Plainsong

In a comment on an earlier post, a blogger named Christopher asked a question regarding plainsong.

"I am very interested in how your music has changed. I am interested in introducing chants and removing hymns. How did younger people like the c plainsong as opposed to hymns?"

In our liturgy this was not an either/or choice. We have three Masses on Sunday: the early Mass is a low Mass, with a sermon, but no chanting or hymns. The evening Mass is also low, but without a sermon. The Sung Mass or High Mass (we alternate, depending on the day and the need) uses both chants and hymns. We use the Anglican Missal (either American or English version), which is pointed for the celebrant, and the 1940 American Hymnal.

As an example, the Mass today opened with an organ prelude. Our Processional Hymn, sung by the congregation with organ accompaniment, was “Go Forward Christian Soldier”. The celebrant then chanted the Introit, from Psalm 86, using Gregorian Chant. The Collect for Purity is chanted in plainsong.

The change in our music setting that upset folks starts here. Traditionally, in this Parish, the Kyrie (lead by a Cantor) was sung by the congregation in Gregorian Chant. This was sometimes a challenge to newcomers to the congregation (including my wife and I) because there are six different settings, varying by season and day. The Missa Dominicalis, Missa Angelis, Missa Penitentialis for Advent, Missa Penitentialis for Lent, Missa Paschalis, and... and... and late at night I have forgotten the name of the setting for Masses for the Dead. Some of the settings were very easy for the congregation to sing; some were very challenging, especially since we heard them infrequently. Visitors and newcomers were especially challenged, as no written music was available to aid the novice. This was in part due to an uncharitable (in my mind) attitude among the congregation that "Saint Mary's is not for everyone".

For a variety of reasons, the music setting was changed. The Introit, Collects, and much of the service is still chanted by the celebrant in plainsong or Gregorian chant. The Creed and Lord's Prayer are still chanted by the congregation. The Epistle and Gospel are still chanted by the Servers, Deacons, and Priest. But the Kyrie, the Gloria in Excelsis, the Sanctus and Benedictus, and the Agnus Dei are sung by the congregation using the Healey Willan setting from the Hymnal. Much easier to sing, familiar to many who come into the Anglo-Catholic Church from other traditions, and constant from season to season. And of course, we include several hymns for the congregation throughout the service.

Not as rich a musical tradition, perhaps, but the question becomes one of Church versus museum. We chose Church.

At any rate, I hope this explains the difference. I don't know whether younger people would respond to replacing hymns with plainsong. I might suggest you try plainsong or Gregorian chant for Morning Prayer, or Evensong, and see what kind of response you get. There has been a resurgence of interest in chant; you may be surprised.

By the way, Wikipedia has some good information and a number of links to chant sites. This link is to an audio file of the Epistle for the Solemn Mass of Easter. This chant is in Latin, where we chant in English, but the chant is the same regardless which language is used. I don't chant as nicely as this fellow, though.