Video of an Ambrosian Missa Cantata

Back in September, I posted some videos of the one of the highlights of the Schola Sainte Cécile’s summertime pilgrimage in northern Italy, an Ambrosian Rite Missa cantata celebrated in one of Milan’s most beautiful churches, San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore. A video of the complete Mass is now available, in which you can appreciate not just the ceremonial aspects of the rite, but also some splendid music sung by one of the world’s finest liturgical choirs. The Mass took place on August 25th, the feast of St Genesius, an actor who was performing a mockery of the Christian faith for the amusement of the Emperor Diocletian, when he was suddenly inspired to embrace it, and subsequently martyred. The ordinary of the Mass is taken from the Missa Exsultate Deo by François Cosset (1600-64), choir-master of Rheims cathedral and one of the favorite composers of King Louis XIV; the score can be seen here at the Schola’s website. (There is no Kyrie or Agnus Dei in the Ambrosian Mass.) Our own Nicola de’ Grandi is the MC; our thanks to him and to the group Messa Tradizionale Milano for making this video available. The differences between the Ambrosian and Roman Rites are too numerous to explain them all here, but if anyone is curious about anything in particular, feel free leave a question in the combox, and I will be happy to answer it.