The Treble Wore Trouble (The Liturgical Mysteries) by Mark Schweizer Page B
Authors: Mark Schweizer
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Hatteberg. Varmit, Fred May, and Phil Camp filled out the basses. Usually we had a few no-shows. This evening, only Goldi Fawn.
"Okay, let's get started," I said, and played a big chord on the organ to quiet everyone down. "We need to work on the offertory anthems, communion anthems, and the Psalms through Palm Sunday."
"How about the Great Litany in Procession ?" asked Phil. "This is the First Sunday of Lent, right?"
The Great Litany in Procession was a tradition at St. Barnabas that usually happened either on the First Sunday of Advent or the First Sunday of Lent, and we'd skipped it in December. But fifteen minutes of chanting prayers while processing through the church behind a billowing incense pot didn't have many fans.
"I have a note here on the organ from the rector saying we won't be doing it this year."
"Praise the Lord!" said Marjorie. "Finally, a voice of reason."
"Hang on," said Elaine. "Back to the mass you're writing. If we're supposed to sing this new thing Sunday, shouldn't we be looking at a copy tonight?"
"It's not quite finished," I admitted. "Never fear. It will be easy enough. Rosemary wants the mass based on a well-known tune that the congregation will be able to pick up quickly."
The choir groaned.
"Now, now," I said. "I'll have it Sunday morning and we'll go over it before the service. It's no problem."
Dr. Ian Burch stood up. "Are you planning a parody mass or a cantus firmus mass?"
"An interesting question," I said. "Probably neither, as you know them. It'll be a tune that we all know with some sort of paraphrase of the texts. All the texts except the Sanctus, that is. The Sanctus has to contain the exact words, in either the Rite 1 or Rite 2 versions."
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
"Ah, a cyclic mass then, or some variant," said Ian Burch PhD. "The cyclic mass is a setting in which each of the movements shared a common musical theme, thus making it a unified whole. The cyclic mass was the first multi-movement form in western music to be subject to a single organizing principle. The period of composition of cyclic masses was from about 1430 until around 1600, although some composers, especially in conservative musical centers, wrote them after that date. In the first half of the sixteenth century this style was the dominant form. Then the Council of Trent, in a document dated September 10, 1562, banned the use of secular material stating 'Banish from church all music which contains the profane, whether in the singing or the organ playing, things that are lascivious or impure.'"
He paused a moment and leered at Tiff, followed by, "However, the reforms were most carefully followed only in Italy. In France, tastes had already changed, and, in Germany, the edict was ignored."
Ian sat down, placed his hands in his lap, and looked around the choir with a huge grin on his face.
"Thank you, Dr. Burp," muttered Tiff.
"Burch," corrected an oblivious Ian. "Dr. Burch. "
"You better watch out for the Council of Trent," said Mark Wells. "I hear those guys are tough."
"I have an announcement," Muffy chirped.
My shoulders slumped. "Yes?"
"As many of you know, the Little Theater is putting on their spring production and we open a week from Friday. The play is Welcome to Mitford . I have plenty of tickets for all y'all here in my purse. They're fifteen dollars apiece."
"Tell 'em about Sunday!" said Varmit.
Muffy managed, to her credit, to look a little embarrassed.
"Go ahead!" insisted Varmit. "Tell 'em."
"Yes," said Bev, just a tad too brightly. "Tell us."
"Okay, I will," said Muffy excitedly, starting to wriggle like a puppy. "Mother P asked me to sing a solo during communion this Sunday. She wants me to sing On Eagle's Wings . It's based on Psalm 91, the Psalm for the First Sunday in Lent. It's my favorite! I'm adding a verse about coming to the Living Water. Mother P says it ties in with her
"Okay, let's get started," I said, and played a big chord on the organ to quiet everyone down. "We need to work on the offertory anthems, communion anthems, and the Psalms through Palm Sunday."
"How about the Great Litany in Procession ?" asked Phil. "This is the First Sunday of Lent, right?"
The Great Litany in Procession was a tradition at St. Barnabas that usually happened either on the First Sunday of Advent or the First Sunday of Lent, and we'd skipped it in December. But fifteen minutes of chanting prayers while processing through the church behind a billowing incense pot didn't have many fans.
"I have a note here on the organ from the rector saying we won't be doing it this year."
"Praise the Lord!" said Marjorie. "Finally, a voice of reason."
"Hang on," said Elaine. "Back to the mass you're writing. If we're supposed to sing this new thing Sunday, shouldn't we be looking at a copy tonight?"
"It's not quite finished," I admitted. "Never fear. It will be easy enough. Rosemary wants the mass based on a well-known tune that the congregation will be able to pick up quickly."
The choir groaned.
"Now, now," I said. "I'll have it Sunday morning and we'll go over it before the service. It's no problem."
Dr. Ian Burch stood up. "Are you planning a parody mass or a cantus firmus mass?"
"An interesting question," I said. "Probably neither, as you know them. It'll be a tune that we all know with some sort of paraphrase of the texts. All the texts except the Sanctus, that is. The Sanctus has to contain the exact words, in either the Rite 1 or Rite 2 versions."
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
"Ah, a cyclic mass then, or some variant," said Ian Burch PhD. "The cyclic mass is a setting in which each of the movements shared a common musical theme, thus making it a unified whole. The cyclic mass was the first multi-movement form in western music to be subject to a single organizing principle. The period of composition of cyclic masses was from about 1430 until around 1600, although some composers, especially in conservative musical centers, wrote them after that date. In the first half of the sixteenth century this style was the dominant form. Then the Council of Trent, in a document dated September 10, 1562, banned the use of secular material stating 'Banish from church all music which contains the profane, whether in the singing or the organ playing, things that are lascivious or impure.'"
He paused a moment and leered at Tiff, followed by, "However, the reforms were most carefully followed only in Italy. In France, tastes had already changed, and, in Germany, the edict was ignored."
Ian sat down, placed his hands in his lap, and looked around the choir with a huge grin on his face.
"Thank you, Dr. Burp," muttered Tiff.
"Burch," corrected an oblivious Ian. "Dr. Burch. "
"You better watch out for the Council of Trent," said Mark Wells. "I hear those guys are tough."
"I have an announcement," Muffy chirped.
My shoulders slumped. "Yes?"
"As many of you know, the Little Theater is putting on their spring production and we open a week from Friday. The play is Welcome to Mitford . I have plenty of tickets for all y'all here in my purse. They're fifteen dollars apiece."
"Tell 'em about Sunday!" said Varmit.
Muffy managed, to her credit, to look a little embarrassed.
"Go ahead!" insisted Varmit. "Tell 'em."
"Yes," said Bev, just a tad too brightly. "Tell us."
"Okay, I will," said Muffy excitedly, starting to wriggle like a puppy. "Mother P asked me to sing a solo during communion this Sunday. She wants me to sing On Eagle's Wings . It's based on Psalm 91, the Psalm for the First Sunday in Lent. It's my favorite! I'm adding a verse about coming to the Living Water. Mother P says it ties in with her
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