Themes > Arts > Music > Vocal Music > Liturgical Music >Table of Items for the Medieval High Mass

by Cynthia J. Cyrus

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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