When the ‘ordinary’ parts of the Mass, those texts, which, with some variation, are part of the Mass on a daily basis, such as ‘Lord have Mercy’, and the ‘Gloria’ are set to music, they are described as “Mass settings”.
Throughout the history of the Catholic Church, these are the prayers that composers have felt compelled to set to music in order to celebrate the different seasons and celebrations in the life of the Church. Mass settings composed for funeral liturgies tend to be both solemn and sombre. Mass settings composed to celebrate the Easter joy of the Resurrection are filled with jubilation.
In 2011, New Zealand received a revised English translation of the Prayers of the Mass. New Zealand composer and internationally recognised musician and teacher, Douglas Mews, was commissioned to write a new Mass setting for the New Zealand Church. He gifted us with the Mass of St Theresa.