Chant Café

The question has been mooted about how, if the 2 forms of the Ordinary of the mass cannot be mixed, the mutual enrichment of the forms can take place (arguably this is more likely to be an enrichment of the newer form than the older given the prescriptive rubrics of the latter)? In his blog The Hermeneutic of Continuity Fr Tim Finnegan talks about an article he has written for the journal Usus Antiquior. Because of copyright restrictions on that publication it is difficult for me to quote the article at length, however a link can be found to it on Fr Tim’s blog.

Here is the abstract from the article, which I can quote:

To what extent may the prayers and ceremonial actions of the usus antiquior be used in the celebration of Mass according to the Missal of Pope Paul VI? Examples of some elements being used by Archbishop Ranjith and Pope Benedict XVI seem to contradict in practice the idea that such enrichment is forbidden. An often quoted text from Notitiae, which discouraged the use of traditional elements, is examined and found wanting, especially in the light of Summorum Pontificum, which is considered in terms of its application to the celebration of the newer form of Mass. The enhancement of the newer form of Mass by the addition of elements from the usus antiquior is distinguished from arbitrary deformation of the liturgy and from the imposition of the priest’s personal whims. Some possible future practical developments are outlined.

I’ve often thought that in a parallel universe that if ever I were to be ordained to some arch-episcopal seat (rest assured that’s NEVER going to happen!) that the music would have to be suitably dramatic. The first I had heard of Frank Martin’s Mass for Double Choir was when James O’Donnell recorded it with Westminster Cathedral Choir, which surprised me a little bit because it demonstrated a little musical personality from O’Donnell, a man hardly noted amongst those who know him for exuberance.

The interesting thing about Martin is that you won’t find a great deal of biography for him out there and his list of compositions, while adequate, is hardly voluminous. The mass was largely written in 1922 and then amended in 1926. I think I recall reading somewhere that he re-wrote a large section of the Agnus Dei and included parts of the Credo that had been omitted because he personally disagreed with the theology (though this being the interweb, if there are any Martin scholars reading this with a greater knowledge and appreciation of his music than I have and who would wish to correct me, please do so).

For me, being a bass, the spine-tingling moment comes in the Gloria about 2 mins 30 secs in with the pedal note under “Domine Deus”. I’ll leave you with the Kyrie and Gloria.

A couple of weeks ago I posted a link to Choral Evensong at Bath Abbey on Radio 3 in which the choir sung Arvo Pärt’s The Beatitudes.

I’ve only ever sung this once when I was a Lay Clerk in an Anglican church, and while it is a simple piece rythmically, it’s incredibly tricky to keep the tuning. Rather than go on and on about it, here’s a decent version on YouTube: