I seem to recall some discussion about how to help implement the new Divine Liturgy, i.e., the music, within parishes. Has any sort of formal plan or suggestions come from the MCI or anywhere else? Or is each parish to develop a plan on its own?

The new service books will be accompanied by a "Cantor's Companion" that will contain a walk-through of the new Divine Liturgies book and how to use it, along with reference materials on singing the prokeimena and alleluia, etc. There will also be recordings of the music in the service books; the Cantor's Companion and music CD's are supposed to go to each parish (at least that's my understanding), and I expect to have some additional material to put on the MCI website as well. (I'm still waiting to find out what all is available.)

Yours in Christ,
Jeff Mierzejewski

Thanks for the information, Jeff. However, perhaps I didn't phrase my question correctly. What I'm wondering about is how we cantors are to introduce the new music to the parishioners. I'm assuming that many of them don't read music, and that those who do won't be allowed to take the pew books home to practice (and perhaps not bring back).

Should parishes consider offering practice sessions for the parishioners once the cantors are comfortable with the music? Should we just expect people to pick it up over time? Do we introduce all the non-changing parts all at once, or just a few parts at a time? Is there any kind of research on the learning curve for the average non-musical parishioner?

In regard to the 8 tones, they could take considerable time for people to learn since they're only heard once every couple months, and many people only hear the Samolahsen tones at vesper/liturgy for major feast days.

We starting introducing the new lamp-lighting psalms, stichera, prokeimena and alleluias at vesper/liturgy during Lent the past two years. It was pretty pitiful the first year and a bit better the second. This year I expect to do much better.

I believe we had a CD to work from, but it was set up so that we had to listen to a whole set of one tone, rather than being able to play just an alleluia over and over until we got it down. I like the way this site is arranged, with the tropars and kondaks separate (8 Tones). Perhaps the MCI could put something of that sort online with both Resurrection and Samolahsen tones, including prokeimena, alleluias and verses/stichera. I think it would not only help cantors, but parishioners could access the site if they so wished.

Copies of "The DL for Dummies" for all those interested?

Sophia,

Like this, perhaps? MCI Website - Recorded Music

This page is still under construction, but indexes all the music on the compact disks that will accompany the new service books, plus some additional music for Vespers and Matins, and corresponding recordings in Church Slavonic.

The MCI website will also include sheet music and a PDF copy of the Cantor's Compendium, once those materials have been sent out to parishes. And I DO plan to make available whatever aids I can to introducing music in parishes, and pointers to the classes or other helps the Music Commission and the various eparchies provide.

And yes, my Kyivan friend, if you look at the Site Map, you will see that we do indeed hope to produce a Liturgics for Dummies, of use to both cantors and parishioners, along the lines of what was recommended at the Evangelization conference a while back.

Yours in Christ,
Jeff Mierzejewski

I figure that much of the music, etc. will already be familiar to many, or perhaps slightly different- that the new book is not totally new, in other words. Once the extent of musical changes in known, all of us can better assess how much work is ahead regarding implementation. And each parish is apt to be different when it comes to how steep the learning curve is, depending on how much they have been able to do in the past.

Jim Sprinkle
Cantor, Moderator

Do you mean that cantors will have to learn ALL 8 tones?

That would be a good starting point for some.

There are EIGHT tones?!?

I hope there is no Byzantine equal to Haugen & Haas...

james

I'm currently working my new setting of "Celtic Divine Liturgy" and the "Divine Liturgy of Creation"

Do I have to go to Confession for just joking about this?

Not as long as you're just joking. <G>

Prof. J. Michael Thompson
Byzantine Catholic Seminary
Pittsburgh, PA

Tell me, Marc, will there be liturgical dancing included?

I'm not into liturgical dancing and besides, I'm a terrible choreographer. However, if the spirit moves you, Jim, you may dance.

I actually caught an Easter Mass in Pittsburgh at St. Paul Cathedral a few years back that was one of the Masses Fr. Chipponis had written... it was quite nice all put together and done as written; the whole Mass was sung and orchestral, and the priest's part and congregation and choir all flowed quite well. I can see the appeal in the Latin Church to write Masses, it goes way back and is a venerable tradition. Too bad so many settings these days are just tacky.

OH DEAR ME - don't even joke about it James

I debating whether to kneel or bow, don't want to be touched by a divine lightning bolt...

james

Genuflect

Tacky, and sometimes totally off base when it comes to Catholic theology. One example of a Mass that was not the Mass is the one by Leonard Bernstein. Haugen and Haas I am unfamiliar with. Guess I am just lucky. Some things it is well not to know.

Jeff, the recordings on the MCI website of the music in the new service book are very helpful. Thanks for all your hard work.

As a Byzantine who works as an organist in a Latin Church... The Mass of Creation is used so often for funerals, we call it the Mass of Cremation. And yes, if you introduce Haugen into the divine liturgy, you should have to do extreme penance.