19. SINGING

See the statement of the Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy, «The Place of Music in Eucharistic Celebrations» (Washington, 1968); revised ed., «Music in Catholic Worship» (Washington, 1972).

The settings for liturgical texts to be sung by the priest and ministers that are given in the «Sacramentary» are chant adaptations prepared by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, rather than new melodies. Other settings for the ministerial chants are those approved by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (November, 1965).

No official approbation is needed for new melodies for the Lord's Prayer at Mass or for the chants, acclamations and other song of the congregation.

In accord with no. 55 of the instruction of the Congregation of Rites on music in the liturgy (March 5, 1967), the Conference of Bishops has determined that vernacular texts set to music composed in earlier periods may be used in liturgical services even though they may not conform in all details with the legitimately approved versions of liturgical texts (November, 1967). This decision authorizes the use of choral and other music in English when the older text is not precisely the same as the official version.