MUSIC
At Saint Mary's, we sing Gregorian chant, traditional hymns, and sacred music.
Gregorian chant has 'pride of place' in the Liturgy, regardless of what language the Mass is said in. The Mass has two types of chanted texts - the Propers, which change daily, and the Ordinary, which remains the same. Our choir chants two of the Mass Propers (Introitus and Communio), and leads the people in chanting most of the Ordinary of the Mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei - the Creed is spoken and is said in English, along with the rest of the Mass). On most weekends the Ordinary is the setting of Mass VIII, called Missa de Angelis. This setting of the Mass Ordinary dates from about the 15th century. Below are recordings from a Sunday Mass of the Ordinary. Text to these parts can be found in our blue missal, and the notated music can be found in our red hymnals.
In addition to the Mass Ordinaries, the hymnal has about one hundred traditional hymns. The publisher, Ignatius Press, has graciously provided mp3s on their website of nearly all the included music.
The sacred music we sing consists primarily of works with Latin text, with the remainder having English text. Most of the pieces are several centuries old (many of our favorites were composed during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, ~1450-1700), but we sing pieces written by more modern composers, as well.
Gregorian chant has 'pride of place' in the Liturgy, regardless of what language the Mass is said in. The Mass has two types of chanted texts - the Propers, which change daily, and the Ordinary, which remains the same. Our choir chants two of the Mass Propers (Introitus and Communio), and leads the people in chanting most of the Ordinary of the Mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei - the Creed is spoken and is said in English, along with the rest of the Mass). On most weekends the Ordinary is the setting of Mass VIII, called Missa de Angelis. This setting of the Mass Ordinary dates from about the 15th century. Below are recordings from a Sunday Mass of the Ordinary. Text to these parts can be found in our blue missal, and the notated music can be found in our red hymnals.
In addition to the Mass Ordinaries, the hymnal has about one hundred traditional hymns. The publisher, Ignatius Press, has graciously provided mp3s on their website of nearly all the included music.
The sacred music we sing consists primarily of works with Latin text, with the remainder having English text. Most of the pieces are several centuries old (many of our favorites were composed during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, ~1450-1700), but we sing pieces written by more modern composers, as well.
(Musical Manuscript by virtusincertus is liscened under CC BY 2.0, no changes made)
(Image of the Codici Corali, from the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo)
