In 1963, Pope Paul VI released a document titled Sacrosanctum Concilium, outlining the aims of the revision to the books of the Roman Rite. Most of us are aware of the direction towards simplicity, and the desire that the Roman Rite be simplified, due care being taken to preserve [its] substance; elements which, with the passage of time, came to be duplicated, or were added with but little advantage, are now to be discarded; other elements which have suffered injury through accidents of history are now to be restored to the vigor which they had in the days of the holy Fathers, as may as may seem useful or necessary (Chapter II, Sacrosanctum Concilium). That right there spells out the goals of the reform of the Roman Rite after the Second Vatican Council. Of particular note for this discussion, I want to point out two other sections, namely: (1) ...[Steps] should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them (Chapter II); (2) The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services (Chapter VI).
So, here we are. To begin, what exactly is the Ordinary of the Mass? In a nut shell, this comprises the parts of Mass common to all Masses; people's responses, prayers, etc. For singers, this specifically means the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. A book called the Kyriale contains the tones that accompany chants for these sections, and most of us are familiar with rather badly composed renditions of these done with modern instruments.
Now most of us generally hear the following format every Sunday: Opening (Gathering) Hymn, Responsorial Psalm, Alleluia, Offertory Hymn, Communion Hymn, and Closing Hymn. It may surprise you that, with the exception of the Responsorial Psalm and Alleluia, none of these are actually referenced anywhere in the Mass books, other than in sections of the GIRM that states that they are (for example, at The Entrance) the forth option for the Entrance, after the appropriate chants from either the Roman Gradual, the Simple Gradual, or a collection of antiphons decided on by the Conference of Bishops. These texts are called the propers and are traditionally found in the Graduale Romanum. A second set of texts, designed specifically for spoken Masses, are found in the Missal, omitting a text for the Offertory.
The antiphons/chants now that are proper to the Mass are as follow (M for Missal, G for Gradual): the Entrance or Introitus (M, G), the Responsorial Psalm (M) or Graduale (G), the Alleluia (M, G), the Offertorium (G), and the Postcommunio (M, G). These are the texts generally usurped by the hymns at Mass. I also want to add the Sequentia, which is essentially a poem prescribed for a few Masses in particular, such as Easter and Pentecost, to name a few. Generally, both the Missal and the Gradual give the same texts for the Introit. The Missal gives a Responsorial Psalm, which can legitimately be replaced with the Gradual, from which the book takes its name. With the exception of the Offertory chant, the other chants have alternatives in the Missal. To point out a difference between the two sets, the Responsorial Psalm would be sung with the congregation participating in singing the verses, whereas the Gradual might not have the congregation participate at all (at least externally).
Why bring these up? These chants are a unifying point between the 1962 Missale Romanum and the 2002 Missale Romanum. Most of them are the same between the two forms. They set the tone of the Mass, and many names of Masses are derived from the Introit, such as Laetare and Gaudete Sundays. They are the forgotten portions of the Mass, adding a wealth of scripture, and drawing connections with the past, and are much better suited than many of the ridiculous hymns we're usually subjected to. Finally, they are actually the intention of the Council, keeping in mind the references above.
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