If Luther retained the ordinary of the mass, in 1526 he nevertheless created a metrical version, the Deutsche Messe, which could be easily sung by ordinary congregations. This is similar to what motivated the non-Lutheran reformers to versify the Psalms. Here is the metrical credo, We All Believe in One True God, which is sung here in the Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche in Berlin:
Here is Michael Praetorius’ arrangement of the Sanctus hymn, Isaiah Mighty Seer in Days of Old. I was unable to find a less ornamented and more straightforward rendition of this tune.
I have never experienced the celebration of Luther’s Deutsche Messe but would love to one day. Perhaps our resident Lutheran, Pastor McCain, could tell us where and when we would be most likely to hear this.
March 24th, 2010 | 12:26 pm | #1
Hi thanks for the question. I’m not aware of anywhere that Luther’s Deutsche Messe is used, precisely as he wrote it, any longer. In fact, it was not widely used even when he did prepare it. The more common practice was to use the ordo of the historic Mass and use chorales (hymns) to supplement, and many times those chorales would be Luther’s metrical settings of the creed, sanctus, etc.
It is far more common in Lutheran congregations to experience a Divine Service, or Mass, as it was commonly heard before Vatican II. I recall when I was a parish pastor in Iowa, a lady visiting a friend came for a worship service and as she left she said to me, “Father, that service reminded me of Mass when I was a little girl, only it was all in English.” Why did she say that? Because the entire service was chanted and was basically the historic Mass of the Western Church.
March 24th, 2010 | 5:58 pm | #2
Thanks, Paul.
Links
Blogs
Find Us
Contact