Which means:
1) It cannot be omitted ad libitum.
2) It cannot be used as accompaniment to the Sprinkling Rite.
The current practice of regularly omitting the Gloria, or using it in as accompaniment to the Sprinkling Rite or as a processional hymn, came out of some anticipated changes to the GIRM which never officially happened. However, this has not kept the uberliturgists from implementing it anyways, contra the current rubrics.
Thanks, Dave, for the information.
I’m not sure if my original post made it clear, but the current usage of the Gloria is this:
- Ordinary Time: recited
- Advent and Lent: omitted (as per the norms)
- Christmas: sung in its proper place
- Easter (in years past): sung in lieu of the Vidi Aquam
So although we follow the norms outside of Easter, we’ve been disobedient to them during the Paschal season.
I haven’t pointed out this or other liturgical discrepancies thus far, but I did make known that singing the Gloria as an opening hymn would set off my layman’s cognitive dissonance alarm.
I remember a time where I didn’t question the issue of standing during the Canon, or holding hands during the Lord’s Prayer.
Pray that when I do bring this and other irregularities up, those that have ears will hear.
The Gloria must always be sung whenever it is in the liturgy, and current rubrics require it to be included in the Mass outside of Advent and Lent. The Gloria may follow the Sprinkling Rite, but it must never be used concurrently with that rite. There a several simple settings of the Gloria that work well for Ordinary Time.
At St. James Cathedral, seat of the Archdiocese of Seattle, we use several versions of the Gloria throughout the year. The adaptation of the Schubert Gloria (GIA Publications) is very nice, easy and written for congregational participation. We also use the Gloria from the Mass of Angels in our chant liturgy.
We (the members of the congregationpeople who came from 19 zip codes in the Seattle/Tacoma area as well as many visitors throughout the nation) do just fine, and many of us to like the beauty and reverence that is created when we fully celebrate the liturgy.
Clarification from GIRM #53: “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.”
Dan, did you mean that the Gloria must be SUNG as opposed to SAID, whenever it is a required part of the mass?
That seems incorrect to me. Did you perhaps mean just that it is not to be ommitted at the whim of the liturgist or priest on a day when it is required?
I did not know that there was a push to have the gloria and the sprinkling rite occur concurrently.
But wherein does it say they may not occur so?
When the sprinkling rite is not required, might it not happen accompany the required Gloria? (As opposed to the required, and therefore more important Gloria being made to seem like ‘traveling music” for the Sprinkling?)
I think if Glorias are often neglected by musiciansit is because of the drek (especially those sill responsorial ones,) that has been perpetrated in the name of getting the congregation to sing.
Dan, I had the great joy of being in Seattle on business several winters ago, and attending many masses and other liturgies at the cathedral.
A Tenebrae service at which I had the privilege of worshipping was one of the most prayerful, transcendantly beautiful liturgies I ever hope to experience.
There was a cantor (I never saw him at close enough range to know, but he may have been asian or Phillipine,) whose voice may have been the impetus for my husband’s conversion to Catholicism.
Which settings of the Gloria does the Cathedral use througout the year?
I always thought the music was very fine and the participation very “actuosa.”.
Regarding the Gloria:
Have you heard Haydn’s Little Organ Mass Gloria? I have a recording of it, it basically consists of an intoned Gloria in excelsis and a bunch of incoherent singing by the choir for roughly 30 seconds, followed by “….cum sancto spiritu…”. Very entertaining, and if time is a factor possibly useful.
Have you heard Haydn’s Little Organ Mass Gloria?
This is probably why Joseph’s brother Michael composed a new Gloria for the Kleine Orgelmesse. See http://www.muenchner-dommusik.de/09-f.html.
We actually sang that Haydn Gloria that for Christmas, despite reading in the preface that Missa Brevis was no longer allowed as it got too confusing, which is why his brother made it so one verse was sung at a time. And unfortunately, it was a train wreck….but once we got to the “Cum Sancto Spiritu…” is was fine.
I don’t know whether it will do any good to comment here, but I couldn’t find your email address so here goes. I have recently begun a new assignment as administrator of a small rural parish. The practice up to now here has come very close to what you describe regarding the Gloria (or as they call it, the “Glory”) Recited during ordinary time, Sung at Christmas – I am not sure what they do at easter. Anyhow, I met with a couple musicians today and I expressed my desire that the Gloria (being a hymn and part of the ordinary of the Mass) be sung each Sunday in its proper place. “Too long” they groaned. Well, it is not, but if it is too long, lets see if we can sing a through-composed Gloria which would cut down on the repetition ala Mass of Creation et al. We settled on the Congregational Mass of John Lee – simple, through composed, still leaves some room for greater solemnity during the High Holy Days. The one request was that I write-up a bulletin piece explaining to the parish why we are now singing the Gloria during ordinary time. I am seeking documenation. I remember reading something (was it Musicam Sacram?) which listed the priority which we are to give to singing 1. the Ordinary, 2. the proper, 3. ?? and, if everything else is first observed; 4. popular hymns at the four traditional spots.
Would you be able to cite any documents that have a similar tone to them?
Thank you.
You’ll find Musicam Sacram at
http://www.adoremus.org/MusicamSacram.html
The custom of four hymns comes from the preconciliar Low Mass, where they were, strictly speaking, aliturgical. Those hymns are indeed the lowest order of music in the liturgy. I would recommend referring to the propers (entrance, offertory and communion) in addition to the lectionary when planning the music for a given liturgy; you might consider using the psalm or canticle in the proper as the basis for hymn selection.
If people are singing a long entrance hymn, and reciting the Gloria to make up time, as it were, it betrays a misunderstanding (or bad habit regarding) the priorities of music in the Roman ritual. Ditch more hymns, and sing more of the ordinary.
Also, chanting the presidential prayers is part of what moves the liturgy from B&W to technicolor. Does not add measurably to the time.