Music in the Liturgy
SINGING THE MASS – a podcast guide
With Christopher Walker and Richard Jeffrey-Gray
Principally made for the Diocese of Clifton but we hope useful to all, we present a series of conversations on ways to introduce singing of the parts of the Mass from the simplest Alleluia to more accomplished settings. We aim not to be dull, and practical rather than academic, while saying why as well as how we should sing the Mass settings.
These are in the form of a conversation, often with leading questions for Chris Walker to answer. They are of course our own views and experience and not necessarily the official line although we aspire to be close to it. The podcasts vary in length depending on how much there is to say on the subject matter.
There is no long list of recommendations in our talks which would be boring to listen to, though some settings are mentioned to start you off. The links below are intended to help you whittle down the options to find your ideal starting point. The sites have audio examples online as well as written music to look at.
Since these conversations were recorded two things have changed.
Firstly OCP have vastly improved their resource for finding Mass settings by style and resources https://www.ocp.org/en-us/mass-settings and GIA have a similar list here https://giamusic.com/mass-settings - both have options to download and print. Decani in the UK have a fine selection of resources too https://www.decanimusic.co.uk/product-category/decani-sheet-music/decani-mass-settings-and-octavos/ - many from SSG composers https://www.ssg.org.uk and the National Network of Pastoral Musicians https://nnpm.org/NNPM/Welcome.html
Secondly the Psalter has been revised along with the Lectionary. These talks were recorded before this was finalised so we are cautious in our comments. We mention the New Grail translation but now know it’s the Abbey Psalter. Another podcast will follow when we know the timescale of the approval for publication by Bishops’ Conference. We are allowed to use our old psalms for three years only from Advent 2024.
Soon we will have the Clifton Psalm Book, available to pre-order through Decani https://www.decanimusic.co.uk , later offered additionally via Amazon and Ebay, composed for the England and Wales version of Year C by Christopher Walker. This comprises psalms to the new translation for Ordinary Time, Seasons, Feasts and Solemnities.
Podcasts above:
1 Starting Out as a Cantor
2 The parts of the Mass ranked in importance of singing and which best to start with
3 Gospel Acclamations
4 Eucharistic Acclamations
5 Penitential Act and Gloria
6 Psalms – September 2024. Implications of the new psalter. The Clifton Psalm Book.
6a Psalms – extra
7 The Lamb of God
8 How to welcome people with music who aren’t used to Church
We hope you find these conversations useful to you in starting or continuing to sing the Mass parts. If you are alone as a cantor or corporate with a choir you are not alone with the good wishes of those who want to hear and participate and in good company with the Church which encourages us to raise our voices in song in joyful praise.
The Clifton Psalm Book:
The Clifton Psalm Book for Year C has useful settings for Parishes and Cathedrals of the Responsorial Psalms. These attractive settings by Christopher Walker are generally a page to a psalm, adding accessible choir parts at strategic points of the year to the Cantor’s medium range melodies. The translation is that approved in RC churches in England and Wales from 2024.
The aim is to ease the transition to the words of the new Lectionary in song and provide a lasting resource for Sundays in Ordinary Time, Seasons, Feasts and Solemnities.
Spiral bound and at US Letter size, the book will stay open on ambo or music desk and the good quality paper will not sag. The readable text is set under the music for ease of use. Years A and B will follow in the same format.
Year C can be pre-ordered via https://www.decanimusic.co.uk/ soon.