3rd Sunday of Advent (Year B, 2011)

Sunday, 11 December 2011

 
Entrance Rejoice for ever (mcb)
Kyrie Missal Chant
Psalm My Soul Rejoices (Owen Alstott)
Gospel Acclamation Advent Gospel Acclamation (Alan Smith)
Prayers of Intercession Through our lives (John Bell)
Preparation of the Gifts O Rex Gentium (chant) & Magnificat Octavi Toni (Orlande de Lassus, 1532-1594)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Missal Chant
Agnus Dei Missal Chant
Communion Bread of Life (Bernadette Farrell)
Postcommunion Rejoice in the Lord Alway (Henry Purcell, 1659-1695)
Recessional Lo, he comes with clouds desending
 

With the Magnificat taking the place of a Responsorial Psalm today, we took the opportunity to sing one of the great O Antiphons in its proper context, so to speak. The antiphons precede and follow the Magnificat at Vespers in the final week of Advent, so at the Preparation of the Gifts we sang Lassus’s simple setting of the canticle, alternating chant and polyphony, flanked by repetitions of the antiphon O Rex Gentium.

Taken together with pieces by Bernadette Farrell, John Bell and co., as well as the chant Mass setting and (a truncated version of) Purcell’s jubilant anthem, it made for a good mix of music.

2 comments:

  1. Is 'Lo he comes with clouds desending' a hymn specifically for Advent or can it be used across the year? We didn't have it during Advent at our church, pity as I think it's a rather majestic hymn! Also particularly like 'Come thou long expected Jesus'.

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  2. It is indeed a very fine Advent hymn, but its theme of the second coming makes it also appropriate for other times when the readings have that for their subject matter. For instance, both the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time in Year B, and the following Sunday, Christ the King in Year B, have readings talking of Our Lord coming on the clouds. Lo, he comes would be exactly right for both those Sundays too.

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