Hubert's mass

The Hubertus-mass / the Hubertus-worship

On the 3rd of November, St. Hubert's day, the churches are decorated with pretty utensils out of the forest and the hunters bring their hunt devices, above all their dogs and horns with to the religious service. This custom is confessed since the Middle Ages whereas the origins lay in France and Belgium.

The hunting horn developed in the course of the time from a signal- to a music- instrument and is suitable also for the intonation for demanding music pieces. A special liturgy for parforce horns developed in the course of the 19th century. In Germany, this tradition began only in the 1950's where the music pieces as a rule are rung on the parforce horn in Es. This horn was in use in the 19th century above all in Bohemia and Austria, lost however with the decline of the courtly hunt its importance. It is very similar in pitch range and construction of the French Trompe, sounds however smoother and fuller in the tone. It has above all a larger diameter than the Trompe therewith it fits over the tricorn, the hat of the hunt horsemen.

The most popular compilation of notes for the Hubertus-mass was published in 1934 by Cantin. It was based on collections of other french authors out of the previous century. According to the handbook of Thiberge, the first melodies probably stem from Hubert Obry (1820 - 1850) . Other signal- and fanfare-collections out of this time stem from Estival 1840, Tellier 1860, and later Normand 1874, Sombrun 1880 and de la Porte 1896.

Most drag hunts today are great social events at which of course not only Catholics do participate. Therefore, it should be considered to hold a festive Hubertus-worship with ecumenical liturgy instead of a Hubertus-mass.

For the performance the following proposals are suggested:

the songs should be rung with parforce horns

the musicians stand wedge-shaped with their back to the guests in the choir room of the church or in the vicinity of the altar in the open air

the songs should be rung by heart

the place should be decorated with hunting devices, perhaps including a stag antler with a crucifix between the antler poles

the sermon should be adapted to the matter of hunting without, in the situation of a drag hunt, going into detail on the succumbence of animals

the visitors should be able to follow the liturgy by a program