A Musical Journey through GIRM: § 86-88 – Communion
Articles 86-88 address the purpose of the music at the Communion Rite, and the options for music.
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.74 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.
Now, beginning the Communion chant (or other suitable song—more anon) while the priest is receiving the Sacrament can be a risky venture, depending on the music chosen. Generally, quiet music such as chant poses no problem. However, if for some reason a bombastic piece is chosen that starts with a trumpet fanfare, timpani, etc., imagine what could happen if the piece starts while the priest is drinking from the chalice. Not that I’ve ever seen this happen, but given the horror stories of the past 30+ years, anything is possible.
87. In the dioceses of the United States of America there are four options for the Communion chant: (1) the antiphon from the Roman Missal or the Psalm from the Roman Gradual as set to music there or in another musical setting; (2) the seasonal antiphon and Psalm of the Simple Gradual; (3) a song from another collection of psalms and antiphons, approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop, including psalms arranged in responsorial or metrical forms; (4) a suitable liturgical song chosen in accordance with no. 86 above. This is sung either by the choir alone or by the choir or cantor with the people.
Again, as we have seen for the Introit and Offertory, the instruction mentions the Roman Gradual and the Simple Gradual as first and second options.
Furthermore, what is emphasized here to me is the role of the choir and the cantor. Notice that the chant/song is not to be sung by the congregation alone. Moreover, given the logistics of the Communion Rite in the Pauline Mass, it’s impractical to have the congregation sing strophic hymns (if in fact a goal is to have the congregation sing in procession as well). So the best options are the psalms from the Roman Gradual (if the parish’s definition of ‘actual participation’ includes ‘active listening’), the Simple Gradual (if some congregational singing is desired) or a responsorial psalm.
If there is no singing, however, the Communion antiphon found in the Missal may be recited either by the faithful, or by some of them, or by a lector. Otherwise the priest himself says it after he has received Communion and before he distributes Communion to the faithful.
88. When the distribution of Communion is finished, as circumstances suggest, the priest and faithful spend some time praying privately. If desired, a psalm or other canticle of praise or a hymn may also be sung by the entire congregation.
Having experienced both options outlined in Article 88 (quiet prayer and post-Communion canticle), I prefer the quietude. However, if the priest desires the extra canticle/hymn, hopefully it doesn’t take replace quiet prayer.
11 Responses to “A Musical Journey through GIRM: § 86-88 – Communion”
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[...] vv. 1-7 (Gregorian chant, Mode I) Post-Elevation: organ improvisation on Dicite: Pusillanimes Communion:3: Vox clara ecce intonat, vv. 1-5 (Gregorian chant, Mode III) Marian Antiphon: Alma redemptoris [...]
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Our Bishop has pretty much forbidden the hymn or psalm after Communion.
He’s made it clear that he doesn’t like it and it should be employed “RARELY.”
I miss it, as by giving it to the congregation, it allowed the choir to sing for Communion, which wokred out so well, logistically (who can sing, process and eat at the same time?)
I like the way the post-communion canticle is used in the Lutheran Book of Worship. There is singing of hymns during communion, a period of silence, then the simple post-communion canticle, either the Nunc Dimittis (“Lord, now you let your servant go in peace”), or the following (for which there are three tune options):
“Thank the Lord and sing his praise; tell everyone what he has done. Let everyone who seeks the Lord rejoice and proudly bear his name. He recalls his promises and leads his people forth in joy with shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia.”
I have seen comparatively few communities that use a hymn or song after communion. Obviously some silence is important after all have received. Notice that the 1970 GIRM says nothing about a “closing” or “recessional” hymn – when I worked in a parish, I decided to try using an option that IS given in the documents – a “hymn of praise” after Communion INSTEAD of a recessional hymn. The pastor loved the idea and it worked VERY well. The receiving of communion was accompanied by congregational music led by the choir/cantor, there was a period for silent prayer, and then all sang a short hymn. Then the presider gave the final blessing and said, “The Mass is ended, go in peace.” Everyone said, “Thanks be to God,” and I started the postlude, which was almost always organ music in keeping with the character of the day. We found this was MUCH more logical than having the priest dismiss the congregation and then vainly trying to sing a hymn as people left. It flowed much better. I wish more parishes would utilize this option. I noticed one reader liked the post-communion canticle as used in the ELCA. Today I serve a Lutheran church and, while, yes, the 1978 LBW has a post-communion canticle, the newest materials put out by the ELCA as they seek to develop a new service book and hymnal don’t have a slot for “post-communion canticle.” The draft materials have a set of options closer to what I just described.
Please follow a related discussion on this thread.
I am a memeber of the choir in our parsih and our new PP has decided that the Communion hymn should not begin until after the choir have received Communion.
This has two major problems that I can see:
1) There is a huge space with no music during most of the Mass as the Extrordinary Minister usually gets stopped on his way up to the choir loft
2)We do not get proper time for reflection-we barely get Communion and we have to start singing.
I was wondering if there was any advice you could give on how to solve this problem as it is difficult to try and sing and receive Comunnion in such a short space of time.
darn, should have proof read my post….
“Mass” in the first point should read “Communion procession”
“Parsih” should be “parish”
woops
Beth, how about the choir singing the proper while waiting for the EMHC to arrive, then receiving while orgnanist improvises and then singing the “communion hymn”, the one the congregation is expected to sing along with at that pont.
Also, try asking this question on RPINet, because you’ll get a greater range of advice. (Some of which you’ll want to take with a grain of salt, but still –)
This is a universal issue/problem for scholas, and I would guess that the solution is slightly different for each case. It is particularly difficult in our case because we sing a cappella. What we do is ask for volunterrs of people to sing the chant, people who agree to forego communion and instead receive at a daily Mass or less frequently. Sometimes the chant itself is completed by the time communion is available for distribution, in which case everyone sings and the chant and the appointed people sing a small Latin hymn of some sort following the chant. Sometimes only a few sing the chant and everyone is back for the hymn. One never knows from week to week. In any case, we always have core that sings. Even it is only one or two people, at least the chant is sung. In this way, we have managed to somehow keep the question of choir and communion off the table. Also we do not face the issue of walking down from a balcony, so it is probably less tricky for us. In any case, without perfect solutions, asking some people to switch off and receive at some other time doesn’t seem unreasonable, so long as it does not create conflict or difficulty.
I have recently started to play the organ for one Sunday Mass in our small parish. Our practice has been to have the choir sing the Communion Antiphon while the priest receives, then we have silence while the choir and organist process up to the altar (ahead of those in the pews) to receive the Sacrament. (The choir is seated to one side of the altar.)
Upon returning, the organist then plays some sort of solo for the rest of the time that the faithful are processing, and continuing while the priest purifies the vessels at the altar. The music stops when the priest is seated; we have a brief moment of silence, followed by the post-Communion Prayer.
On rare occasions we have a vocal solo or choir piece sung during this time (instead of the organ solo), but there is never any form of communal singing. The choir alone sings the antiphon; the text isn’t provided to those in the pews.
As a brand-new pianist-turned-organist, soloing is somewhat uncomfortable, in part because I’ve had a very hard time finding music that seems suitable for that point in the Mass. But in rereading the GIRM, I’m wondering if the solo is even appropriate.
Any suggestions would be most welcome (including suggestions for organ pieces!).