One distinguishing feature of Ordinariate communities is that they are small and intimate - folks are known by name and are welcomed to participate in a culture of real hospitality. In smaller church communities, the need for each person to take an essential role in the parish - as an acolyte, coffee-hour-coordinator, food-drive-coordinator, religious education teacher, etc. - is greater. This applies also, of course to musicians! In smaller church communities, such as Ordinariate ones, how can the great music of the Anglican patrimony be sung?
Scientific studies confirm that almost everyone can carry a tune. This is all that one needs in order to join a church choir. Therefore, almost any person can join a church choir!
Anglican four-part (SATB) hymns may be grand, noble, regal, elegant, majestic and dignified, but they are also melodically simple. Beauty does not directly correlate with complexity. The hymn tunes of the Anglican tradition are also incredibly catchy, designed to be easily memorable for anyone. In addition, much of the Latin, Gregorian hymnody that was translated into English by Anglicans (such as John Mason Neale) was always intended to be sung by little-trained musicians, and this is facilitated even more greatly by the vernacular.
Mass Ordinaries (consisting of the Kyrie/Gloria/Sanctus/Agnus Dei cycle) composed for Anglican churches were of course designed to be sung by all. This applies both to more vertical, chorale-like Mass settings (like Healey Willan’s glorious Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena) and to Mass settings that were adapted into English from the original, beautiful, congregationally-intended Latin Gregorian chant Mass Ordinaries (such as Charles Winfred Douglas’ service music settings). The repetition of the Mass Ordinary texts in every Anglican liturgy of course lends itself to repetition of the same music week-to-week, which is greatly helpful to amateur singers.
While Anglicans (such as Palmer and Burgess) did set the original, non-congregational, Latin Gregorian chant propers (Introit/Gradual/Alleluia/Offertory/Communion) into English, the propers of the Mass (which high-church Anglicans do sing) can also be sung to psalm tones, which many high-church Anglican parishes do use. Any amateur singers can and should start there!
Arguably the trickiest genre of Anglican liturgical music for amateurs is Anglican SATB chant, although it too was designed to be sung by all. There are simpler chants than others! Beginning singers, especially those who were not raised singing this music, should start there. All singers can begin by learning the melody and changing pitches whenever the organist does. Over time, singers can learn the harmony parts, again simply changing pitches whenever the organist changes the chord. Amateur singers can begin singing by Anglican chant by just trying to chant all the syllables together (again, of course, simply changing pitches whenever the organist does). Over time, singers can improve their recognition of different pointing styles.
With especially the plethora of free, online resources (such as YouTube), anyone can learn how to read music. (See also, for example, this how-to video that walks the viewer through how to read/sing Anglican chant!) While folks are learning how to read music in general, it is enough for them to simply learn by ear, memorize and follow noteheads as they go up and down. Although all of the Anglican hymnody and chant music that I have here discussed is intended to be sung by all, a musically-prepared-ahead-of-time choir - even if it is constituted by as few as three or four people - can greatly aid a congregation by leading them.
All of this Anglican music was written in a time and place - England in Renaissance to even modern times - when a real culture of singing existed. In the modern-day Western world, especially in America, a singing culture exists less and less. Involvement and engagement in the Ordinariate’s Anglican liturgical patrimony helps us to reclaim this wonderful, lost part of Western culture and form men and women to worship more deeply in the beauty of holiness found in Jesus Christ.
So get singing, folks!
Sarah Rodeo Dzialo freelances as an organist, cantor, chorister and choir director all over Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Photo courtesy of St. Alban's Catholic Church.