AGO Church Music & Liturgy 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which liturgical season immediately precedes Christmas in the Western church calendar?
- Lent
- Advent (Correct answer)
- Epiphany
- Pentecost
Correct answer: Advent
Advent is the four-week preparatory season before Christmas in the Western Christian liturgical calendar.
Question 2: In Anglican liturgy, the 'Gloria in Excelsis' is traditionally omitted during which seasons?
- Advent and Lent (Correct answer)
- Christmas and Easter
- Epiphany and Pentecost
- Ordinary Time only
Correct answer: Advent and Lent
The Gloria in Excelsis is omitted during penitential seasons—Advent and Lent—to reflect their solemn, preparatory character.
Question 3: The 'Proper' of the Mass refers to which musical components?
- Movements that remain the same every week
- Movements that change according to the liturgical day (Correct answer)
- Only the choral anthems
- The organ voluntaries
Correct answer: Movements that change according to the liturgical day
The Proper includes texts and chants that vary according to the specific liturgical day or season, such as the Introit and Gradual.
Question 4: Which psalm tone system is most associated with Roman Catholic plainchant and Gregorian practice?
- Anglican chant
- Tonus peregrinus
- The eight psalm tones (Correct answer)
- Fauxbourdon
Correct answer: The eight psalm tones
Gregorian practice employs eight psalm tones (one per ecclesiastical mode) for singing the psalms antiphonally.
Question 5: What is the function of the 'Agnus Dei' in the Mass Ordinary?
- It opens the service with praise
- It follows the Gospel reading
- It is sung during the breaking of bread before Communion (Correct answer)
- It closes the liturgy
Correct answer: It is sung during the breaking of bread before Communion
The Agnus Dei ('Lamb of God') is sung during the Fraction, or breaking of the bread, immediately before the distribution of Communion.
Question 6: Which AGO certification level specifically tests service playing skills including harmonization at sight?
- Fellowship (FAGO)
- Colleague (CAGO)
- Service Playing Certificate (SPC) (Correct answer)
- Associateship (AAGO)
Correct answer: Service Playing Certificate (SPC)
The AGO Service Playing Certificate is designed to assess practical service playing skills, including hymn harmonization and accompanying.
Question 7: In Lutheran worship, which term describes the vernacular hymn sung by the congregation that replaced portions of the Latin Proper?
- Responsory
- Deutsche Messe
- Leisen (Correct answer)
- Choralkantate
Correct answer: Leisen
Leisen are early German vernacular hymns that served as congregational refrains or replacements for Latin chant in Lutheran practice.
AGO Church Music & Liturgy 2
Which liturgical season immediately precedes Christmas in the Western church calendar?