Trinity Sunday (Year A, 2014)

Sunday, 15 June 2014

 
Entrance Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God almighty
Kyrie Penitential Act from Mass of the Redeemer (mcb)
Gloria Mass of the Redeemer
Psalm Canticle from the Flames (Felix Goebel-Komala)
Gospel Acclamation Advent Gospel Acclamation (Andrew Wright) with chanted verse
Preparation of the Gifts Father, Lord of all creation
Sanctus, Acclamation A, Amen Mass of the Redeemer
Agnus Dei Mass of the Redeemer
Communion God beyond all names (John Bell) & Benedicta sit sancta Trinitas (chant)
Postcommunion A Hymn to the Trinity (P.I Tchaikovsky, 1840-1893)
Recessional Holy God, we praise thy name
 

Our usual mix of music in praise of the Trinity, plus Felix Goebel-Komala’s exhilarating setting of the canticle from Daniel 3. We marked the return to ordinary time with a change of Mass setting. With the addition of a setting of the third form of the Penitential Act, and a more sedate revision of the Lamb of God than the initial version, my Mass of the Redeemer is finally complete, so we’re road-testing it for the next few weeks.

Pentecost (2014)

Sunday, 8 June 2014

 
Entrance Come down, O love divine
Gloria Psallite
Psalm Ps 103 (David Saint)
Gospel Acclamation Easter Alleluia (plainchant; verse Aimee Presswood)
Rite of Confirmation (i) Pentecost Sequence (arr. Richard Proulx)
(ii) Spirit of the living God & Psalm 103 (John Ainslie)
(iii) Hymn to the Holy Spirit (Randolph Currie)
(iv) Send forth your Spirit (Christopher Walker)
(v) Veni Sancte Spiritus (Gregorio Allegri, c. 1582-1652)
(vi) Wisdom, come softly (Martin Barry & Diane Murden)
(vii) Come, thou sweetest source of gladness (Louis Bourgeois, c.1510- c.1560)
Preparation of the Gifts Alleluia Surrexit Dominus (Jacquet de Mantua, 1483-1559)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Agnus Dei Lamb of God II (mcb)
Communion This is my body
Recessional Come, Holy Ghost
 

The Cathedral was packed for today’s celebration. The large number of candidates set us the challenge of finding music to cover a very extended rite of Confirmation. In best Salford Cathedral fashion, the assembled musical feast ranged over ancient and modern, choral and congregational, from the plainchant Veni Creator Spiritus (in Randolph Currie’s atmospheric arrangement) to a battery of percussion instruments in Chris Walker’s setting of Ps 103. I like the thought that we covered all the bases.

The Ascension of the Lord (2014)

Sunday, 1 June 2014

 
Entrance Praise him as he mounts the skies
Kyrie Kyrie for 3 voices adapted from Byrd (mcb)
Gloria Psallite
Psalm Ps 46 (Stephen Dean)
Gospel Acclamation Easter Alleluia (plainchant; verse Ellie Slorach)
Preparation of the Gifts Viri Galilei (William Byrd, 1540-1623)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Agnus Dei Lamb of God II (mcb)
Communion I will see you again (Psallite)
Postcommunion Laudate Dominum (W.A. Mozart, 1756-1791)
Recessional Christ Triumphant
 

The entrance antiphon from the Missal, the first reading (from the beginning of Acts) and the offertory antiphon from the Graduale all asked the same question:

Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky?

We sang the opening five-part chorus of Byrd’s setting, alternating the enigmatic-but-excitable narrative of the two men in white with the more solidly jubilant alleluias.

By contrast later we took words from today’s responsorial Psalm to heart:

Sing praise with all your skill

in singing Mozart’s serenely beautiful setting of the opening of Ps 116(117). Aimée Presswood sang the solo role with warmth and clarity and poise.