ORB Online Encyclopedia"Music"
Table of Items for the Medieval High Mass
Cynthia J. Cyrus
Last modified on October 15, 1999
This chart presents the musical items for a typical high mass, but some services during the church year omit particular items or substitute other chants (an extra alleluia in place of the gradual, for instance), and the requiem mass (the mass for the dead) differs in many ways from this outline.
The most important musical items are listed in italics and bold.
Item Proper/ Ordinary Performed by Musical Characteristics Manuscript Source Introit proper choir w/solo on verse neumatic (syllabic for verse) Graduale Kyrie ordinary choir melismatic Kyriale Gloria ordinary choir neumatic Kyriale Collects proper priest spoken or recited Sacramentary Epistle proper subdeacon spoken or recited Lectionary or Epistolary Gradual proper soloist w/choir melismatic Cantatory Alleluia or Tract proper soloist w/choir melismatic Cantatory Sequence proper choir syllabic Sequentiary Gospel proper deacon spoken or recited Lectionary or Evangeliary Sermon extemporary or written priest (deacon may also speak) spoken Credo ordinary choir syllabic Kyriale Offertory proper choir melismatic Graduale Offertory Prayers ordinary priest spoken or recited Sanctorale Secret proper priest spoken or recited Sanctorale Preface proper priest spoken or recited Sacramentary Sanctus ordinary choir neumatic Kyriale Canon ordinary priest silent Sacramentary Pater noster ordinary all spoken or recited Agnus Dei ordinary choir melismatic Kyriale Communion proper choir neumatic Graduale Post-Communion prayers proper priest spoken or recited Sacramentary Ite missa est or Benedicamus Domino ordinary priest and choir melismatic Kyriale
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Copyright (C) 1997, Cynthia J. Cyrus. This file may be copied on the condition that the entire contents, including the header and this copyright notice, remain intact.
