NACCM CMC flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Introit
- The entrance chant of the Roman Mass, sung as the priest approaches the altar; its proper antiphon and psalm verses accompany the assembly's gathering and opening procession.
- Responsorial Psalm
- A sung psalm after the first reading, led from the ambo by a cantor or psalmist, with the assembly responding in a repeated refrain between stanzas.
- Ordinary chants
- The five fixed-text Mass chants: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei; their texts do not change with the liturgical day, unlike the proper chants.
- Exsultet
- The Easter Vigil hymn sung after the paschal candle is lit; it praises the candle and the night of Christ's Passover and is normally sung by a deacon.
- Musicam Sacram
- A 1967 instruction on sacred music that ranked degrees of participation, permitted gradual use of the vernacular, and clarified roles of choir and assembly after the Council.
- Gospel Acclamation
- The Alleluia (or a Lenten verse) sung before the Gospel; it is omitted only when the Gospel is not proclaimed, and it accompanies the Gospel procession.
- Key signature rule
- The last sharp in a key signature is the leading tone of the key; the second-to-last flat names the flat key. C major has none.
- Relative minor
- A minor key sharing the major key's signature and located a minor third below it; A minor is the relative minor of C major.
- Harmonic minor scale
- A natural minor scale with scale degree seven raised by a semitone, creating a leading tone and an augmented second between degrees six and seven.
- Dominant seventh chord
- A major triad with a minor seventh above the root, built on scale degree five; it resolves strongly to the tonic in functional harmony.
- Circle of fifths
- An ordering of keys by perfect fifths; moving clockwise adds one sharp, moving counterclockwise adds one flat, with C at the top.
- SATB ranges
- Approximate choral ranges: soprano C4 to A5, alto G3 to D5, tenor C3 to A4, and bass E2 to E4; used for voicing and placement decisions.
- Four-four conducting pattern
- The standard 4/4 beat pattern: down, left, right, up; the preparatory beat before the first sound establishes tempo and dynamic.
- Interval inversion
- The interval formed by moving the lower note up an octave; interval number and its inversion sum to nine, so a third inverts to a sixth.
- Gregorian chant
- Monophonic, unaccompanied liturgical song of the Roman Rite, notated in square neumes on four-line staves and organized in eight church modes.
- Church modes
- Eight modal scales (four authentic and four plagal) based on Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, and Mixolydian; they organize chant melodies and cadences.
- Motet
- A polyphonic choral composition on a sacred Latin text, distinct from the Mass Ordinary; Renaissance motets by Palestrina and Victoria remain in liturgical use.
- Palestrina style
- Renaissance imitative counterpoint with smooth, consonant lines and clear text declamation, later codified as the stile antico and a model of liturgical propriety.
- Tra le Sollecitudini
- Pius X's 1903 motu proprio on sacred music; it named holiness, beauty, and universality as sacred music's qualities and promoted chant and Renaissance polyphony.
- Sacrosanctum Concilium
- The Second Vatican Council's 1963 constitution on the liturgy; it urged full, active participation, allowed vernacular, and affirmed chant's special suitability.
- Cecilian movement
- A nineteenth-century reform movement promoting Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony in Catholic worship, influencing Pius X's 1903 music legislation.
- Chorale
- A Lutheran hymn tune, often in baroque settings by Bach; it shaped vernacular congregational song in the Reformation tradition.
- Cantor role
- The cantor intones and leads the assembly's song, sings the psalm, and announces hymns; the role serves participation rather than solo display.
- Sectional rehearsal
- A rehearsal segment in which one voice part or instrument group works alone on difficult passages before rejoining the full ensemble.
- Choral blend
- The balanced, unified ensemble sound achieved by matching vowels, tone color, and dynamic across sections; individual voices should not dominate.
- Accompaniment choice
- Selecting organ, piano, or guitar ensemble according to the musical style and the assembly's singing; the instrument supports rather than covers the voices.
- Seasonal repertoire grid
- A planning tool listing music by liturgical season and readings, helping leaders balance new and familiar works and coordinate with the assembly's learning.
- Cantor rotation
- A schedule assigning cantors across liturgies to distribute service, develop skill, and prevent burnout among volunteer music ministers.
- NPM
- The National Association of Pastoral Musicians, a U.S. professional association offering conventions, resources, and certification for cantors, organists, and directors.
- OneLicense
- A licensing service granting permission to reprint and stream copyrighted liturgical music; separate licenses may be needed for recording or broadcast.
- Continuing education portfolio
- A maintained record of workshops, conventions, programs, and recordings documenting professional development for certification renewal and employment.
- Safe-environment training
- Required diocesan training and background checks for adults working with minors in parish music programs, protecting children and vulnerable persons.