The songs of the Mass
This post describes the overall hierarchy of music to be sung if we truly wish to sing the Mass rather than simply sing at Mass. I have already looked at the parts which constitute the highest priority – the Gospel Acclamation and the Eucharistic Acclamations. Now I will move on to the next level and consider the songs of the Mass. This consists of the Gloria and the Responsorial Psalm.
Like the acclamations, both of these are part of the ordinary of the Mass. In other words, they are part of the song of the gathered assembly. Or they should be.
The Gloria
General Instruction of the Roman Missal #53
Celebrating the Mass #148
The Gloria is the song of the angels. It is sung on Sundays and Feast days but is omitted on Sundays during Advent and Lent. We do not sing the Gloria during Advent as a reminder we are waiting for Jesus to come at Christmas; and it is also omitted during Lent because we are suffering with Christ for our sins until the joy of His resurrection.
The Gloria may be intoned by the priest, a cantor or the choir and can be sung by the choir and people. However, the Gloria is one of the songs that belong to the whole assembly and therefore they should be able to take part in singing it.
This means, in practice, that settings of the Gloria where the assembly sing the refrain while the choir attend to the verses are perfectly acceptable and may be the best way to encourage a congregation to start singing. However, there is no reason why most congregations cannot, in time, manage through-settings where they sing everything. This has the advantage that the assembly will then know at least one setting that they can sing on any occasion when the choir is not present.
This blog from the OCP website was written when the new translation of the mass came in and explains the history of the Gloria as well as looking at the content. Gloria in Excelsis Deo: The Glory to God | OCP
The Responsorial Psalm
General Instruction of the Roman Missal #61
Celebrating the Mass #161, 162
The Psalms are the Bible’s hymnbook. Psalms were sung throughout the history of the Old Testament. Jesus sings Psalms with His friends and echoes Psalms 22 and 31 in his words from the Cross: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me” and “Into thy hands I commend my spirit.” In the letter to the Ephesians, St Paul says, ‘When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as you praise the Lord with all your heart.’
The Responsorial Psalm is the response of the assembly to the first reading. It begins after a short period of silence which enables the people to reflect on the Word of God they have just heard proclaimed. It is an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word and is one of the Scripture readings which is why cantors are encouraged to sing it from the ambo when possible.
The most common way to sing the Responsorial Psalm is for a cantor or the choir to sing the verses while everyone sings the response. However, this is not the only possible way and may be beyond the reach of some parishes. The Lectionary for Mass gives other ways that may facilitate the singing of the Responsorial Psalm. Among them are the Common Psalms for a Season.
This article by Chris Olding, an English musician and liturgist, explains much more about common psalms and looks at ways in which singing the Responsorial Psalm may be sung.
A Song for every Season: Singing the Common Psalms
The Psalm of the day is given in the Lectionary and reflects the readings for the feast. While there are alternatives available in particular circumstances, the community uses God’s word as a response to God’s word. It is for this reason that the psalm is never replaced by a text which is not from the Psalter.
Music, Liturgy and ME 