Musicians

Click here to see the Chants of the Roman Missal in PDF format.

Watch this spot for more information on service music as well as other information on tools helpful for forming the Assembly in sung praise.

For information on the new Hurd Mass in Honor of Saint Cecilia, other resources for musicians including an introduction to the Archdiocese of Omaha Core Repertoire Project, click here.

LITURGICAL MUSIC

The nature of common ritual worship is that we join our hearts and voices to prepared texts. The texts, whether prose or poetry, are more lyrical in nature than our common everyday speech. These prepared texts are rich with metaphor and relevant, and the more we prepare ourselves to express them – through study, reflection and rehearsal – the more likely they are to be communicative and understandable to both the hearer and the deliverer.

One characteristic of the texts of the New Roman Missal is their lyricism, and this lends itself to the potential of chanting. In fact, many who have spent time with the new texts comment that they are even more communicative when sung than when spoken. Singing gives us the opportunity to cherish the sound and the meaning of words in ways that speaking may not.

The Church's in her wisdom has always known this and has expressed it throughout history – that music is wed to the liturgical text and action and raises our hearts and minds to God.

The general musical resources available for purchase for the reception of the Roman Missal will be numerous. Publishers and composers are in a flurry of activity, and there will be no shortage of choices. With so many options, the challenge will be how to choose appropriate resources for the parish.

One important component of the Archdiocese of Omaha's preparation for reception of the New Roman Missal will entail special introductory and on-going formation for priests and musicians in the musical aspects of the celebration of Mass.

First, the structure of formation will involve the gathering of priests and musicians working together in mutual support of musical roles in the liturgy, and in preparation for their introducing and forming parish assemblies in the new texts. This structure is in response to the challenge by Archbishop Lucas to both prepare leadership for the musical liturgy and also to provide solid formation to support the growth of skill and practice of musical liturgy.

Secondly, a Core Repertoire Advisory Committee has been established in response to challenges set forth by Archbishop Lucas to develop a Core Repertoire – music that can be used in all parishes with either modest or generous resources or size. The resource will include music that is -

 • Common, accessible to all parishes in the Archdiocese

 • Grounded in the principles set forth in Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship (USCCB – 2008)

 • A model of appropriate music for worship

 • Complimentary Usage or Complete Resource – the music does not duplicate resources a parish might have, but at the same time would be complete enough to be the single resource if necessary.

 • The Core Repertoire will also serve as a part of the curriculum for organ, piano and voice students in the Saint Cecilia Institute. Reports of the Core Repertoire Advisory Committee progress will be posted in this part of the Website.

Members of the committee are:

Dr. Marie Rubis Bauer, Director of Music, Archdiocese of Omaha, Saint Cecilia Cathedral
Karl Henkel, Chair Sacred Heart, Norfolk
Jan Moser, St. Bonaventure, Columbus
Kathy Baumert, Sts Cyril and Methodius, Clarkson
Patty Bittles, Mary Our Queen, Omaha
Jeff Hoffman, St. Patrick, Fremont
Tracey Hoye St. Patrick, Gretna
Peg Lacey St. Margaret Mary, Omaha
Paula Bonkiewicz St. Stephen the Martyr, Omaha
Kathy Mayer St. Vincent DePaul, Omaha
Molly Smith St. John the Baptist, Fort Calhoun
David Batter
Michael McCabe St. Columbkille, Omaha
Immaculate Conception, Dowd Chapel, Boys Town

Thirdly, six Priest-Musician Teams from throughout the diocese will receive training and serve as teachers, mentors, and support for parishes. The teams will prepare and present the sessions for Liturgical Musicians and the Chanting Workshops in six locations – each involving pairs of deaneries. This structure is to provide the initial training and ongoing support for:

 • priests engaged in their roles as primary liturgists for their parishes
 • musicians responsible for assisting their priests in their musical preparations and preparing music for the Assembly and additional parish musicians
 • priest-musician teams working together to form worshipping assemblies in the parishes of the Archdiocese of Omaha.