26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C, 2010)

Sunday, 26 September 2010


Entrance Immortal, Invisible
Kyrie Kyrie II from Paschal Mass (Alan Rees)
Gloria Glory to God in the Highest (John L Bell)
Psalm Ps 145 (Stephen Dean)
Gospel Acclamation Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of the Gifts A touching place (John L Bell)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Agnus Dei Mass of Christ the King (mcb)
Communion Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Postcommunion O Quam Suavis (William Byrd, c. 1540-1623)
Recessional Lord, whose love in humble service

The Gospel story of the rich man and Lazarus, and the responsorial psalm, taken from Ps 145(146), prompted several of our musical selections, extolling God’s preferential option for the poor, and declaring our aim to live up to it. In John Bell’s words:

To the lost Christ shows his face
To the unloved he gives his embrace
To those who cry in pain or disgrace
Christ makes, with his friends, a touching place

O quam suavis is an antiphon for the feast of Corpus Christi, and it includes the line inspired by the Magnificat: esurientes reples bonis (you fill the hungry with good things). Byrd’s elaborate and extended setting finds a new musical idea for each successive image in the text, moving serenely from episode to episode and ending almost militantly – boldly, at least – on the words divites dimittens inanes (sending the rich away empty).

In our recessional hymn Lord, whose love in humble service, with words by Albert F Bayly (1901-1984) and sung to the tune Abbots Leigh, we set ourselves the same Gospel challenge of compassion for the poor:

Called from worship into service
forth in your great name we go
to the child, the youth, the aged,
love in living deeds to show;
hope and health, good will and comfort,
counsel, aid, and peace we give,
that your children, Lord, in freedom
may your mercy know, and live.

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C, 2010)

Sunday, 19 September 2010


Entrance Christ, be our light (Bernadette Farrell)
Kyrie Mass of the Creator Spirit (Ed Nowak)
Gloria Mass of the Creator Spirit
Psalm Ps 112 (Paul Wellicome)
Gospel Acclamation Alleluia Mode 2 (Plainchant)
Preparation of the Gifts Blest are the pure in heart
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Agnus Dei Mass of the Creator Spirit
Communion Where your treasure is (Marty Haugen)
Postcommunion Laudate Dominum (William Croft, 1678-1727)
Recessional Praise to the Holiest

 

Several of our musical selections coincided with those at the Mass of Beatification of John Henry Newman, which took place in Birmingham this morning. As at Cofton Park, we had Bernadette Farrell’s Christ, be our light, Blest are the pure in heart, Paul Wellicome’s new setting of Ps 112 and Newman’s own Praise to the holiest, which tied in with this morning’s second reading from the letter of St Paul to Timothy:

there is only one mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus, who sacrificed himself as a ransom for them all.

echoed by Newman’s

O generous love! That he, who smote
in man for man the foe,
the double agony in man
for man should undergo.

Yet another fine song from the prolific Marty Haugen took up the challenge of today’s Gospel reading: you cannot be the slave both of God and money:

Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be.
All that you possess will never set you free.
Seek the things that last; come and learn from me.
Where your treasure is your heart shall be.

Papal Prayer Vigil, Hyde Park

Saturday, 18 September 2010



Eight of our number joined the ranks of the choir of singers from round the dioceses, for the Vigil of Prayer led by Pope Benedict in Hyde Park. 150-odd singers joined forces with the excellent New English Orchestra and Singers, all led by the energetic and charismatic Nigel Swinford, for a day of eclectic music-making. The programme ranged from plainchant (Tantum Ergo Sacramentum) to Graham Kendrick (Shine, Jesus, Shine), with every genre of devotional song in between. The Hallelujah Chorus, Chris Walker’s Save us, Lord our God, Jacques Berthier’s Adoramus Te, Domine and Cardinal Newman’s own Lead, Kindly Light went by in a blur; and there was lots more too.

Preparations for the event had their ups and downs, and it wasn’t until the second day of rehearsals (the day before the event) that things came together as they needed to. But the vicissitudes of organisation and rehearsal were swept away during the Vigil itself, in a celebration which, to my mind, was stunningly, movingly prayerful.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C, 2010)

Entrance O God, thy people gather
Kyrie Mass of the Creator Spirit (Ed Nowak)
Gloria Mass of the Creator Spirit
Psalm Ps 50 (GĂ©lineau)
Gospel Acclamation Alleluia Mode 2 (Plainchant)
Preparation of the Gifts I will arise (Robert Creighton, 1636-1734)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Agnus Dei Mass of the Creator Spirit
Communion Give us, Lord, a new heart (Bernadette Farrell)
Postcommunion Miserere mei (Orlande de Lassus, c.1532-1594)
Recessional Praise, my soul, the king of heaven

The Gospel story of the prodigal son guided our musical choices today. The psalm response – I will leave this place, and go to my Father – and the offertory motet sang of our resolve to ask God’s forgiveness. We did so in the psalm itself and our postcommunion motet, both from psalm 50(51), and in the opening hymn.

At communion the sung refrain picked up some words from the same psalm:

Give us, Lord, a new heart;
re-create your Spirit within us.

while the verses, from Ezekiel and Jeremiah, reminded us with reassurance of the forgiveness we believe is offered to us. Our final hymn celebrated this belief:

Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
who like me his praise should sing?

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C, 2010)

Sunday, 5 September 2010


Entrance When I survey the wondrous cross
Kyrie Kyrie II from Paschal Mass (Alan Rees)
Gloria Glory to God in the Highest (John L Bell)
Psalm Lord, you have been our refuge (John L Bell)
Gospel Acclamation Alleluia Mode 2 (Plainchant)
Preparation of the Gifts Be still, my soul
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Gathering Mass (Paul Inwood)
Agnus Dei Lamb of God II (mcb)
Communion As the deer longs (Bob Hurd)
Postcommunion Adoramus Te, no. 2 in Gm (Antonio Lotti, c. 1667-1740)
Recessional O God our help in ages past

As usual for our first Sunday back in September, the ranks of the congregation were swelled by the members of No. 1 Province of the Catenian Association, and as usual they sang wonderfully well. Our music drew a connection with our Lord’s words in the Gospel reading:

Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

in the hymn at the Preparation of the Gifts:

Be still, my soul, the Lord is on your side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.

Two other pieces – our opening hymn, and the choir’s postcommunion motet – spoke of our Lord’s own greater cross. Lotti sets a slightly embroidered version of the text of the ancient and well-known antiphon:

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,
for by your holy Cross and your passion you have redeemed the world.

Bob Hurd’s As the deer longs was new to us, and a perfect fit for the Communion antiphon from Psalm 41(42). We’ll certainly be singing it again.