We’ve found that in preparing the colloquium, the largest share of work goes to one Mass: [Ordinary Form] in English. The complications are endless. It takes forever. These choices and options are not liberating; they are oppressive. The politics are excruciating. It takes too many mornings, days, evenings. I recall the old days when I sang for an [Extraordinary-Form] Mass: one book. It’s all given. You can focus your energies. We were lazy about it and there is much else that could have been done but at least the goal and the task was clear and without all this endless clutter and mess. This is the number one problem that has come about with the OF and the way it has developed – at least from a [Director of Music's] point of view.

One of these days I should write a post about the crises of conscience that I have experienced/experience/will experience in the Ordinary Form. That, and the confusion about “first options” for sung texts and music — forget about second, third, and fourth options, whose texts and music manage to dominate most OF Masses — in said form of the liturgy.

The more that I have reflected on the way in which Gregorian chant gives a perfect expression to the Voice of Christ in the liturgy, I have come up with an expanded permutation of this idea:

Gregorian chant is given “pride of place” in the liturgy because the Liturgical Word is given pride of place in Gregorian chant.

Read the rest there, including quotes from An Introduction to the Interpretation of Gregorian Chant, Volume I: Foundations by Luigi Agustoni and Johannes Göschl, one of which I post below:

The phrase “In the beginning was the word” has an unlimited value when applied to the Gregorian repertory. In fact, the text is the key to understanding both the rhythm and the melody of a Gregorian composition.

26. The priest, the sacred ministers and the servers, the reader and those in the choir, and also the commentator, should perform the parts assigned to them in a way which is comprehensible to the people, in order that the responses of the people, when the rite requires it, may be made easy and spontaneous. It is desirable that the priest, and the ministers of every degree, should join their voices to the voice of the whole faithful in those parts which concern the people [i.e., Ordinary and Proper, or proper substitutes].

27. For the celebration of the Eucharist with the people, especially on Sundays and feast days [but not just on those occasions], a form of sung Mass (Missa in cantu) is to be preferred as much as possible, even several times on the same day. [This preference has largely gone ignored, strictly speaking.]

28. The distinction between solemn, sung and read Mass, sanctioned by the Instruction of 1958 (n. 3) [De musica sacra], is retained, according to the traditional liturgical laws at present in force. However, for the sung Mass (Missa cantata), different degrees of participation are put forward here for reasons of pastoral usefulness, so that it may become easier to make the celebration of Mass more beautiful by singing, according to the capabilities of each congregation.

These degrees are so arranged that the first may be used even by itself, but the second and third, wholly or partially, may never be used without the first. In this way the faithful will be continually led toward an ever greater participation in the singing.

29. The following belong to the first degree [most are in place — this degree largely falls on the priest]:

(a) In the entrance rites: the greeting of the priest together with the reply of the people; the [opening] prayer.

(b) In the Liturgy of the Word: the acclamations at the Gospel.

(c) In the Eucharistic Liturgy: [How many priests can sing all of the following? My unscientific data from 30+ years of assisting at Ordinary-Form Masses follow:] the prayer over the offerings [next to none of them]; the preface [few] with its dialogue [few] and the Sanctus [yes, in concert with the congregation]; the final doxology of the Canon [maybe less than half of them?], the Lord’s Prayer [few] with its introduction [next to none] and embolism [next to none]; the Pax Domini [next to none]; the prayer after the Communion [next to none]; the formulas of dismissal [next to none].

[In short: if the priest desires to faithfully implement the sung Mass; he, by learning the parts that pertain to him, must lead by example. He cannot outsource the duty that is his alone to execute.]

30. The following belong to the second degree [this degree involves the people more]:

(a) the Kyrie [in many places, the recited Form-C litanic Kyrie is still the norm. Why?], Gloria [a significant number of Sunday Masses I have attended have featured a recited Gloria] and Agnus Dei [but at least this is sung more often than not];

(b) the Creed; [this will be a major undertaking, but doable. One is much more likely to encounter a sung Creed during Extraordinary-Form Masses. More and more frequently this will be sung congregationally.]

(c) the prayer of the faithful [though there are formulas to sing these, it is rarely fully-sung].

31. The following belong to the third degree [this degree involves the people more]:

(a) the songs at the Entrance and Communion processions [current Ordinary-Form practice employs substitutes for the songs called for by the liturgy];

(b) the songs after the Lesson or Epistle [a.k.a. the Responsorial Psalm, usually sung, but not always];

(c) the Alleluia before the Gospel [usually sung, but not always];

(d) the song at the Offertory [current Ordinary-Form practice employs substitutes for the songs called for by the liturgy];

(e) the readings of Sacred Scripture, unless it seems more suitable to proclaim them without singing. [I have heard the Gospel sung at Ordinary-Form Masses only a handful of times in my life.]

[While Vatican II and its Instruction on Music in the Liturgy prefers the sung Mass to the recited (spoken) Mass, the less-preferred recited Mass has been the de facto norm since the Council's close over a generation ago. What happens when the exception is made the norm?…]

Musicam Sacram
Instruction On Music In The Liturgy
Sacred Congregation of Rites ­
March 5, 1967
http://www.cantius.org/go/music/musicam_sacram/

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16. One cannot find anything more religious and more joyful in sacred celebrations than a whole congregation expressing its faith and devotion in song. Therefore the active participation of the whole people, which is shown in singing [N.B. but not merely in singing], is to be carefully promoted as follows:

(a) It should first of all include acclamations [Amen, Gospel Acclamation, Memorial Acclamation, etc.], responses to the greetings of the priest and ministers [The Lord be with you, Preface dialog, The peace of the Lord, etc.] and to the prayers of litany form [Kyrie, Agnus Dei, Prayer of the Faithful, Litany of the Saints, etc.], and also antiphons and psalms ["minor" or "processional" propers: Entrance, Offertory, Communion — N.B. in practice, "antiphon" is functionally equivalent to "refrain" or "chorus", while "psalms" are functionally equivalent to "verses," so it is similar in form, if not in essence, to the secular song; actually, secular music has its roots in sacred music], refrains or repeated responses [Responsorial Psalm (which itself is an antiphon + psalm), etc.], hymns [Glory to God, Sanctus, Te Deum (a.k.a. "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name"), etc.] and canticles [Canticle of the Three Young Men, Canticle of Zechariah, Canticle of Mary, etc.].

(b) Through suitable instruction and practices [how ought this take place, e.g., seminars? homilies? congregational rehearsals before Mass?], the people should be gradually led to a fuller—indeed, to a complete—participation in those parts of the singing which pertain to them [i.e., listening and singing, not one to the exclusion of another, that is, truly sung prayer].

(c) Some of the people’s song, however, especially if the faithful have not yet been sufficiently instructed, or if musical settings for several voices are used [i.e., harmonized choral music], can be handed over to the choir alone, provided that the people are not excluded from those parts that concern them. But the usage of entrusting to the choir alone the entire singing of the whole Proper and of the whole Ordinary, to the complete exclusion of the people’s participation in the singing, is to be deprecated.

32. The custom legitimately in use in certain places and widely confirmed by indults, of substituting other songs for the songs given in the Graduale [Romanum] for the Entrance, Offertory and Communion, can be retained according to the judgment of the competent territorial authority [Bishop's Conference or Diocesan Bishop — for specifics, see the pertinent passages of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal below], as long as songs of this sort are in keeping with the parts of the Mass, with the feast or with the liturgical season. It is for the same territorial authority to approve the texts of these songs. [Therefore the Diocesan Ordinary, either motu proprio or via the authority that he delegates to the Office of Worship, is entirely within his competence to bar the singing of the texts of "Gather Us In" or "All Are Welcome," etc., or to promote other optional texts that correspond to the ritual action.]

33. It is desirable that the assembly of the faithful should participate in the songs of the Proper [i.e., Introit, Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, Offertory, Communion] as much as possible, especially through simple responses and other suitable settings [i.e., a sung congregational Proper is preferable in the Ordinary Form to an all-Gregorian chant Mass, provided that the congregation receives it as intended to be sung by them—and sings it].

The song after the lessons, be it in the form of gradual [as found in the Graduale Romanum or other settings] or responsorial psalm [as found in the Lectionary], has a special importance among the songs of the Proper. By its very nature, it forms part of the Liturgy of the Word. It should be performed [bad word IMO — a better one would have been "offered"] with all seated and listening to it—and, what is more, participating in it as far as possible [attentive listening and singing of the antiphon/refrain].

36. There is no reason why some of the Proper or Ordinary should not be sung in said Masses. [This deprecates the earlier pre-conciliar prohibition from singing the Proper at Low Masses.] Moreover, some other song can also, on occasions [i.e., "not all the time"], be sung at the beginning, at the Offertory, at the Communion and at the end of Mass. It is not sufficient, however, that these songs be merely “Eucharistic”—they must be in keeping with the parts of the Mass, with the feast, or with the liturgical season [i.e., not an adoration hymn (e.g., Adoro Te Devote) when a Communion psalm (e.g., Psalm 34, Psalm 78, Psalm 116, etc.) or song (i.e., "I Received the Living God" that directly references the act of communion) would be much more appropriate].

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See also the degrees of musical participation according to Musicam Sacram, articles 26–31.

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Third General Instruction of the Roman Missal
2002

Parts that pertain to the “minor” or “processional” proper of the Mass:

Entrance
http://www.cantemusdomino.net/2003/04/04/a-musical-journey-through-girm-47-48-introitentrance-chant/

Offertory
http://www.cantemusdomino.net/2003/04/14/a-musical-journey-through-girm-74-offertory/

Communion
http://www.cantemusdomino.net/2003/04/25/a-musical-journey-through-girm-86-88-communion/

Can you tell the difference?? from Corpus Christi Watershed on Vimeo.

See also the discussion on the MusicaSacra Forum.