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CHARLOTTE — The text of prayers and responses at Mass are not the only changes Catholics will notice when the revised Missal takes effect Nov. 27. The musical settings we use at Mass will also receive a facelift to better reflect the beauty of the revised language in the Mass.

All churches in the diocese are required to incorporate these changes by the first Sunday in Advent, but many of them are beginning in September with the permission of Bishop Peter J. Jugis.

For parish musicians, the changes to the Missal will affect their ministry "pretty profoundly," said Michael McMahon, president of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians and a church music director.

Father Richard Hilgartner, associate director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat of Divine Worship, explained, "Musicians will be challenged to lead the people in sung text that corresponds to the new translation. Composers have readjusted previous musical settings. New compositions are also being prepared that will broaden the treasury of music for the people."

McMahon said people can expect "new settings of many of the Mass texts that people have come to know and sing pretty confidently – the 'Gloria,' the 'Sanctus.' A lot of musical settings are being retooled."

Dr. Larry Stratemeyer, music director of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, said, "We have practiced the music setting that is found in the new missal, the chant setting. It is what we will use. Many churches will at least start out with that version, and then expand to other musical settings."

For parishioners at St. Matthew Church in south Charlotte, director of liturgical ministries Kathy Bartlett said, "We are planning on introducing some of the Mass parts starting in September. I have selected a Mass setting from World Library Publications (WLP) by Ed Buldoc called the Mass of St. Ann."

While he doesn't expect the entire musical repertoire of most parishes to change, McMahon said, one significant difference is that the revised translation will "open up singing parts of the Mass we're not used to."

For example, he calls it a "priority in the new translation" to sing the dialogue at the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer. He noted that singing more parts of the Mass "puts us at the same tempo," adding to the common experience of Mass-goers.

"People always need to be taken back to the basics of liturgical formation," he said.

—SueAnn Howell, Staff writer

Catholic News Service contributed to this article.

Check it out online

Want to hear samples of some of the new musical settings? Go online to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: usccb.org/romanmissal. These major church music publishers also have links to new and revised settings:

GIA Publications Inc., www.giamusic.com

Oregon Catholic Press, ocp.org

World Library Publications, wlpmusic.com