3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B, 2015)

Sunday, 25 January 2015

 
Entrance Bring to the Lord a glad new song (C.H.H. Parry/Michael Perry)
Kyrie Kyrie 2 from A Community Mass (Richard Proulx)
Gloria Mass of the Redeemer (mcb)
Psalm Ps 24 (Geoffrey Boulton Smith/Stephen Dean)
Gospel Acclamation Here in our Midst (Peter Jones)
Preparation of the Gifts God has chosen me (Bernadette Farrell)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Aston Eucharist (Peter Jones)
Agnus Dei Belmont Mass (Christopher Walker)
Communion Taste and See (Richard Proulx)
Postcommunion A Song of the Light (Simon Lole)
Recessional God whose almighty Word
 

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B, 2015)

Sunday, 18 January 2015

 
Entrance Dear Lord and Father of mankind
Kyrie Kyrie 2 from A Community Mass (Richard Proulx)
Gloria Mass of the Redeemer (mcb)
Psalm Ps 39 (Paul Inwood)
Gospel Acclamation Here in our Midst (Peter Jones)
Preparation of the Gifts Will you come and follow me
Sanctus, Acclamation A, Amen Aston Eucharist (Peter Jones)
Agnus Dei Belmont Mass (Christopher Walker)
Communion Behold the Lamb of God (John Bell) & Psalm 117(118)
Postcommunion Venite Comedite (William Byrd, 1540-1623)
Recessional Forth in the peace of Christ
 

We marked the transition to Ordinary Time with changes to the Mass ordinary and the Gospel Acclamation. The Aston Eucharist is from the collection Glory to God. It's a simple unison setting, though rhythmically lively with engagingly unexpected hops between 3/4 and 6/8. It will be interesting to find out whether the next four weeks will be enough to give our singing assembly time to absorb it.

The Baptism of the Lord (Year B, 2015)

Sunday, 11 January 2015

 
Entrance On Jordan’s bank
Sprinkling Rite With joy you shall draw water (Bob Hurd)
Gloria Gloria de Noël (Thomas Niel)
Psalm We Shall Draw Water Joyfully (Paul Inwood)
Gospel Acclamation St Agatha Alleluia (mcb)
Preparation of the Gifts Songs of thankfulness and praise
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Agnus Dei Lamb of God II (mcb)
Communion Come to Me and Drink (Bob Hurd)
Postcommunion The Blessed Son of God (Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872-1958)
Recessional Come down O love divine
 

Water, water, everywhere… and a busy day for both Bob Hurd and Ralph Vaughan Williams. The latter provided both the final hymn and our postcommunion piece, echoing and amplifying the Father’s words in the Gospel reading: this is my Son, the beloved.

The Epiphany (2015)

Sunday, 4 January 2014

 
Entrance O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
Gloria Gloria de Noël (Thomas Niel)
Psalm Ps 71 (Monaghan/Dean)
Gospel Acclamation St Agatha Alleluia (mcb)
Preparation of the Gifts Thorns in the straw (Graham Kendrick, arr. Richard Hubbard)
Sanctus, Acclamation C, Amen Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Agnus Dei Lamb of God II (mcb)
Communion Laudate Omnes Gentes (Taizé) & Reges Tharsis (chant)
Postcommunion The Three Kings (Peter Cornelius, 1824-1874)
Recessional The First Nowell
 

Two contrasting choral items today: an engaging arrangement of Graham Kendrick’s bittersweet reflection on the life to come for the infant Jesus, and the Carols for Choirs arrangement of Peter Cornelius’s Epiphany anthem, with its solo countermelody over the chorale Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern. Robin Wolfendale was our accomplished soloist in the latter.

Christmas Morning Mass (2014)

Thursday, 25 December 2014

 
Entrance (i) Hodie Christus natus (chant)
(ii) O Come all ye faithful
Gloria Psallite
Psalm All the ends of the earth (Johnson)
Gospel Acclamation St Agatha Alleluia (mcb)
Preparation of the Gifts See amid the winter’s snow
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen German Mass (Schubert/Proulx)
Agnus Dei Lamb of God II (mcb)
Communion O Little Town of Bethlehem
Postcommunion Puer Natus in Bethlehem (Michael Praetorius, 1571-1621)
Recessional Hark, the herald angels sing
 

Eight men’s voices this year, including a past member and two sons of members. It’s always a fun sing, and this year was no different.

Christmas Vigil and Midnight Mass (2014)

Wednesday, 24 December 2014

 
Opening Hymn Adeste Fideles
Reading Isaiah 11:1-10 (A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse)
Choir Adam lay ybounden (Boris Ord, 1891-1961)
Hymn Once in royal David’s city
Reading Micah 5:1-4 (Out of you, Bethlehem, will be born the one…)
Choir Dong dong merrily
Hymn While shepherds watched their flocks
Reading Isaiah 52: 7-10 (How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of one…)
Gloria Gloria de Noël (Thomas Niel)
Reading Isaiah 9:2-7 (The people that walked in darkness)
Psalm Christmas Psalm (Bernadette Farrell)
Reading Titus 2:11-14 (God’s grace has been revealed)
Gospel Acclamation St Agatha Alleluia (mcb)
Reading Luke 2:1-14 (The Nativity)
Creed Credo III & Et Incarnatus from the Mass for three voices (William Byrd, c.1540-1623)
Preparation of the gifts In the bleak midwinter (Christina Rossetti/Gustav Holst, arr. Will Todd) – choir
Sanctus, Acclamation C, Amen Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Agnus Dei Lamb of God II (mcb)
Communion Candlelight Carol (John Rutter) – choir
Silent night
Postcommunion O little town of Bethlehem
Recessional Hark the herald angels sing
 

Our vigil was constructed along the lines set out in the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, and Bishop John, in his first celebration with us since his Mass of Installation, presided throughout. This made for a rich banquet of words and music, with plenty for the people to sing.

The organ was on the blink, regrettably, but Anthony's nifty portable keyboard (I’ll have to ask him for the details of make and model), fed through a portable guitar amplifier, made for a passably convincing substitute. Celebration Brass were there too, for a twentieth Christmas in a row, and our musical fare sounded as cheery and festive as ever.

Happy Christmas!

Christmas Carols on ITV

Wednesday, 24 December 2014

We were drafted in at fairly short notice as reinforcements for the resident choir (St Mary’s, Prestwich) in ITV’s Songs of Praise-style celebration of Christmas in music. The recording took place on the evening of 8 December — the same day as the Mass of Installation — so for those of us who were at both events it was truly an exhausting day.

The broadcast went out on Christmas Eve, but there’s still a chance to catch it on ITV Player, for a couple more weeks, at least.

4th Sunday of Advent (Year B, 2014)

Sunday, 21 December 2014

 
Entrance Come Saviour, Come
Kyrie Missal Chant (English)
Psalm Ps 88: I will sing forever of your love (mcb)
Gospel Acclamation Andrew Wright
Preparation of the Gifts Ave Maria (Karl Jenkins)
Sanctus, Acclamation A, Amen Missal Chant
Agnus Dei Missal Chant (English)
Communion (i) O Clavis David (chant)
(ii) Wait for the Lord (Taizé)
Postcommunion (silence)
Recessional O Come, O Come Emmanuel