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Use: Sprinkling Rite
Required Resources: SATB choir
Language: Latin
Here is music that is equally at home in the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.
The Sprinkling Rite that opens the Solemn Missa Cantata (EF) can also be used on any Sunday to replace the Act of Penitence (OF).
When the Sprinkling Rite is used in the Ordinary Form, the beginning of Mass can be overwhelmed with congregational singing:
- Entrance Hymn
- music for Sprinkling Rite
- Gloria
all of which occur in the first few minutes of the Mass, almost in direct succession.
This can be alleviated by distributing the vocal music among cantor, choir and congregation, perhaps using a choral Introit Proper as the Entrance Hymn.
Another alternative is offered here in this short collection of two pieces for the Sprinkling Rite, set for SATB choir:
- Asperges me
- Vidi aquam
Horst Buchholz, Director of Sacred Music for the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Archdiocese of Detroit, uses the Gregorian chant melody for the Asperges me as the refrain.
He sets the intermediate psalm verse and Gloria Patri for a cappella SATB choir.
Vidi aquam is sung during Eastertide instead of Asperges me.
The refrain begins with a direct quote of the Gregorian melody, but breaks into homophonic format at the first "Alleluia."
The remainder of the refrain and the multiple "Alleluias" are sung by the full choir as well.
The psalm verse ("Confitemini Domino...") and the Gloria Patri are sung to the psalm tone prescribed in the Graduale.
These two settings were used with great success at liturgies during the CMAA Colloquiums in 2006 and 2007, both in Washington DC.
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