We come to Mass every weekend and participate in the celebration of the Mass. Let's take some time and explore the church's intent for the liturgical rites of the Mass….beginning today with the Entrance Chant (better known to us as the Entrance Hymn). A common belief among Catholics is that the Entrance Hymn is meant to accompany the procession of the celebrant and other ministers. This is true, but the reality is much richer than that.
What does the church say? No. 47 of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (the instructions for celebrating Mass) say the following: "When the people are gathered, and as the Priest enters with the Deacon and ministers, the Entrance Chant (hymn) begins. Its purpose is to open the celebration, foster the unity of those who have been gathered, introduce their thoughts to the mystery of the liturgical time or festivity, and accompany the procession of the Priest and ministers."
The choice of the Entrance Chant (hymn) is determined very much by the season of the year, the readings of the Mass, the written Entrance Antiphon in the Roman Missal, and by the above-mentioned intentions for the Entrance Hymn: 1) Open the celebration 2) foster the unity of those who have been gathered 3) introduce their thoughts to the mystery of the liturgical time or festivity, and 4) accompany the procession of the Priest and ministers.
A good example of why a hymn is chosen on a particular Sunday would be the First Sunday of Advent. The music will be seasonal….thus introducing us to the mystery of the liturgical time of Advent. The readings for Cycle C of the First Sunday of Advent speak of the fulfillment of the promise that a Savior will come who will bring justice for all nations; Paul's message that we are to love one another; and the Gospel from Luke of the coming of the Son of Man at the end of time.
These themes should be echoed in the Entrance Hymn. A good example would be "The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns."
The King shall come when morning dawns, and light triumphant breaks,
when beauty gilds the eastern hills and life to joy awakes.
Not, as of old, a little child, to suffer and to die,
but crowned with glory like the sun, that lights the morning sky.
The King shall come when morning dawns and earth's dark night is past;
O haste the rising of that morn, whose day shall ever last.
And let the endless bliss begin, by weary saints foretold,
when right shall triumph over wrong, and truth shall be extolled.
The King shall come when morning dawns and light and beauty brings.
Hail, Christ, the Lord! your people pray; Come quickly, King of kings.
The Entrance Antiphon for the First Sunday of Advent Cycle C is Psalm 25 verses1-3, but Psalm 25 is also the responsorial psalm, so we won't choose it as the Entrance Chant (Hymn). If it was not the responsorial psalm, Psalm 25 would be very appropriate as the Entrance Hymn for this Sunday.
Because the Entrance Chant (hymn) is to foster unity and open celebration, it is very important that the assembly be able to sing this hymn with whole heart and voice. So it is the job of the musicians to make sure the assembly KNOWS the hymn, and that it is in the appropriate tempo and a voice range that is not too high for the average person to sing.
Does the Entrance Chant (hymn) end when the Priest reaches the presider chair. No. The Roman Missal No. 50 says "When the Entrance Chant is concluded, the Priest stands at the chair and, together with the whole gathering, signs himself with the Sign of the Cross." There is a musical and theological integrity to the Entrance Chant (hymn) that must not be arbitrarily cut short. As you can see from this article, the text of the Entrance Chant (hymn) matters and has purpose beyond accompanying a procession.
Another very good example of a powerful Entrance Chant (hymn) was the Entrance hymn for the Papal Mass in honor of the Blessed Mother in Philadelphia last week. They sang Immaculate Mary….and powerfully united the assembly, brought everyone to the festivity of Mary, and was sung by all with full heart and voice, thus opening the prayerful celebration of the Mass in a wonderful way!
And finally No. 40 in the Roman Missal is so encouraging of the important of the singing of the assembly (YOU): "Great importance should therefore be attached to the use of singing in the celebration of the Mass, with due consideration for the culture of peoples and abilities of each liturgical assembly.
