I thought i would send a couple of thoughts on recessional hymns.

The Jesuit liturgist Andrew Cameron Mowat once suggested that we should see the recessional hymn as an extension of the Thanks be to God.

When asked a question about by a parish musician and needing to provide a written answer… I offered GIRM 186 ‘…and withdraws in a manner similar to the Entrance Procession.’ It seems unclear to me whether this just means how the celebrant and ministers leave the sanctuary and which order they do so, or that also  as singing accompanies the Entrance Procession so it should also accompany the Recession… (I know the gap here is that the Entrance Procession in accompanied by the Introit.)

I think it is worth noting that as far as I am aware it is peculiarly Catholic practice. My experience is that other denominations process out to music not singing. Which suggests the interesting question where did the practice come from.

Finally, Marian hymns at the end. I have come across this practice in UK. We briefly had a young chaplain who ended every Mass with a Marian hymn. Part of his rationale was that it was ‘outside Mass’ so not part of any norms for the Eucharist. He also had the practice of a list of 20 or so hymns which the musicians used in strict rotation – so Mass would be 1, 2, 3 + Marian hymn, then 4, 5, 6 etc.

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I  appreciate the extra insight from the UK. Amazing how customs evolve—some similar and some different around the world.

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