| Entrance | Speak Out (mcb) |
| Gloria | Mass of the Celtic Saints (Liam Lawton) |
| Psalm | Ps 97 (Peter Smedley) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Eastertide Gospel Acclamation (Bernadatte Farrell) |
| Preparation of the Gifts | A new commandment (Susan Sayers/Malcolm Archer) |
| Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen | Mass of the Celtic Saints (Liam Lawton) |
| Agnus Dei | from Beneath the Tree of Life (Marty Haugen) |
| Communion | Lord, your love has drawn us near (Stephen Dean) |
| Postcommunion | If ye love me (Thomas Tallis, c. 1505–1585) |
| Recessional | Come down, O love divine |
Four different pieces reflecting on the theme of God's love, to go with the multiple references in today's scripture readings. Both the Archer and Dean pieces offer a simple, thoughtful and singable refrain for the assembly, and verses for cantor or choir. Tallis's If ye love me sets the text of today's Communion antiphon, and the final hymn links the same ideas of divine love and God's Spirit.
My own Speak Out is an attempt to set today's entrance antiphon (plus the psalm verses from the Gradual) to a boisterous tune that takes up the idea of a voice of joy. It's mostly in 4/4, but there's some skipping around in alternating 5/4 and 3/4 as well, and we were treated to some fiery improvisation along the same lines from Anthony at the end of the song, while Fr Tony incensed the altar and the children processed out for their own Liturgy of the Word.
I was planning 'if ye love me' too. Unfortunately I only started teaching it at the beginning of Lent and its nowhere near ready yet. Next year...
ReplyDeleteI hope you keep at it then - it's a lovely piece once you've mastered it. I expect you've come across this useful clip on youtube, though it's in a different key (E) from the more usual F for SATB editions. (And the tenors mysteriously end on a G# in spite of the bare fifth in the score. I suppose John Rutter felt the tonic triad was a more listener-friendly ending. But to my mind there's something appealing and arresting about Tallis's bare presentation of the word truth.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it's by no means a 'once a year' text, so persevere, Doc, and have your choir sing it when it's ready. Then it will be in the can early for next 6th-Sunday-of-Easter.