Jeffrey Tucker skriver i et blogginnlegg:
… It is almost a universal fact that the musicians who perform at Mass today do not really understand what it is they are being asked to do. It is not their fault. No one ever explained this to them. There is a massive loss of knowledge out there.
After explaining, and after (they were) taught them how to read square notes and sing the propers, everything changed. The musicians were thrilled and excited. They were shown the north star of Catholic music. They were fired up to get going singing the liturgy rather than merely singing songs as Mass. A few hours of instruction and conversation changed everything. …
For å forstå hvorman og hva man skal synge i liturgien (dvs. messen ordinarium og proprium), kan man kjøpe boken The Musical Shape of the Liturgy – som beskrives slik:
The Musical Shape of the Liturgy, by William Mahrt, is the first full treatise that maps out — historically, theologically, musically, and practically — the musical framework of the Roman Rite in a way that can inform audiences of all types. Mahrt demonstrates that the Roman Rite is not only a ritual text of words, but is a complete liturgical experience that embeds within it a precise body of music that is absolutely integral to the rite itself. In other words, the music at Mass is not arbitrary. It is wedded to the rite as completely as the prayers, rubrics, and the liturgical calendar itself. Everything in the traditional music books has a liturgical purpose. When they are neglected, the rite is truncated; the experience is reduced in splendor. These claims will amount to a total revelation to most all Catholic musicians working today. …