The Mass in Gregorian plainchant
The Mass is the main form of worship in the Roman Catholic Church, and is divided into two main parts: the Liturgy of the Word, which includes Biblical readings and often a sermon, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, culminating in the sacrament of Holy Communion.
The word ‘mass’ comes from the Latin ‘missa’ used at the end of the service to dismiss the congregation: Ite, missa est. The word ‘Catholic’ means ‘universal’, and the idea behind the Latin Mass was to worship in one universal language that could be understood by anyone in any part of the world. Following the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, it became more common for the Mass to be said in the vernacular.
In the tradition of Gregorian plainchant, all sections of the Mass may be sung. Many of the most intricate and complex Gregorian chants are found in parts of the Mass with shorter, repeating texts such as the Kyrie and the Agnus Dei; in expansive texts such as the Gloria and the Credo; and in Offertories, some of the oldest examples of which are particularly ornate.
Structure of the Mass
A) Introductory rites
- Introit
- Kyrie
- Gloria
B) The liturgy of the word
- First biblical reading
- Responsorial psalm
- Second biblical reading
- Alleluia or Tract
- Gospel
- Homily
- Credo
C) Liturgy of the Eucharist
- Offertory
- Eucharistic Prayer
- Sanctus
- Mistery of Faith
- Agnus Dei
- Comunion
D) Concluding rites
- Ite missa est
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The ORDINARY refers to the part of the Mass that is reasonably constant without regard to the date on which the service is performed. It is contrasted to the Proper, which is that part of these liturgies that varies according to the date.
The Ordinary consists of five main sections, often used in musical Mass settings: the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei.
Kyrie
Unusually, the Kyrie is in Greek rather than Latin. In the Tridentine Mass form of the Roman Rite, it consists of three articulations of Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy), three utterances of Christe eleison (Christ, have mercy) and a final threefold Kyrie eleison. In the Paul VI Mass form, in the interests of brevity, each invocation is made only once by the celebrating priest, a deacon if present, or else by a cantor, with a single repetition, each time, by the congregation.
Gloria
The Gloria is reserved for Sunday Masses, solemnities, and religeous holidays, with the exception of Sundays within the penitential season of Lent. The hymn begins with the words that the angels sang when announcing the birth of Christ to shepherds in Luke: Gloria in excelsis deo ("Glory to God in the highest"). Other verses were added very early, forming the Greater Doxology (a “doxology” is an expression of praise). Owing to the length of this text, chant settings are often broken into musical sentences that correspond with the flow of the words.
Credo
The Credo (Creed) is used on all Sundays and solemnities. The prayer is a recitation of the Nicene Creed, a list of key beliefs originally compiled at the First Council of Nicæa in the 4th century AD. As with the Gloria, the length of the text lends itself to natural breaks in the chant. The Credo was the last Ordinary chant to be added to the Mass, so there are relatively few different Credo melodies in the Gregorian tradition.
Sanctus and Benedictus
The Sanctus is a hymn in Christian liturgy. ‘Sanctus’ means ‘Holy’ and this chant starts with three declarations of the word (deriving from the threefold “kadosh” of the Jewish prayer known as the Kedushah).
The second part of this prayer is the Benedictus. The Sanctus and Benedictus are heard at the end of the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer. The clear structure of the Sanctus and Benedictus, especially the repetition of key phrases, is often reflected in the musical structures of the chants.
Agnus Dei
This poignant prayer emphasises the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ for all people. The Agnus Dei is the invocation to the Lamb of God sung or recited during the fraction of the Host.
Ite, missa est
The Ite, missa est is the usual dismissal at the end of the Mass.
Ite, missa est defies straightforward translation, essentially meaning: “Go, it (the congregation) is dismissed”. The response is Deo gratias: “Thanks be to God”.
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The PROPER encompasses sections that may vary according to the liturgical context or time of year, including the Introit, Gradual, Hallelujah (except Lent), Tract (Lent), Offertory and Communion.
The liturgical year of the Roman rite begins on the first Sunday of Advent, four Sundays before Christmas
Introit
The Introit or Entrance Antiphon (antiphona ad introitum) is sung as the officiants enter. It usually consists of a refrain known as an antiphon, followed by a Psalm verse and a repeat of the antiphon. The Introit’s melodies are often characterised by reciting tones, when one note is repeated many times as the words are articulated.
Gradual and Alleluia
Gradual is sung after a reading from the New Testament. A Gradual is a responsorial chant, often alternated with an ornate verse which is usually sung by a solo cantor, and is sometimes followed by a reprise of the opening section to create a symmetrical three-part structure.
The Alleluia is sung before a reading from the Gospel, except during penitential seasons such as Lent, when a Tract is sung. Alleluia is in two sections: the Alleluia itself followed by the ‘Psalm verse’. These are linked using a jubilus. This is a long, joyful melisma (many notes to one syllable) on the last vowel of the ‘Alleluia’.
Offertory
Offertory is sung during the preparation of the Eucharistic offerings of bread and wine. Before the 12th century, Gregorian chants for the Offertory often included highly elaborate verses, but this practice later died out, and the Offertory came to be structured in a similar way to the Gradual or other responsorial chants, with a contrasting verse followed by a repetition of the opening section, known as a repetenda.
Communion
Communion chants are sung during the distribution of the Eucharist, and resemble the structure of the Introit: an antiphon (refrain) with, optionally, a series of Psalm verses.