How does the entrance song of the Mass function within the Roman Rite? What can it express theologically? What should Roman Catholics sing at the beginning of Mass? In this groundbreaking study, Jason McFarland answers these and other important questions by exploring the history and theology of the entrance song of Mass. After a careful history of the entrance song, he investigates its place in church documents. He proposes several models of the entrance song for liturgical celebration today. Finally, he offers a skillful theological analysis of the entrance song genre, focusing on the song for the Holy Thursday Evening Mass-arguably the most important entrance song of the entire liturgical year. Announcing the Feast provides the most comprehensive treatment of the Roman Rite entrance song to date. It is unique in that it bridges the disciplines of liturgical studies, musicology, and theological method. Jason J. McFarland is the assistant editor at the Secretariat for the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) in Washington, DC.
He holds music degrees from the University of South Dakota College of Fine Arts and a PhD in liturgical studies from The Catholic University of America. For many years he has been a member of the professional choir of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. He is a lecturer at The Catholic University of America and a member of several professional organizations, including the North American Academy of Liturgy and the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. His articles and reviews have appeared in Pastoral Music and Catholic Studies.