For the purpose of this article, the schola (link) is those who sing the propers at Mass. Meaning the Introite, Gradual, Alleluia, Tract, Sequence, Offertory, Communion in Gregorian Chant at Mass. It is obvious that the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Agnus Dei and Ite Missa Est can and are sung in response to the priest or cantor.
The controversy has been over whether women can sing as a schola or there can be mixed scholas who sing the propers.
Nota Bene: I've heard mixed scholas and I find it un-balanced and offensive to my ears. However, that it more a cultural and aesthetic perspective than a rule. In fact, it may have its origins in some 'rules' that I received in my formative years as a member of a schola specifically:
- For singing the propers, if there are sufficient men capable of singing, then they should do so.
- Women's only scholas are legit.
- Mixed scholas are to be avoided.
I've been wondering if these 'rules' have any basis in actual declarations by the Catholic Church.
In 2009 an anonymous article was posted on the New Liturgical Movement's website. Given the heated and acrimonious debate that can occur with the introduction of change in traditional circles, I'm not surprised it was anonymous.
Interestingly the author wrote:
The existence of the question is largely a result of the 40-year space between the living presence of the extraordinary form and its current revival. Not having a living memory of the "old Mass" people find themselves in the position of having to "reinvent" a tradition by recourse to old documents and instructions.
Having attended the SSPX for 40+ years, I can attest that there was no absence of a living presence. The question exists today because it has existed for a long long time.
The article references Musicae Sacrae by Pius XII (link), in which it is written:
73. First of all see to it that there is a good school of singers in the cathedral itself and, as far as possible, in other major churches of your dioceses. This school should serve as an example to others and influence them to carefully develop and perfect sacred chant.
74. Where it is impossible to have schools of singers or where there are not enough choir boys, it is allowed that "a group of men and women or girls, located in a place outside the sanctuary set apart for the exclusive use of this group, can sing the liturgical texts at Solemn Mass, as long as the men are completely separated from the women and girls and everything unbecoming is avoided. The Ordinary is bound in conscience in this matter."[26]
Foot Note 26 Reads: Decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, No's. 3964, 4201, 4231.
Elements to note. This is in reference to the availability of singers in the cathedral and major churches and the absence of choir boys. Why the distinction of Choir Boys? I understand that this is in reference to the singing of polyphonic masses. So the first conclusion is that this is what is normally called a choir and if necessary a mixed choir can be employed to sing the polyphonic mass. This however, does not speak to the schola singing the propers in gregorian chant.
What appeared to be the exception then quickly became the rule. As the London Tablet reported on January 6, 1909: "There really would be no difficulty in bringing all Church choirs within the rule laid down by this decree: intermixed choirs of men and women are forbidden; separated choirs of men on one side and women on the other are not forbidden." And even here, the rule would only apply for propers sung by the schola exclusively where it makes the most sense to separated singing by high and low registers in any case.
Further down the author cites the following:
By 1967, the language of the discipline had come full circle: Musicam Sacram, paragraph 22, says: "The choir can consist, according to the customs of each country and other circumstances, of either men and boys, or men and boys only, or men and women, or even, where there is a genuine case for it, of women only."
The full text of Musicam Sacram can be found here (link). Again there are distinctions to be made and a caveat of the era of the document (1967).
The now defunct Ecclesia Dei received a question:
If a men's schola is available, should a women's schola be permitted to sing the Mass In preference to a men's group?
The answer came on July 16, 2008:
If a parish is so well provided for as to have both a men's and women's schola cantorum, that would seem to be a true 'embarrassment of riches' and surely some way could be found for them both to contribute to the singing of the sacred liturgy
Note well, that it is a question of two scholas - not one mixed schola. So there is no problem having separate schola's (men and women). There are also references to the training of separate scholas, but in this article I can't find any that discuss the acceptance and use of combined scholas, while there is approval for combined choirs.
In 2021, Dr.
On a practical level, unless there is some extenuating circumstance like a CMAA Sacred Music Colloquium with its pedagogical aims, it would be strange to have a men’s schola and a women’s schola dividing up tasks at the same liturgy; this is best avoided. When only men or only women are singing the propers, the worshiper can more easily forget about it and pay attention to the chants, the texts, and the ceremonies. When the two scholas go back and forth, it draws attention to the octave difference between men and women — that is, it draws attention to the performers, which is not ideal. Similarly, chant sung by men and women simultaneously is sometimes an unavoidable necessity, but chant tends to sound best in a true unison, not in organum of parallel octaves. If a chapel or parish has two scholas, a men’s and a women’s, it would be better to have one or the other sing all the propers at Mass. This is what I did at Wyoming Catholic College. The men’s schola sang multiple times a week; at a certain point, a women’s schola was created to give the women a chance to immerse themselves more fully in the chant and to give the men a much-needed rest. Here, too, a certain complementarity developed that was beneficial for all.
NLM: Are women permitted to Sing the Propers 2021
So, the conclusion I reach is that the issue is the nature of the music being sung.
- If it is polyphonic or harmony, a mixed choir is the obvious choice. The employment of mixed or alternating male and female voices for the ordinary (Kyrie, Hymns, etc) is likewise approved.
- When it is singing the propers in gregorian chant (unison) the choice of having either male or femail scholas are completely fine.
- With respect to mixed scholas, the pre-conciliar Popes did not seem to endorse mixed scholas to sing the propers, and Dr. K noted that the esthetic preference would argue against mixed scholas.
So, mixed scholas are not heretical 😅, and may even be necessary when there is a dearth of singers.
P^3
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