The Recovering Choir Director

As found in the 1962 Liber Usualis. Some observations:

• The Church’s call for sung participation on the part of the faithful in regard to the Ordinary and responses effectively classifies the faithful as part of the choir.
• It is much easier to intone a chant with fewer singers than with the entire choir; the rubrics are pastorally sensitive to this.
• The asterisks mentioned below serve practical purposes of sharing sung duties amongst choir members of varying abilities. This is especially critical for the florid Graduals, Tracts and Alleluias; less so for the relatively more straightforward Introits, Communions and Ordinaries.
• The Benedictus after the Elevation makes so much sense.

This post will be revised to reflect any changes that were made in the rubrics for the Pauline Mass. Suffice it to say that the rubrics are still in effect for the Ecclesia Dei indult Masses according to the 1962 books.

RUBRICS FOR THE CHANT OF THE MASS

I. When the Priest goes towards the altar, the cantors begin the Introit. On Ferias and Simples the Intonation is to be sung by one cantor as far as the sign *: on other Feasts and Sundays, there should be two cantors: but on Solemn Feasts there should be four, if as many as four are available. The Choir continues until the Psalm. The first part of the Verse of the Psalm as far as the asterisk, and the V/. Gloria Patri are sung by the cantors, the full choir taking up the rest of the verse. Afterwards, the Introit as far as the Psalm is repeated by the full choir.

II. When the Antiphon is over, the choir sings the Kyrie eleison thrice, the Christe eleison thrice, and again the Kyrie eleison thrice, alternately with the cantors, or with the other half of the choir. But the last Kyrie eleison is divided into two or three parts, marked by a single or double asterisk. If there be only two parts, and hence only a single asterisk, the first part is sung by the cantors or by the first half of the choir, the second part by the full choir. If there are three parts, the first being marked by the simple asterisk, and the second by the double one, then, the first part is sung be the same side as the former case: but the second part, which repeats the melody of the first part, is sung by the other half of the choir: and the third part is by both sides together. Sometimes there are even five parts: then the manner of dividing the alterations in the chanting is marked by the single or double dividing sign being several times inserted; what has been said above sufficiently explains the execution.

III. The priest alone in a clear voice gives the Intonation of the Gloria in excelsis Deo, and then Et in terra pax hominibus, etc., is continued by the choir divided into two parts, which answer each other, or else the full choir sings in alternation with the precentors. Then follows the response of the choir to the Dominus vobiscum.

IV. After the Epistle or Lesson one or two cantors give the Intonation of the Responsory, which is called the Gradual, as far as the sign *, and all, or at any rate the cantors chosen, conclude the chant with due care. Two sing the Verse of the Gradual, and, after the final asterisk, the full choir finishes it; or else, if the responsorial method is preferred, the full choir repeats the first part of the Responsory after the Verse is finished by the cantors or cantor.
If Alleluia, Alleluia, is to be said with the Verse, the first Alleluia is sung by one or two voices as far as the asterisk *: and then the choir repeats the Alleluia, continuing with the neum or jubilus which prolongs the syllable a. The cantors next sing the Verse, which is finished by the full choir, as before, beginning at the asterisk. When the Verse is finished, the cantor or cantors repeat the Alleluia, and the full choir sings only the closing neum.
After Septuagesima, the Alleluia and the following Verse are left out, and the Tract is sung, its Versicles being chanted alternately by the two sides of the choir answering each other, or else by the cantors and the full choir.
In Paschal Time, the Gradual is omitted and in its place the Alleluia, Alleluia is sung with its Verse as above. Then one Alleluia immediately follows, which must be begun by one or two cantors until the neum is reached, when it is not repeated, but finished by the full choir. The Verse and one Alleluia are sung at the end, in the manner above described.
The Sequences are sung alternately, either by the cantors and the choir, and or else by the alternate sides of the choir.

V. When the Gospel is finished, the priest gives the Intonation of the Credo, (if it is to be sung), the choir continuing with the Patrem Omnipotentem, the rest, according to custom, being sung either in full choir or alternately.

VI. The Offertory is begun by one, two or four cantors, in the same way as the Introit, and is finished by the full choir.

VII. When the Preface is finished, the choir goes on with the Sanctus etc., but exclusive of the Benedictus qui venit. Then only is the Elevation of the Blessed Sacrament. Meanwhile the choir is silent and adores with the rest. After the Elevation the choir sings the Benedictus.

VIII. After the Response at the Pax Domini, the Agnus Dei is sung thrice: either by the full choir, the Intonation being given by one, two or four cantors each time: or alternately, but in such a way as to have the Dona nobis pacem, or the word sempiternam in the Mass of the Dead, sung by the full choir.
After the Communion, the full choir sings the Antiphon which is thus named, the Intonation being sung by one, two or four cantors as in the case of the Introit.

IX. The priest or the deacon sings the Ite Missa est, or the Benedicamus Domino, and the choir answers with the Deo gratias in the same tone.
In the Mass of the Dead, the choir answers Amen to the Requiescat in pace.