TheIntroit[a] (from Latin introitus 'entrance') is part of the opening of theliturgical celebration of theEucharist for manyChristian denominations. In its most complete version, it consists of anantiphon,psalm verse andGloria Patri, which are spoken or sung at the beginning of the celebration. It is part of theproper of the liturgy: that is, the part that changes over the liturgical year.
In theRoman Rite of theCatholic Church it is known as theantiphona ad introitum (Entrance antiphon), as in the text for each day's Mass, or as thecantus ad introitum (Entrance chant) as in theGeneral Instruction of the Roman Missal, 47 and the First Roman Ordo (sixth to seventh century).[3] In pre-1970 editions of the Roman Missal, the wordIntroitus was used, distinguished from the normal meaning of the word (entrance) by being capitalized. InAmbrosian chant andBeneventan chant, the counterpart of the Introit is called theingressa.[4]TheLutheran rite uses the termIntroit in the same fashion, marking the opening of theMass. In theMozarabic,Carthusian,Dominican, andCarmelite Rites, it is called the "officium".[3]
Originally, the entrance of the priest who was to celebrate Mass was accompanied by the singing of a whole psalm, withGloria Patri (doxology). While the psalm was at first sungresponsorially, with an antiphon repeated by all at intervals, while a solo singer chanted the words of the psalm, it was soon sung directly by two groups of singers alternating with each other, and with the antiphon sung only at the beginning and the end, as is the usual way of chanting the psalms in theLiturgy of the Hours. The change to this manner of singing the psalm has been attributed toPope Celestine I (422–432).Pope Gregory I (590–604), after whomGregorian chant is named, composed several antiphons for singing with the Entrance psalm.[3]
If singing of the psalm was not completed by the time the Entrance procession arrived at the altar, the singers moved directly to the Gloria Patri and the final repetition of the antiphon. In time only the opening verse of the psalm was kept, together with the Gloria Patri, preceded and followed by the antiphon, the form of the Introit inTridentine MassRoman Missals, which explicitly indicate this manner of singing the Introit.
The 1970 revision of the Roman Missal explicitly envisages singing the entire psalm associated with the antiphon, but does not make it obligatory.[5]Incontemporary Catholic usage, the introit corresponds to theEntrance Antiphon and is sung or recited audibly throughout by the faithful.
The antiphons of most Introits are taken fromPsalms, though many come from other parts ofScripture. In some rare cases the antiphon is not from Scripture: "Salve, sancta parens", from the Christian poetSedulius, who was imitating a line from book V ofVirgil'sAeneid, is the antiphon used in the Tridentine form of the Roman Rite for common Masses of theBlessed Virgin Mary; the 1970 revision kept a Mass formula of the Blessed Virgin with that antiphon, but provided several alternatives.
The words of the antiphons are related to the theme of the feastday or celebration and most frequently have something in common with the liturgical readings of the Mass.
In the Tridentine Mass the Introit is no longer the first text used in the Mass. InLow Mass, the priest reads it only after thePrayers at the Foot of the Altar. Until 1908, even in sung Mass the choir began the Introit only after the priest had begun those prayers, butPope Pius X restored the old arrangement whereby the Introit accompanied the entrance procession of the priest with the ministers. The Tridentine Mass has the priest read the Introit in the Missal even when it is also sung by the choir. It also has him make thesign of the cross when reading it, as the Introit is when the Mass has properly begun, rather than the preparatory prayers made at the foot of the altar.[3]
Since the 1970 revision of the Roman Missal, the Entrance chant begins as the priest enters. Its purpose is to open the celebration, foster the unity of those who have been gathered, turn their thoughts to the mystery of the celebration, and accompany the procession. If there is no singing at the Entrance, the antiphon in the Missal is recited either by the faithful, or by some of them, or by a lector; otherwise, it is recited by the priest himself, who mayeven adapt it as an introductory explanation.[6]
If another rite immediately precedes Mass, such as thePalm Sunday procession or the various ceremonies that precede Mass at theEaster Vigil, Mass begins with thecollect; there is no Entrance at that point and so no Entrance chant.
In the musical idiom ofGregorian chant, Introits normally take the form antiphon-verse-antiphon-doxology-antiphon. In the Tridentine Missal, this form was, with very few exceptions, reduced to antiphon-verse-doxology-antiphon.
For example, the Tridentine Missal presents the Introit of the Fourth Sunday ofAdvent as follows:[7]
Introits, likeOffertories andCommunions, are believed to have evolved from simplerreciting tones. Introit melodies show this musical parentage most clearly, and are often anchored around two reciting notes which may be repeated or percussed.[8] The melodies are mostlyneumatic, dominated byneumes with two or three notes per syllable, although syllabic andmelismatic passages also occur.
The Introits ofOld Roman chant share many similarities with their Gregorian cousins, and often include a repeated extra verse that fell out of use in the Gregorian repertory.
In the same way as Church documents are referred to by theirincipit (their first words in Latin),[9] Mass formulas are known by the incipit of their Introit, which is the first text in the formula. Thus a Mass for the dead is referred to aRequiem Mass, and the threeChristmas Day Masses have been calledDominus dixit,Lux fulgebit andPuer natus. So too,Gaudete Sunday is a name for the third Sunday inAdvent,Laetare Sunday for the fourth Sunday inLent, andQuasimodo Sunday for theOctave or Second Sunday of Easter, because of the incipit of the Entrance antiphons of those Sundays.
The introit opens theMass in theLutheran Churches.[10] It is at this point of the Mass that the priest (pastor) enters thechancel.[11]
In theAnglican Communion, Introit is the name given to thehymn ormetrical psalm which is sung at the start of a service when the priest enters the chancel, a tradition which dates back to the Book of Common Prayer of 1549, although omitted in the version of 1552 (though still used in services of the time) it was later restored to the Book of Common Prayer in the reign of QueenElizabeth I of England.[12][13]
