The Cae~cilia 375

The 11 I- II
Missa de A ngels
Analysis by A. Gastoue
Translated by Albert Gingras

One of the best known Gregorian musical ordinaries for Sundays and for simple feasts,
settings of the ordinary of the Mass is, with- and to reserve the "lVlass of the Angels" for
out doubt, the eighth in the Vatican Edition, some solemn feasts.
known as the "Mass of the Angels" (de An- Let me add that, habitually, the third Credo
gelis) . This is the only· Mass, among all the has been sung with the eighth Mass, because
collections of the ancient chants written to the mode, the melodic line, the character of
the text of the Ordinary, that does not owe this Credo are so similar to the chants of that
its name toa trope sung to the melody of the Ordinary. As is the case with the eighth Mass,
Kyrie. (A trope consisted of one or more the third Credo was never intended for ordi-
verses sung either before or after the liturgical nary Sundays or feasts, and can be sung, with
text (Introit, Offertory, Communion) or in- reason, only on special days: feasts of a cer-
serted in the piece (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, tain order, but nevertheless, not of the highest
Agnus Dei, Ite.) This is not due to the lack rank.
of tropes written to this music: years ago, This Mass, and the third Credo, are in-
Dom Pothier published a trope set to this tended, therefore, for the solemnity of feasts
chant, one which was not, however, in very of greater double rank, or even double of the
general use. At any rate, it probably has been second class.
included only in the old Gradual of the diocese
of Toul, France (which diocese is now divided It is for those days that liturgical tradition
in two parts, one part having been added to has ever prescribed the use of these chants.
the diocese of Nancy, the other, to the diocese Let us now give a few explanatory remarks
of Saint-Die.) for each section of this Mass.
This title of "Mass of the Angels" comes
from the devotion, established in general use THE KYRIE
through the efforts of the Franciscans, of cele- I have already stated that this Kyrie does
brating, on Monday, a Votive Mass in honor not owe its name to antique trope. However,
of the Holy Angels: for this Mass, was sel- the composition and the name of this chant
ected an ordinary, the one which has since are more ancient than has been stated in cer-
been known as the "Mass of the Angels". tain books of the present day. It is already
Therefore, we can suppose, with reason, that twenty years since I had occasion to speak
it was the Franciscan Order which gathered about the most ancient texts, to this Kyrie,
together, at that time, all the various pieces of that had been found up to that time :it is a
which this Ordinary has been composed, work probably of Norman origin, and dating
since, approximately, the 16th century. from the 14th century. At that time the
In the 18th century, we see this collection Graduale of the Cathedral of Rauen included
of chants employed, entirely or in part, for this Kyrie among certain chants "ad libitum"
certain degrees of feasts; feasts of either dou- for the solemnity of feasts. In the following
ble or greater double rank, or even solemn century, again in Rouen, we find this Kyrie
teast of a secondary order. 1'his is sufficient already given the title "de Angelis"; and, in
to indicate at what occasions it is suitable to England, where, for the most part, the customs
sing the ordinary of the "Mass of the Angels": were the same as those of Normandy, we find,
Votive Masses, celebrated with some cere- from that time, the Benedicamus sung there-
mony, or, secondary feasts. Therefore, it is after to the air of one of the sections of this
not traditional,-except, perhaps, in the pres- Kyrie. In this same era, this same Kyrie is
ent routine of a few small churches or chapels beginning to be sung for certain Votive Masses,
- to sing the eighth :J\!Iass on ordinary Sun- for example, like the Mass celebrated in honor
days. In those churches or chapels where this of Saint Sebastian by the sodality of Archers;
is a custom, (a custom which has been only of and, soon after, the order of the Celestins
some 50 years duration), it certainly wquld be also include this Kyrie in their Graduals, with
far preferable again to bring into use the real the title "De sanctis Angelis".

Merry (;hristmas
376 The Caecilia

Therefore, we see that this chant was written dominant a, with the do clef on the fourth line,
in an era two hundred years previous to the and with a signature of two sharps. In the
one usually stated, and that from the moment first case, the key would be e flat major, and
when this Kyrie began to be sung quite gen- in the second case, d major. As has been
erally, it was preferably reserved for Masses stated, this Kyrie contains a b flat, in the orig-
to be sung at solemnities, and especially for inal key. I read this chant as if the flat were
Masses in honor of the Holy Angels. in the signature, instead of being repeated
Documents notate this Kyrie sometinles each time. This procedure is more logical.
with the final do: do, mi, fa, sol, sol, with the The antiphon, 0 sacrum convivium, a chant
do clef placed on the fourth· line; and some- written at about the same time as the "Missa
times with the final fa, with the do clef on the de Angelis" is notated in this manner.
third line, and with si always flat, as has been As concerns the rhythm take care to lengthen
recognized by custom. (I) the notes which precede immediately the
This Kyrie from the "Missa de Angelis" is spaces between the groups. It is the custom-
a pleasing composition, and is very well writ- ary rule. In singing the first notes of this
ten. Despite the fact that it is one of the Kyrie: fa, la, si, do, this last do would be
least ancient of the chants, composed for the lengthened; then continuing: re, do, sib, do,
Ordinary of the Mass, it follows exactly the this last do would again be lengthened. (In
plan of Gregorian music. various manuscripts, this note is written as
Though this chant is composed in the tra- a Bistropha; interpreted as a note doubled
ditional manner of the ancient Gregorian in value.) As concerns the accentuation, the
chants, the mode used in the writing of this first syllable Ky must mark the first accent,
Kyrie is of more recent usage. It is really a the starting point of the melody. The group
major mode, which began to be generally em- of notes written for the syllable re is subservi-
ployed in the 13th century. Compare this ent to this accent. According to the musical
chant, as regards the general structure of the customs of the time in which this Kyrie was
melody and the grouping of the notes, to the composed and began to be sung quite gen-
Alleluia of the proper of the Mass for the erally, a group thus placed would be quickened
feast of Saint Louis and also to the Alleluia in tempo, the three notes being sung in the
for the Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart. same time as a group of two notes.
These two compositions are found in the F or the last Kyrie, the asterisks indicate the
chant books of Paris. They were. written alternation of the two choirs, as I have ex-
in the 13th century. The similarity, as regards plained previously in speaking of chants. of
this general structure of the melody and the this kind. 'The Kyrie up to the first astensk
grouping of the notes, will be evident. (2) is sung by the soloists or by the first choir;
However, here is a criticism that I \\Till make the e up to the double asterisk is sung by the
as regards this Kyrie. The melody is more other choir; then, the eleison is sung by all
suitable for an Alleluia, a song of praise, than the voices.
it is for a Kyrie, which is a cry of supplication.
In this chant, we find a melody of "joyful"
supplication; the reason for this is, perhaps, if THE GLORIA
we consider the paintings and the sculptures Though the documents so far known, which
of the middle ages, that the contemporaries of are concerned with this Gloria in excelsis, date
that time conceived the pure heavenly spirits only from the beginning of the 16th century,
praying God for humanity, with this calm there is not sufficient reason to believe that
joyfulness. this chant is not more ancient than might thus
The mode of this Kyrie, fifth tone, with the be indicated. On the contrary, we find the
dominant do indicates that, for practical pur- essential motives of this music in a mass
poses, it mus't be transposed.: eit~er wi~h dom- for two voices, "Lombardi", so-called, one
inant b flat to be read as If wntten In the g hundred years more ancient t~a? the da~e
clef with a' signature of three flats, or with juts mentioned. Also, the reh~Ious pu~hc
(1) The versions of the ancient docume?-ts diff~r~ng does not know that in the anCIent spanIsh
from this are of little importance: the Vatlcan EdItIOn liturgy, "mozarabe", so-calle.d, which, i? part,
gives the text employed most generally, which is no- is still in use in Tol'edo, thIS melody IS used
tated .with the final fa.
both for the Gloria and for the Sanctus, with· a
(2) We even find the first traces of these mel~dic
ideas in the Alleluia of the feast of the AssumptIOn, rather odd intonation.
and in the Alleluia of the feast of Saint Martin. Each In the Mass of this ancient liturgy, which
Alleluia is notated with the final do, with the do clef Mass has such a peculiar ritual, documents
on the fourth line. These chants were written during
the ninth or tenth centuries.
give, for this Gloria, two intonations which

"We recommend THE CAECILIA to our clergy and our sisterhood" - Cardinal Mundelein.
 The Caeeilia 377

are very similar in structure. One of these posed for the text of the Sanctus, and we find
intonations is of the fifth tone: this melody in the famous anthem, 0 quam
fa so la si flalt do re-re do si flat la si flat do suavis est, the music adapted differently, be-
Glo- cause of the difference in the words.
re re do si flat do do do do do do si flat la Like the Kyrie, this melody must be of
ri- a in ex-cel-~is-De- 0- Norman origin. I t is used in the office of
The rest of the chant is about the same as Saint Nicholas, the thaumaturge of Myre,
we know it. which office was composed in the eleventh
'fhe other intonation is of the seventh tone: century by an abbe of Saint-Pierre-sur-Dive;
sol si do re mi - (mi) re do si do re mi it is still sung in the dioceses of Lorraine with
Glo- the original text, 0 Christe pietas, in honor of
re do re re the same saint.
ri-a, etc. This melody owes its elan in great part to
This leads us to believe that, in this ancient the fact that, though it was composed in the
liturgy, this chant has undergone a change of compass of the sixth tone, several incursions
mode (1). are made to the fifth tone, fa la do do, where
However, only the fifth tone melody~ just as the high position of the dominant, thus· gives a
we know it today, has remained in practical considerable effect. The adaptation of this
usage. The similarity in style between this music to the Sanctus is well done. Each word
chant and the Kyrie "de Angelis" is, no doubt, coincides well with the melody, the imitation
the principal reason for the adjoining of this of the Pleni sunt by the Benedictus is logical,
Gloria to the Kyrie, in the eighth Mass. This and the two Hosanna have a character of
was done beginning with the 16th century. gradation or amplification found in the best
Moreover, just as was the case for the Kyrie, models of original music., The march and the
"tropes" were set also the melody of this expression of the melody coincide so well with
Gloria. (2) the meaning and the disposition of the words
In spite of its relatively "modern" coloring, that, were we not fore-warned, we could be-
the Gloria "de Angelis" presents itself in a lieve that it really had been composed for the
favorable light. Easy, and at the same time, Sanctus.
festival in style, this chant is very well liked, Let us take care, in singing the group fa
even though the same motives are often re- solla do la, which is one of the predominating
peated; but these motives are well adjusted motives of this chant, not to crush, so to speak,
in the ensemble. However, this in itself is a this last la, because it is doubled by the fol-
danger. To state one example: the formula lowing note. This is not a real "pressus", but
la sol fa sol la sol fa is set 'to different words only an "apposition" of neums. The notes
which are not accented in the same way. which carry the melodic accents are: fa (sol
Therefore, the choir director must take care la) do (la) la (sol fa). l'he la of the "scan-
that the correct rhythm, that is, the rhythm dicus flexus" fa sol la do la, which is thela
of the words, is always observed. Let us in- in question, must be light, and there is a
sist especially that the following words be cor- strengthening of the voice on the following la,
rectly pronounced: which begins the "dimacus". The same re-
fa sol la sol fa . . solla do re do mark applies to the anthem to the Blessed
pax ho- m'i-ni-bus . . . u-ni-g'e-ni-te Sacrament, 0 quam suavis est, which has the
sol la sol fa same melodic disposition.
Spi- ri-tu
The mode of the Gloria being the same as THE AGNUS DEI
that of the Kyrie, it will be natural to take
the same pitch for both these chants. As con- The melody which "\Ive have just discussed
cerns the alternation of the choirs, I have ex- was adapted to the Sanctus of the "Missa de
plained that in a previous treatise, in which Angelis" during the 12th century. This same
I wrote on all these chants in a general way. melody was so well liked that soon it was
adapted-often with rather poor success-to
THE SANCTUS several other liturgical texts. Among these
The Sanctus of Mass No. VIII is one of the texts was the Agnus Dei: it is not so very
melodies which were the most celebrated near long ago that, in most chant books the Sanc-
the end of the middle ages. I t was not com- tus and the Agnus Dei of the "Missa de An-
gelis" were both given with the same melody.
0) However, in the Roman rite, the intonation of However in the 15th century, one of those
this chant has varied through the ages. same docu:nents from Rouen which gave us
(2) Without doubt it would be interesting some day the Kyrie, gave also a new Agnus Dei, by an
to publish these tropes. They would make pious hymns, unknown composer. This chant evidently was
that could be sung, for example at Communion or at
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. inspired by the Agnus Dei already in use, but
378 The Caecilia

differed sufficiently from it so that it is ap- CORNER STONE CEREMONIES AT

parent that, though there is relationship be- NORTH EVERETT, MASS.
tween the two chants, the second is not a
copy of the first. Therefore, it is with reason On Sunday, October 22nd, the corner stone
that Dom Pothier replaced the older Agnus was laid for the new Church of St. Therese,
Dei by the new one, in the "Missa de Angelis", North Everett, Mass. Rt. Rev. Msgr. Mc-
in the first Edition of Solesmes. It was then Glinchey of Lynn, was the dedicator, and
placed in the Vatican Edition. many priests were present.
As is the case for the Sanctus, this Agnus St. Therese's senior choir of 40 voices, di-
Dei does not call for many special remarks rected by Miss Marie M. Hagman, rendered
to explain its execution. Here is a hint for the musical portion of the program, including
the rendering of the miserere and the dona the Benediction service at the close of the
nobis; in these two passages, the voice, start- corner stone ceremonies.
ing on the first syllable, rebounds, so to
speak, on the third; mi-(se)-re-(re),-do-(na ****
no-(bis). The podatus, which are found here NEW HYMNAL ANNOUNCED FOR
and there in the melody, will be submerged CENTENARY OF SCHOOL SISTERS
in the accentuation of the words; as these po- OF NOTRE DAME
datus fall on weak syllables they will be weak At Mount Mary College, Milwaukee, John
also in accentuation, for the reason that the Singenberger's setting of "Jubilate Deo" for
words influence the rhythm of the melody. four women's voices, will be heard at the cele-
The Ite missa est and the Benedicamus, hav- bration in honor of the Order of the School
ing the same melody. as the Kyrie, do not call Sisters of Notre Dame.
for any observations than those already made. This piece was written by the composer for
\Ve believe that all these remarks and ex- the fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of this
planations will contribute to a good rendition Religious Order in Milwaukee. The original
and a more perfect rendition of the "Missa manuscript was in possession of Sister Mary
de Angelis", a work which ancient tradition Gisela S.S.N.D., for some years after its per-
justly has judged worthy of being presented formance in December 1900, but was subse-
with other Masses more classical or more quently returned to Mr. Singenberger's son.
original. The jubilee year of this Order began Octo.. .
In 1904, at the occasion of the 13th cen- ber 24th, with High Mass and Exposition of
tenary of Saint Gregory the Great, a Solemn The Blessed Sacrament, all day. Other im-
High Mass was celebrated in the church of portant observances were held in Baltimore,
Saint Peter in Rome. The singing was given and St. Louis, on the same date. The Mil-
entirely in Gregorian Chant, this not having waukee Motherhouse will observe the event
been done for a long time. For this mass, December 7th, 8th and 9th, and there will be
Pope Pius X himself chose the Kyrie and the celebrations on different anniversaries during
Gloria of the "Missa de Angelis". the next twelve months.
Among the great masters of religious music Sister Mary Gisela, S.S.N.D., has prepared
who have been inspired by this Mass, let us a new book, "Mount Mary Hymnal" as her
mention Boely, who really can be called our contribution to the Order, in its Centenary
national organist, surnamed by Saint-Saens, year. The music is from past supplements to
"the French Bach". Boely wrote several THE CAECILIA, arranged for women's
verses and an Offertory on the themes of the voices, and when issued will appeal to college
"Missa de Angelis". We must mention also glee clubs, convent choirs, etc. It is now be-
Mgr. Perruchot, whose memory is so deeply ing prepared for the printer, and some pages
regretted. He composed music to alternate will appear in THE CAECILIA during the
with the Gregorian Chant. This work, which next few months, so practical are the compo-
is of fine effect, is for two voices and for or- sitions. It will be issued in two editions. One
gan, and has this same title of "Missa de with the organ accompaniment, and another
Angelis". \vith the voice parts for singers.

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