PRIEST I KNOW is pastor of a small parish (roughly 150 families). He is working to introduce the beauty of sacred music and has arranged for musicians from local symphonies to provide music at the parish’s Christmas Midnight Mass and the Easter Vigil. In addition to SATB vocalists, the instrumentalists have included an organist, cellist, violinist, horn player, and trumpeter.
Such a project, of course, is limited by funding. At this point, the pastor would like to expand the number of Masses throughout the year at which these musicians play. He has set up two options.
Option 1: Bring in the musicians for the official Vigils of the Church. These Vigils include:
1. Easter
2. Christmas
3. Pentecost
4. Ascension
5. Nativity of St. John the Baptist
6. Saints Peter & Paul
Option 2: Arrange for the more festive music for certain Holy Days of Obligation. These feasts include:
1. Mary, Mother of God
2. Ascension
3. Assumption
4. All Saints
5. Immaculate Conception
6. Christmas
The goal of both options would be to help catechize the congregation about progressive solemnity and to reinforce the importance of either the Vigils or the Holy Days.
If you were this pastor, which option would you choose? If you were his music director, what recommendation would you give him? If you had the funding to add music to 2 or 3 more Masses in addition to Christmas at midnight and the Easter Vigil, which Masses would they be?
