The Recovering Choir Director

Next Sunday being Passion Sunday—and the beginning of Passiontide—in the Extraordinary Form, we do well to remember that the liturgy takes on an extra degree of austerity.

On Septuagesima Sunday, we omit singing the Gloria in excelsis Deo and all instruments (other than the organ), while starting with Ash Wednesday, the organ (if used) is to accompany singing only.  Psallite Sapienter, B. Andrew Mills’s comprehensive guide to music in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, has the details on Passiontide:

The Sunday after the fourth Sunday of Lent is the First Sunday of Passiontide; it is usually called Passion Sunday.  From this day through Maundy Thursday inclusive, Gloria Patri is not sung at the Introit, except on feasts.  Gloria Patri is also omitted in the singing of the Asperges (this occurs only on Passion Sunday).^[1]

The [Communion] chant may be extended by the addition of Psalm verses sung by the cantor(s)…The last verse should be Gloria Patri, except during Passiontide and in Masses for the Dead.^[2]

So to help relay an even greater degree of austerity, the Minor Doxology is not to be sung—a sort of “addition by subtraction” in a way.  This is especially jarring for the schola who has sung the Gloria Patri at the Asperges at the principal Mass since the Sunday after Pentecost from last year, and the Gloria Patri at the Introit (and Communion) since last Easter.

Incidentally, this is the last Sunday that the Asperges me sprinkling antiphon is sung at a parish’s principal Mass for a while.  On Palm Sunday the sprinkling rite is omitted altogether^[3] and the sprinkling rite antiphon for Easter to Pentecost inclusive is the Vidi aquam.

Psallite Sapienter: A Musician’s Practical Guide to the 1962 Missal is freely available on Scribd; you may also order a hard copy from the CMAA’s Lulu storefront.