Organs have been played in Catholic churches since the 1400s. The role of the organ has been integral up until the 1970’s.  At that time, secular music styles and secular musical instruments, primarily percussion instruments, became a fad as the Folk Mass moved from many school gyms to the sanctuary of the actual church.

In spite of this, the role of the organ has always been strong.  For example, verses have historically been played at the organ replacing verses of sung scripture throughout the Ordinary of the Mass, giving the choir time to breath and recover.  This practice, called Alternatim, still exists. 

In Paris, at Saint-Sulpice, for Mass in the summer months when the choir is on vacation, the organist plays lengthy pieces during the offertory and communion.  When asking a cantor about this he said, “Yes, in the summer we give the organ its voice.”

By checking birthdates of composers on the opposite page, you can see that,\ early on, the offertory itself became a time where the organ would be played on its own, with composers writing music specifically for this purpose.  Today, the organ is still often played during both the Offertory, and the Communion, the two processions within the Mass.

Most of the pieces in this volume are either single page, or 2-page.   You’ll see that the music is arranged with single page pieces first, then those that are two pages long, followed by a few pieces with 3-5 pages.  This arrangement saves many page turns, something that can be distracting while you are also watching the altar area to see when you should finish.

It is a good practice to speak with the priest if you are playing a piece that might be a bit longer than usual so that he will be aware and remain seated until you are finished.  If he is ‘agréable’, and many are, you will find it easier to focus on your playing without stress!  This applies to both Offertory and Communion time.

While some parishes have prayers before Mass, or just silence, other parishes offer time for an organ prelude.  Each of these pieces may also serve as a Prelude to the Mass, helping to prepare the congregation for the Mass.  As with church bells ringing before Mass, stained glass windows and the lingering smell of incense work like organ music,  reminding the people of the purpose of this building.

Postludes after Mass are the subject of another book in this series.

~ Noel Jones, AAGO