The Recovering Choir Director

Absolutely. One idea I have in mind is this:

Start with the ordinary by teaching the choir and congregation Mass XVIII first, then follow it up with Mass VIII (”de Angelis”) in time.

Use Form A (Confiteor) or Form B (R: and grant us your salvation.) of the Penitential Rite to make the transition to the Kyrie easier.

The Gloria can be reserved for the choir, per the GIRM norms, until the congregation learns it.

USCCB’s MCW § 69 frowns upon the practice, but a sung Credo is implicitly favored by Sacrosanctum Concilium via its explicit approval of Gregorian chant.

The Sanctus and Agnus Dei of Mass XVIII would easily be learned, given their familiarity and current English-language adaptations.

The Anamnesis and Amen can easily be picked up as well.

As for the propers, we can either take from the Graduale Simplex, Graduale Romanum (both in Latin), or By Flowing Waters (English NRSV adaptation of the Graduale Simplex), either reserving them for the choir, or inviting the congregation to sing the antiphon, reserving the verses for the choir.*

A choral prelude and an optional, but currently normative closing anthem would serve as bookends.

*In a similar vein, I’ve often imagined Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere (Ps. 51) being sung by the usual two antiphonal choirs, but with the congregation chanting the Tone IID verses.

Could it be the psalm setting for a properly celebrated communal penance service? Possibly, provided the celebrant/choir/congregation has repentance, not efficient time management, as its priority.

Hmm. While there are some things of value there I don’t agree with all of it by any means.

Yes, the structure of the Mass as it is now doesn’t lend itself to singing Masses (e.g. Palestrina) that were written before V2. That’s unfortunate but it’s the way it is. Rather than try to go backward and do the Tridentine Mass it seems to me the best thing is to work within the existing Mass as it is supposed to be done (not as it usually IS done) according to Sacrosanctum Concilium and the GIRM. There’s a lot of room there to do good music, including chant.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem in Los Angeles and Holy Ghost in Denver have weekly Novus Ordo Masses in which the chief parts are sung in great Latin settings (although both directors are more fond of 19th century music than of the better and older settings). I’d hope that more cities have such opportunities.