Sarum Candlemas 05: Mass begins

The celebrant approaches the altar and changes into his chasuble. He is directed to say the hymn Veni Creator (in a slight variant version) while vesting. Only the biggest churches had sacristies, and normally vestments were kept in chests near the altars.
You'll notice (how could you not?) that the celebrant's alb is horribly short. By a sort of cruel coincidence, I was given exactly the same alb for the same occasion the year before. Still, humiliation is supposed to be good for one.
The rulers collect their note from the precentor and begin the Officium (Introit), Suscepimus, Deus, misericordiam in templo sancti tui. In the singing, the antiphon is repeated after the psalm and after the Gloria Patri, making three times.
Meanwhile, the sacred ministers, at the foot of the altar say the 'collect for purity', Deus qui omne cor patet, Psalm 42 (Judica me), a very short Confiteor, with a longer Misereatur and Indulgentiam; then he exchanges the sign of peace with Deacon and Subdeacon (the rubrics say he is to kiss them. Ahem.) and they ascend the altar.
All the servers then go to their places; the taperers set down their candles on the altar step.
The altar is kissed and the sacred ministers make three signs of the cross.
Incense is put in by the Deacon and blessed by the Priest, and the altar is censed. There are no very clear directions for the precise way to cense an altar, so we did it more Romano.
You may have noticed the taperers departing and then returning: they are bringing in the bread and wine for the Mass and taking them to the credence.
A Sarum altar normally has two candles (there were exceptions), but others might stand around. It should also be equipped with curtains at each end; these were not present in Merton College in 1997.
After the censation, the priest is censed and the Gospel book ('Text') is brought for him to kiss. This is a ceremonial book of the Gospels, and many examples still are extant; the Canterbury Gospels, the Lindisfarne Gospels, and even the Book of Kells are of this type; probably not really meant to be read from, but used ceremonially. The Text is replaced at the Gospel side of the altar.
The Kyrie is preintoned and sung. This Kyrie is a good example of a 'farced' Kyrie, with devotional texts included between the words Kyrie and eleison (and even one or other of these omitted). This one is Deus Creator omnium, tu Theos ymon nostri pie eleison —gloriously macaronic in Latin and Greek.



Prayers at the foot of the altar:
Deus, cui omne cor patet et omnis volúntas loquitur: et quem nullum latet secrétum: purífica per infusiónem Sancti Spíritus cogitatiónes cordis nostri: ut perfécte te dilígere et digne laudáre mereámur, per Christum Dóminum nostrum.
Introíbo ad altáre Dei. / Ad Deum qui lætíficat juventútem meam.
Júdica me, Deus, &c
Introíbo ad altáre Dei. / Ad Deum qui lætíficat juventútem meam.
Kyrie eléison Christe eléison, Kyrie eléison
Pater noster…
Ave María…
…et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem. / Sed líbera nos a malo.
Confitémini Dómino quóniam bonus.
Quóniam in sæculum misericórdia eius.
Confíteor Deo beátæ Maríæ et ómnibus Sanctis, et vobis, peccávi nimis cogitatióne, locutióne et ópere: mea culpa. Precor sanctam Maríam, omnes Sanctos Dei, et vos oráre pro me.
Misereátur tui, omnípotens Deus, et, dimíttat ómnia peccáta tua, líberet te ab omni malo: consérvet et confírmet in bono: et ad vitam perdúcat ætérnam Amen.
Confíteor Deo, … oráre pro me.
Misereátur …
Absolutiónem + et remissiónem ómnium peccatórum vestrórum: spátium veræ pœniténtiæ et emendatiónem vitæ, grátiam et consolatiónem Sancti Spíritus tríbuat vobis omnípotens et miséricors Dóminus. Amen.
V.Adjutórium nostrum in nómine Dómini.
R. Qui fecit cælum et terram.
V.Sit nomen Dómini benedíctum.
R. Ex hoc nunc et usque in sæculum.
Orémus. Habete osculum pacis et dilectionis, ut apti sitis sacrosancto altari ad perficiendum officia divina.
Orémus. Aufer a nobis, Domine, cunctas iniquítates nostras, ut ad sancta sanctórum puris méntibus mereámur introíre. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. (ascends altar)
In nomine Patris + et Filii + et Spiritus + Sancti. Amen.