Nortish Rite

Music, often sung by a quire with the people, forms an important part of Nortish divine service.

Worship and ceremonies according to the use of the Church of Nortend constitute the Nortish Rite of Divine Service in Great Nortend. Divine service in the form of the mass, hours and other occasional offices that is undertaken under the auspices of the Church of Nortend must follow the form set in the books of divine service issued by the Crown under the Great Seal of the Realm, which are the Book of Hours and the Book of Masses, which are used along with the Frympell translation of the Holy Bible.

History

Cardinal Miers, Archbishop of Sulthey, sought to undertake a reform of the Church's liturgy.

The liturgy of the Church of Nortend is a descendent of the uses of the Roman Rite which prevailed in Great Nortend since the Christianisation of the country.

In mediæval times, there were three major liturgical uses through Nortend being the uses of Chepingstow, Sulthey and Limmes, the cathedrals thereof being the three great sees of the Church in Nortend. The Church in Hambria followed the use of Rhise. Divine service was nearly wholly in Latin and comprised of celebrations of the mass, as well as daily hours of prayer — Vigils , Mattins, Prime, Tierce, Sext, Nones, Vespers and Compline, as well as the rites and ceremonies for occasional offices such as baptisms, confirmations, marriages and funerals.

Alexander II caused the Church in Great Nortend to part from Rome in the Small Schism of 1614. Despite this, the Latin uses continued in general use through the archbishopric of Cardinal Frympell, who aligned himself as a Lutheran reformer. The installation of Cardinal George Miers as Archbishop of Sulthey in 1704 hastened liturgical reform towards a more evangelical or reformed Lutheran divine service under the young Edmund VI, despite the death of the influential and well-respected Cardinal Frympell considerably weakening the Lutheran faction amongst the House of Lords.

Henfoot Commission

Sir Charles de Henfoot was Master of the Commission charged with producing an English service.

Sir Charles de Henfoot, the Provost of the Chapel Royal, was appointed by Cardinal Miers to be Master for a „Commission for the English Divine Service” to undertake the task of translating and reforming the liturgical books in accordance with the Frympellite Lutheranism held by Miers. Though the Chapel Royal was distinctly „high church”, Henfoot himself was considered soundly Lutheran in theology.

The Commission presented preliminary draughts in 1706 for Book of Masses and Book of Hours which translated the Latin according to the text and style of Frympell’s Bible; however, it was met with little enthusiasm from both the Frympellite and the Akeepian clergy, the former complaining of its retention of the confusing and repetitive mediæval monastic pattern of seven long hours unsuitable for public worship and the latter rejecting the more Protestant theology of the mass being a mere remembrance. Edmund, counselled by the Lord Treasurer the Duke of Cardenbridge, wrote to Henfoot expressly requiring that the „existing and customary reverence or worship duly paid at the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass should continue to the extent that it is edifying and conformable to Holy Writ”.

The Commission returned to its 1706 draught Book of Hours and drew up a simplified reworking thereof for the hours, producing a Book of Hours in 1708. This cut down the number of hours to four — Mattins, Prime, Vespers and Compline — whilst following a lectio continuo pattern of continuous reading though the whole Old and New Testaments, Psalter and Proverbs. The mediæval anthems, responsories and hymns remained; however, they were simplified, both in melody and in their placement through the year.

For the mass, the Commission reworked its replacement for the Roman Canon, more explicitly returning to a sacramental view towards the Holy Eucharist. This revised Book of Masses, presented to the bishops in 1710, it also enjoined once again customary acts of bowing, although it continued to prohibit the reservation of the Host for „gazing-upon, carrying-about or uplifting”. Frympellites refused to authorise the Book unless the elevations of the host and chalice at their consecrations were forbidden, and a rubric was inserted to the same effect.

The Henfoot liturgy was finally authorised by Edmund through the canon Quia solliciti in 1711. It commanded Divine Service in all churches in all dioceses in the country, including at private chapels and religious houses to be celebrated in strict accordance with the Book of Hours and Book of Masses.

Book of Masses

The Holy Eucharist is consecrated at the altar during the mass.

The Book of Masses which was published in 1709 and mandated in 1711, did not greatly alter the structure of the mass, which retained its overall pre-Schism form. The changes it brought were aimed at simplifying the highly complex rubrics and changeable elements of the mass throughout the church year and on different occasions. It also importantly introduced the first official English translation of the Latin mass texts.

The letters missive in 1856 by the then Lord Archbishop of Sulthey, Cardinal Condard, brought the only substantial change to the mass since the mediæval period with the instruction that from henceforth all communicants would receive by intinction where-ever possible, having received under one kind hitherto. The custom of only receiving once a term (at Christmas, Easter, Whitsun and Michaelmas) remained as well.

Forms

There are two principal forms of the mass—the high mass and the low mass. A high mass may also be a solemn high mass if the priest is assisted at the altar by both a deacon and a subdeacon (nowadays a role taken by the clerk). At simple high masses, the priest is assisted at the high altar without deacon and subdeacon but with two clerks in albes in lieu, and at least one singing clerk. Whereas the high mass is sung in plain chaunt, a low mass is chaunted or read without tone, with only one clerk in surplice assisting.

In most churches, a high mass is celebrated most days at noon. Usually this will be solemn only on Sundays and festivals, otherwise simple. Before the high mass, other low masses may be said by other priests. At Low Masses, only the priest receives communion. On Christmas Day, there may be three high masses—the Midnight Mass, the Cockcrow Mass after Prime and the King's Mass at noon. Note that there are no masses of any kind on Black Saturday or Good Friday. There is a Vigil Mass for Easter at midnight, a sui generis mass, followed by the Easter Mass proper at noon.

Order of the Mass

Before the mass begins, the priest, deacon and clerk vest, saying appropriate prayers. The daily high mass occurs around noon immediately after the office of Tierce, Sext or Nones, depending on the day. The ceremony of Asperges often occurs after the office and before the High Mass on Sundays. It is preceded by the Exorcism of Salt and Water.

Antecommunion

The Gospel lectern is often in the form of an eagle.

The antecommunion is the former half of a mass before the ceremonies pertaining to the consecration are done.

The Introit is chaunted as the ministres and quire go to the chancel, all standing. It consists of an anthem, a psalm verse, the Gloria Patri followed by the anthem again. All then kneel, whilst the Kyrie eleison is then begun, always in its nine-fold form. The Kyrie is always troped, except on fairs during Adventtide and Lententide. The hymn Gloria then follows on festival days. The Collects are then bidden. Up to seven collects may be bidden, although usually only three.

On festal or solemn days, the readings begin with the Prophecy or Lesson, the former from the Old Testament or Revelations, and the latter from the Acts or the martyrology of a saint. The Grail responsory follows, or an Alleluya during Eastertide.

The Epistle is then read by the clerk, followed by the Alleluya or Tract. A Sequence hymn sometimes then follows. The Gospel is then chaunted by the deacon from the gospel side of the church, all standing. The Credo, chaunted by all, follows on festival days. The Sermon is then said if one is to be said. The Bidding concludes the Antecommunion, when the people are commanded to bid their prayers for various causes.

Communion

The order of communion is the latter half of a mass. It begins with the Offertory anthem wherein the bread and wine are offered to the altar. Here follows several prayers including the Secrets corresponding to the Collects. The people also offer their own oblations, such as money or alms.

After the Offertory, the Preface is said, concluding with the Sanctus and Benedictus. This leads directly into the Canon, which forms the prayer for the consecration of the bread and wine to the Body and Blood of Christ. The Canon is in three parts :— the Prayer for the Church Militant, the Prayer of Sacring, and the Prayer for the Church Expectant. The Canon is never sung, only spoken, and the Prayer of Consecration is bidden in a „low voice”. There is an elevation of the host or chalice upon their consecration, and the sacring bell is rung.

After the Pater noster and the Fraction, the host and chalice are shewn to the people with the words „Behold the Lamb of God” before the Agnus Dei is begun. The Priest meanwhile gives the Pax to the Deacon and thence to the Clerk, who delivers it at a solemn mass to the Quire, saying “Peace be alway with you”. Whilst the Pax is being given out, the Priest receives the Eucharist himself and then gives it to the Deacon, the Clerk and the Quire. Then while the Communion anthem is chaunted, the Priest and Deacon give the Eucharist to the communicants at the rood screen, who receive by intinction on the tongue, the houseling clothes placed underneath the chin.

The Postcommunion is bidden after the Ablutions are completed, followed by the Dismissal and Blessing.

Proper of the Mass

Proper Kyries for Tides

Festivals	Fairs	Tide
Cunctipotens	Kyrie altissime	Michaelmastide
O Rex clemens	Te Christe Rex	Crispintide
Kyrie, salve	—	Adventtide
Kyrie magnæ Deus	Dominator Deus	Christmastide
Rex sempiterne	Kyrie Rex immense	Epiphanytide
Clemens Rector	Summe Deus	Shrovetide
Deus Genitor alme	—	Lententide
Lux et origo	Rector cosmi pie	Eastertide
Kyrie Rex celse	Firmator sancte	Whitsuntide
Orbis factor	Kyrie Genitor	Midsummertide
Conditor Kyrie	Pater excelse	Samsontide
Kyrie Rex genitor	Stelliferi Conditor	Austintide

The changeable Introit, Grail, Alleluya, Tract, Offertory and Communion anthems and Sequences are included in the Book of Masses in the Gradual, whilst the Collects, Prophecies, Lessons, Epistles, Gospels, Secrets and Postcommunions are contained in the Lectionary. The Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei and other fixed chaunts are contained in the Kyriale.

Offices

The Book of Masses also includes the Manual and Pontifical. The former contains the orders for baptisms, marriages, confessions, unctions, churchings, funerals and various litanies and other ceremonies used by priests, whilst the latter contains the orders for confirmations, ordinations, coronations, consecrations and various blessings and other ceremonies, used by bishops.

Book of Hours

Monks and minchens say the hours daily at the many religious houses through Great Nortend.

According to the revised Book of Hours published in 1708, four daily hours, should be said in every church daily, in addition to the daily mass. These hours are Mattins, Prime, Vespers and Compline. Unlike masses, the hours may be led by a deacon, clerk or even a layman in the absence of a priest. Clerks in holy orders and professed religious (monks, minchens, friars, sisters and nuns) are required to pray the hours every day, usually in common choir but at least privately.

Order of the Hours

The orders of the four hours according to the Book of Hours are very similar. Before each hour, the Pater noster and Ave Maria are said. The hour properly begins with Deus in adjutorium, followed by the Gloria Patri and then the Alleluia. From Septuagesima until Easter, the Alleluya is replaced with the Laus tibi Domine.

Then follows the changeable portion of the hour which consists of three to five psalms, the hymn, the lessons or chapter with responsory and the canticle. These change according to the hour being said. At the greater hours, each psalm and canticle has its own Gloria Patri and anthem. At the lesser hours, the three or four psalms are chaunted under one anthem and Gloria Patri. Each hour ends with the Preces, which consists of a three-fold Kyrie, followed by the Pater noster, and the versicles, followed by collects, remembrances, prayers and a concluding blessing.

In addition to the daily Service, Services of the Lady and of the Dead are also provided in the Book of Hours.

Mattins

Mattins is one of the greater hours, formed by the merger and shortening of Vigils with Mattins. Mattins is colloquially known as mothers' prayer owing to the fact that mothers often attend week-day Mattins with their children before school after their husbands have left for work.

Mattins begins with the versicles Domine labia mea before Deus in adjutorium is begun. The first psalm of Mattins is always the Venite which has its own special tones and anthem called as the Invitatory. There are three lessons at Mattins, each followed with a responsory. The first lesson is from the Old Testament, the second from a sermon, homily or martyrology, and the third from the New Testament. The canticle is Benedictus.

Prime

Prime is the lesser hour of the morning. It was formed in the Book of Hours by combining it with the former lesser hours of Tierce, Sext and Nones, and some elements of Mattins.

The psalms of Prime are octonaries of Psalm 119. There are four octonaries on Sundays and three otherwise. The canticle is from the Old Testament. On Sunday and most festivals it is Benedicite; on Monday Confitebor tibi; on Tuesdays Ego dixi; on Wednesdays Exultavit cor; on Thursdays Cantemus Domino; on Fridays Domine audivi; and on Saturdays Audite cæli. However, the Quicunque vult is chaunted on certain festivals during the year. The Credo in Deum is then said except when the Quicunque vult is chaunted. The Confiteor, Misereatur and Absolutionem are said as well.

Vespers

At Vespers, candles and lamps are lit during the chaunting of the Lucernary.

Vespers is the other greater hour which is begun in the late afternoon or sunset. A semidouble and double festival have two services of Vespers, called „first Vespers” and „second Vespers” respectively. Vespers is the most popular hour for laymen to attend during the week.

Vespers begins with the versicles Converte nos before Domine in adjutorium is begun. The first psalm is always Domine clamavi which has its own special anthem called the Lucernary. Owing to the suppression of nocturns at Mattins, some of the extra readings and responsories from Vigils were moved to Vespers. Thus, there are three lessons from the Old Testament, from a Sermon and from the New Testment, with responsories to each as at Mattins. The canticle is always the Magnificat.

Compline

Compline is the lesser hour of the evening, traditionally said before retiring for the night. At every service of Compline, psalms 4, 91 and 134 are always chaunted. The canticle is Nunc dimittis. In the same way as Prime, the Credo in Deum, Confiteor, Misereatur and Absolutionem are said.

Proper of the Hours

The Book of Hours includes the changeable anthems, responsories and hymns of the hours in the Antiphoner, and the collects, lessons and chapters in the Collectar. These are called the propers. Many festivals and most Sundays have their own propers which replace the ferial propers prescribed for the different tides of the church. The Sunday responsories, canticle anthems and collects are often repeated throughout the week, although during high tides such as Adventtide, Lententide and Eastertide, there are proper anthems for each day. The psalms and canticles for each day at each hour are printed in the Psalter.

Calendar

The propers and readings for the mass and hours change through the year following the church calendar, which is a set of interlaced cycles. The fixed cycle of the church calendar begins on Michaelmas Day every year and specifies the dates of the immovable festivals such as Christmas Day, Lady Day and St. John’s Day, which also define the civil calendar terms used in Great Nortend. The Church of Nortend follows the Gregorian calendar, having been introduced in 1582 prior to the Schism in 1614. The moveable Paschal cycle changes annually based on the computation of Easter, setting the dates for Lent, Good Friday, Easter Day, Whitsunday, Ascension, Trinity &c.

Furthermore, the Calendar reckons liturgical days as being festivals or fairs. There are three classes of festivals — double festivals, semidouble festivals and simple festivals. Sunday is always reckoned as being at least a semidouble festival. All days which are not festivals are reckoned as fairs. Some fairs, such as most Fridays, are also fasten days, although Sundays in Lent are also reckoned as fasten days. The ordinary liturgical day begins and ends at midnight. Semidouble and double festivals, however, begin at Vespers on its even day.

Terms and Tides

See also: Civil year of Great Nortend

There are four terms in the church year, roughly corresponding to the civil terms. Each term has three main seasons or „tides”, which determine many of the propers through the year :—

Michaelmas Term

• Michaelmastide, beginning on the Sunday after Michaelmas Day
• Crispintide, beginning on the Sunday after Saint Crispin's Day
• Advent, beginning on the sixth Sunday before Christmas Day

Christmas Term

• Christmastide, beginning on Christmas Day
• Epiphanytide, beginning on Epiphany Day
• Shrovetide, beginning on the ninth Sunday before Easter

Easter Term

• Lententide, beginning on the sixth Sunday before Easter
• Eastertide, beginning on Easter Day
• Whitsuntide, beginning on Whitsun Day

Summer Term

• Midsummertide, beginning on the Sunday after Saint John's Day
• Samsontide, beginning on the Sunday after Saint Samson's Day
• Austintide, beginning on the Sunday after Saint Augustine's Day

Music

Regular public celebration of divine service is sung, or „chaunted”, in church by the ministres, quire and people. The words of the liturgy are ordinarily chaunted in plainsong, often with faburden and accompanied by pipe or reed organs. During Lententide and Adventtide organs are „muffled” and during the Triduum, they are forbidden to sound completely.

Plainsong is sung to the settings of the Book of Chaunts, published in 1730 by the Precentor of St Peter's Cathedral, Lendert following on the Roman chaunt reforms of the 16th century. Miers and other churchmen inspired by Luther strongly favoured congregational singing, especially of the fixed ordinary texts in the mass such as the Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei, and of hymns, sequences, psalms and canticles. Thus, at the expense of modality and melismas, the old Gregorian chaunts were adapted with a pleasant, simple melody which could be harmonised in the mensural chorale style, suitable for the congregational singing.

For the anthems and responsories, „figured” settings of the plainsong chaunts are often sung by quires of trained choristers and singing clerks. These settings are often polyphonic, although clarity of speech and understanding are still highly favoured. Lady masses and lady hours in cathedrals and collegiate churches traditionally are sung with much in polyphony.

Vestments

See also: Non-liturgical clerical dress

A priest in massing dress — frock, bands, albe, cope, stole and manipell.

Canon law and the liturgical rubrics order certain vestments to be worn by ministres and clerks in divine service. Most of the vestments worn are of great antiquity, descending from the common dress during the Roman Empire. After the Small Schism, there was controversy over the retention of certain „massing vestments” such as the chasuble and stole. These were settled by the Book of Masses, which forbade use of the chasuble but allowed the stole, manipell, tunic, &c. Changes also occured over time, such as the replacement of the curchief (amice) with the linen bands.

• Frock : The frock, or cassock, is an ankle-length coat which may be worn by all clerks. It is properly worn with breeches and stockings, but usually with trousers.

The frock is usually black. Cardinals and members of royal foundations wear scarlet frocks in full dress. Bishops who are not cardinals wear violet-blue frocks in full dress. In undress, the frock is black with coloured piping, buttons, cuffs and belt as appropriate.

• Bands : Starched linen bands which replaced the curchief are tied around the standing collar. The collar is a high „Imperial” collar, which is the source of the nickname of „stiff-necks” for clergymen.
• Albe: The albe is a linen robe worn over the frock in massing dress by the ministres, as well as altar clerks at high masses. It has broad sleeves gathered at the wrist by an apparel, and may be decorated with linen cuffs or hemstitching. It is worn girdled around the waist.
• Surplice: The surplice is a full linen robe with wide sleeves worn over the frock in quire dress. Like the albe, surplices often have hem-stitching as decoration, although linen cuffs and apparels are not worn. The length of the surplice for clerks is related to his seniority or age.
• Tippet: The tippet is worn by ministres over the surplice. The tippet is broad and made of silk for graduates and woollen stuff for bachelors and non-graduates. Bishops and dignitaries wear furred tippets, also called almices.
• Hood : The academic hood is worn in quire dress by ministres who are graduates whenever a cope is not worn. It is worn over the tippet.
• Cope : There are three vestments known as copes :—

• The silk cope is worn by ministres at the mass, the greater hours, rites, ceremonies, processions, blessings &c.
• The stuff cope is a woollen cloak with hood and cape worn in quire dress over the surplice in cold weather.
• The furred cope is worn in choir dress by dignitaries as a juridictional garment which has a furred cloth hood, cape and sometimes train.

• Tunic : The tunic is worn by deacons and some clerks at the mass except during Adventtide and Lententide. It is of the form of a short cope, with vestigial sleeves.
• Stole : The stole is worn by deacons, priests and bishops. It is worn hanging, secured by the girdle, except that the celebrating priest or bishop wears it crossed.
• Manipell : The manipell is worn by ministres on their left forearm in massing dress.
• Square cap : The woollen square cap is worn by ministres during divine service, and also outside when the gown is worn.
• Wig : The clerical wig is worn by cardinals, bishops and archdeacons with massing vestments and in quire dress. It has a circular patch in the centre to represent the old tonsure.
• Mitre : The mitre is worn by bishops, cardinals and other dignitaries on certain occasions. It is otherwise only carried as a symbol of dignity.

Liturgical colours

The prescribed colours for massing vestments are red, green, white and blue. However, purple, yellow, gold/silver and black, along with their lighter or darker shades, are all permissible are commonly used based on traditional associations. Red is ordered for Sundays, semidouble and simple festivals, double festivals of martyrs, Passiontide and Whitsuntide. Green is ordered for fairs after Michaelmas, Epiphany and Midsummer. White is ordered for other double festivals, Christmastide and Eastertide, and blue during Lententide and Adventtide and All Souls’ Day.