Expert Advice on Liturgical Music Planning

Angela Westhoff-Johnson

Liturgical Music Preparation

Prep•a•ra•tionThe action or process of making ready

It’s never too early to begin!

Liturgy Preparation

You must have the following resources:

• Ordo: a calendar of the liturgical year

• Lectionary: the scripture readings

• Today’s Liturgy: OCP’s quarterly publication for liturgy preparation

Liturgy Preparation

• Breaking Bread with Readings/Today’s Missal (EVERYTHING is there to prepare a liturgy!)

• Respond & Acclaim

The Big Picture Planning

Begin choosing repertoire by thinking seasonally:

• Advent

• Christmas

• Lent

• Easter

• Ordinary Time  Add a few new pieces to each season every year. Think future…what pieces will stand the test of time and remain in the “repertoire” for many years.

Think Topically

There are themes or topics that reoccur throughout the liturgical year:

• Shepherd

• Love

• Holy Spirit

• Marian

• Always need Eucharistic music

Think Ritually

• Initiation (acclamations that can be used throughout the year)

• Funeral

• Eternal Life

• Sequences

– Easter

– Pentecost

– Body and Blood

Detailed Preparation

Sit with the Lectionary readings to assign repertoire to specific Sundays/days

Prepare Liturgies Way Ahead of Time

Selecting Service Music (Mass Settings)

“Liturgy is something sung…….The Assembly sings their

liturgy. That is the way things are supposed to be. They

don’t sing during the liturgy. They sing the liturgy.”

(Gabe Huck, 1989, Liturgy Training

Publications)

• How many Mass settings each year?

• Do you change seasonally?

Consider a choral Alleluia during Easter

Communion Antiphons (Walker)

Introduce New Music

How to Introduce NEW MUSIC to your assembly?

Repetition, repetition, repetition!!!

Gathering

• Use one song as the Gathering for an entire season

• “Advent Gathering Litany”

(Michael Prendergast & Rick Modlin)

• Breaking Bread 56

Communion

• Each year add 1-2 communion songs into your parish’s repertoire

• Choose communion songs with plenty of verses

• “Come to Me and Drink” (Bob Hurd)

• Breaking Bread 355

Choral

• Do a song with just the choir a few times, then the assembly will learn it!

• “Restless is the Heart” (Bernadette Farrell)

• Breaking Bread 683

• Create your own

tradition

Well-Planned Choir DirectorThe Well- Planned Choir Rehearsal

TL124 article

The Well-Planned Choir Rehearsal

1) Rehearsal lineup – Cathedral 1st first rehearsal

2) Prepare the room

3) Create a seating arrangement

4) Take attendance

5) Start on time

6) Start with vocal warm-ups

The Well-Planned Choir Rehearsal

7) Incorporate sight-singing into each rehearsal

8) Use time wisely

9) Balance standing and sitting

10) Be positive and upbeat

11) Set high standards

12) End rehearsals on time!

Questions?

Liturgical Music Preparation Resources

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