The Recovering Choir Director

Does anyone know if the propers of the Mass are being retranslated? While there are major problems in the ordinary, the most horrible pieces of ICEL translation are in the propers.

Christ B

The propers are being retranslated, but that takes more time.

Did anyone notice the “people of good will” in the first section of the Gloria?”

Look at the bad scan of the Sanctus, though: It seems the typesetters cannot get the contemporary scan (Holy Holy Holy Lord/God of [power and might/mighty hosts]) out of their skulls. One can only hope that they will correct this to the more dulcet (and actually more musically inviting):

Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord God of [mighty hosts]

> inclusive language: who would have believed it?

I expected it where it is called for.

I don’t think it would ever have even become much of an issue (oh yes, there will always be some dinosaurs,) if certain factions had not over-played their hand in pushing their agenda, and tried, for instance, to do away with all use of male pronouns.

>Look at the bad scan of the Sanctus, though: It seems the typesetters cannot get the contemporary scan (Holy Holy Holy Lord/God of [power and might/mighty hosts]) out of their skulls.>>

I agree, Liam. However, look at the only old Latin chant Sanctus used with any currency in the not-too-sophisticated U.S. parishes - it’s from the old Missa Pro Defunctis repackaged as “Jubilate Deo.” That Sanctus, too, old as it is, does not scan properly. I hope they’d use it only where it was originally used - in funeral Masses.

Peace, Barbara.

Hovhaness died a few years ago, but I imagine a setting of his would be angelic.

A setting by Hovhaness…still something to wonderful merely to contemplate….

Need permission of the copyright holders to do that.

Alan Hovhaness did write a mass, using the ICEL translation - “A Simple Mass” op. 282, published in 1977 by Associated Music Publishers. It’s for 4-part chorus and 4 soloists (SATB), with organ accompaniment. It doesn’t say who may have commissioned it. Looks like a very accesible setting, simply rhythmically, with passages alternating between chorus (unison and parts) and soloists. Believe it or not, it’s still in print.

It’s his only English setting (he also wrote a Latin setting, op. 4, dating from 1936) - which is a little surprising, considering he published hundreds of works!

Other prominent composers have written masses specifically for the English RC liturgy, including Persichetti, Menotti, Dello Joio and James MacMillan (the Dello Joio uses the 1965 English translation).