Trinity Sunday (Year C, 2016)

Sunday, 22 May 2016

 

Entrance	Father, Lord of all creation
Kyrie	Mass for John Carroll (Michael Joncas)
Gloria	Mass for John Carroll
Psalm	Ps 8 (Sebastian Wolff)
Gospel Acclamation	Mass for John Carroll
Preparation of the Gifts	St Patrick’s Breastplate (C.V. Stanford, 1852-1924)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen	Simple Sanctus (mcb)
Agnus Dei	Mass for John Carroll
Communion	God beyond all names (John Bell) & Benedicta sit sancta Trinitas (chant)
Postcommunion	O Lux Beata Trinitas (T.L. de Victoria, 1548-1611)
Recessional	Holy God, we praise thy name

 

Michael Joncas’s Mass for John Carroll was a staple of our repertoire in the years before the new Missal translation was issued, and the Gloria in particular, I think, was a congregational favourite. We’ve come back to it now to try out the revised version of the Gloria, updated for the new Missal text, together with other items from the Mass where the text didn’t change. I’m not, in all honesty, bowled over by the new version of the Gloria. As with quite a few of the old well-loved settings, the revision seems to have had as its aim to keep the music from the old version as intact as possible, rather than rewriting the music to fit the new words. The result in places feels uncomfortably like wearing ill-fitting shoes, especially in the opening choral ‘verse’, where the new words …and on earth peace to people of good will occupy the same space as once filled by …and peace to his people on earth. But the enthusiastic singing of the refrain showed that people liked it and hadn’t forgotten it. We’ll persevere, and maybe it will grow on me.

Pentecost (2016)

Celebration of First Holy Communion

Sunday, 15 May 2016

 

Entrance	Come Holy Ghost
Kyrie	Kyrie Eleison from Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Gloria	Missa Ubi Caritas
Psalm	Send forth your Spirit (Paul Wellicome)
Gospel Acclamation	(i) Pentecost Sequence (arr. Richard Proulx) (ii) Easter Alleluia (chant)
Preparation of the Gifts	Here I am, Lord (Dan Schutte)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen	Missa Ubi Caritas
Agnus Dei	Missa Ubi Caritas
Communion	(i) One bread we break (Stephen Dean) (ii) This is my body (Jimmy & Carol Owens)
Postcommunion	My heart, your home – children
Recessional	Christ be our light (Bernadette Farrell)

 

Someone took their eye off the calendar when scheduling this year’s celebration of First Holy Communion, but the inadvertent linking with the feast of Pentecost was to good effect: as Fr Michael put it in his homily to the children, the Spirit makes us one. The first of our Communion songs, by Stephen Dean, brought out the same connection:

One bread we break in the love of Christ,
One cup we share in the life of Christ;
One faith we hold, one Lord we serve,
One Spirit gathers us here.

I aimed for a fairly family-friendly feel to today’s music, including Paul Wellicome’s boisterous psalm setting, and the two favourites Here I am, Lord and Christ, be our light, both of which found a good response in the voices of the congregation, especially the children themselves.

After Communion the children sang along to the Hillsong Kids song My heart, your home, complete with signing. It was a treat.

The Ascension of the Lord (Year C, 2016)

Sunday, 8 May 2016

 

Entrance	New praises be given
Kyrie	Kyrie Eleison from Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Gloria	Missa Ubi Caritas
Psalm	Ps 46 (Shaun MacCarthy)
Gospel Acclamation	Easter Alleluia (plainchant)
Preparation of the Gifts	Ego sum resurrectio (Rihards Dubra, b.1964)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen	Missa Ubi Caritas
Agnus Dei	Missa Ubi Caritas
Communion	Psallite Domino (Taizé)
Postcommunion	Non vos relinquam orphanos (William Byrd, c.1540-1623)
Recessional	Alleluia, sing to Jesus

 

Latvian composer Rihards Dubra’s simple and serene O Crux Ave has long been a staple of our Holy Week repertoire, so I had a good (metaphorical) leaf through his catalogue for other pieces to add to our collection. Ego Sum Resurrectio is a more complex and challenging piece: in some ways it reminds me of Bob Chilcott’s setting of the Beatitudes, another miniature packed with drama. But the tonal and harmonic language here is perhaps a bit more wide ranging. There are plenty more items in the catalogue to explore.

6th Sunday of Easter (Year C, 2016)

Sunday, 1 May 2016

 

Entrance	This joyful Eastertide
Kyrie	Kyrie Eleison from Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Gloria	Missa Ubi Caritas
Psalm	Ps 66 (Chris McCurry)
Gospel Acclamation	Easter Alleluia (plainchant)
Preparation of the Gifts	Regina Caeli (Samuel Webbe, 1740-1816)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen	Missa Ubi Caritas
Agnus Dei	Missa Ubi Caritas
Communion	My peace (Taizé)
Postcommunion	If ye love me (Thomas Tallis, c.1505-1585)
Recessional	Thine be the glory

 

5th Sunday of Easter (Year C, 2016)

Sunday, 24 April 2016

 

Entrance	A New Commandment
Kyrie	Kyrie Eleison from Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Gloria	Missa Ubi Caritas
Psalm	Ps 144 (Martin Hall)
Gospel Acclamation	Easter Alleluia (plainchant)
Preparation of the Gifts	Cantate Domino (Giuseppe Pitoni, 1657-1743)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen	Missa Ubi Caritas
Agnus Dei	Missa Ubi Caritas
Communion	I am the vine (John Bell) & Ps 80 (Laurence Bévenot)
Postcommunion	Easter Anthem (Paul Inwood)
Recessional	Christ triumphant

 

Solemnity of St George, Martyr

Silver Jubilee of Episcopal Ordination
of Bishop Terence Brain

23 April, 2016

 

Entrance	(i) Ecce Sacerdos (Edward Elgar, 1857-1934) (ii) Bring to the Lord a glad new song (C.H.H. Parry/Michael Perry)
Kyrie	Kyrie Eleison from Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Gloria	Glory to God (Peter Jones)
Psalm	What marvels the Lord worked for us (mcb)
Gospel Acclamation	Easter Alleluia (plainchant)
Preparation of the Gifts	A Hymn to the Virgin (Benjamin Britten, 1913-1976)
Sanctus, Acclamation A, Amen	Missal Tone (in English)
Agnus Dei	Missa Ubi Caritas
Communion	(i) Unless a grain of wheat (Bernadette Farrell) (ii) Soul of my Saviour (iii) Take and Eat (Michael Joncas)
Postcommunion	O Quam Gloriosum (T.L. de Victoria, 1548-1511)
Recessional	Praise to the holiest

 

A joyful celebration of twenty-five years of episcopal ministry. The Britten is a particular favourite of Bishop Terence’s, and we sang it once more at his request – the fourth time, after his installation in 1997, his 40th anniversary of priesthood in 2004 and the golden jubilee of priesthood a couple of years ago. Praise to the Holiest was Bishop Terence’s other request, and it was fitting too, I dare say, on the feast of St George to sing both Elgar and (the tune of) Jerusalem. Anyway, the music list as a whole, I thought, was an effective illustration of our trademark eclecticism.

Peter Jones’s refrain setting of the Gloria has been a staple of Catholic liturgical music in the English-speaking world since its composition in 1982 for the Papal Mass at Coventry Airport. The revised version for the 2010 Missal may even, I think, be an improvement on the original; we have used it successfully on many big occasions, including today’s. Peter died too young on 10 April, after a long illness. It was my sad privilege to sing at his funeral on 3 May. As I posted somewhere else, not many people have done more for music and liturgy in the Church in this country. May he rest in peace.

4th Sunday of Easter (Year C, 2016)

Sunday, 17 April 2016

 

Entrance	All people that on earth do dwell
Kyrie	Kyrie Eleison from Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Gloria	Missa Ubi Caritas
Psalm	We are his people (mcb)
Gospel Acclamation	Easter Alleluia (plainchant)
Preparation of the Gifts	Flocks in Pastures Green (J.S. Bach, 1685-1750)
Sanctus, Acclamation A, Amen	Missa Ubi Caritas
Agnus Dei	Missa Ubi Caritas
Communion	You are the shepherd (Psallite)
Postcommunion	O Quam Gloriosum (T.L. de Victoria, 1548-1611)
Recessional	The King of love my shepherd is

 

The readings and propers today speak mainly of the Shepherd and his sheep, but the second reading from Apocalypse 7 talks instead of the Lamb:

they were standing in front of the throne
and in front of the Lamb,
dressed in white robes
and holding palms in their hands.

O Quam Gloriosum sets a similar text (an antiphon from Vespers for the feast of All Saints), which paraphrases the same scriptural source:

O how glorious is the kingdom
in which all the saints rejoice with Christ.
Robed in white,
they follow the Lamb
wherever he will go.

3rd Sunday of Easter (Year C, 2016)

Sunday, 10 April 2016

  Crown him with many crowns

Entrance
Kyrie	Kyrie Eleison from Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Gloria	Missa Ubi Caritas
Psalm	I will praise you, Lord (Daniel Bath)
Gospel Acclamation	Easter Alleluia (plainchant)
Preparation of the Gifts	Surrexit Christus (Taizé)
Sanctus, Acclamation A, Amen	Missa Ubi Caritas
Agnus Dei	Missa Ubi Caritas
Communion	Come and eat this bread (Marty Haugen)
Postcommunion	Surrexit Christus (G.B Pergolesi, 1710-1736, adapted Richard Proulx)
Recessional	Battle is o’er

Easter Sunday (2016)

Sunday, 27 March 2016

 

Entrance	Jesus Christ is Ris’n Today
Kyrie	Kyrie Eleison from Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Gloria	Missa Ubi Caritas
Psalm	This is the Day (mcb)
Gospel Acclamation	Sequence: Victimae Paschali Laudes (William Greene) Easter Alleluia (chant)
Sprinkling	Springs of Water (Marty Haugen)
Preparation of the Gifts	Awake, thou wintry earth (J.S. Bach, 1685-1750, arr. Richard Marlow)
Sanctus, Acclamation A, Amen	Missa Ubi Caritas
Agnus Dei	Missa Ubi Caritas
Communion	Confitemini Domino (Taizé) & Ps 117 (Laurence Bévenot)
Postcommunion	This is the Day (anon, c.1600)
Recessional	Go in peace, Alleluia At the Lamb’s high feast

The Easter Vigil (2016)

Saturday, 26 March 2016

 

The Service of Light	Lumen Christi (chant)
Exsultet	Plainchant
After 1st reading (Genesis 1)	Send forth your Spirit (Stephen Dean)
After 2nd reading (Genesis 22)	Preserve me (mcb)
After 3rd reading (Exodus 14-15)	I will sing to the Lord (Geoffrey Boulton Smith)
After 4th reading (Isaiah 55)	I will praise you, Lord (Psallite)
After 5th reading (Ezekiel 36)	We shall draw water joyfully (Paul Inwood)
Gloria	Psallite
Easter Alleluia + Psalm 117	Plainchant, verses by Paul Inwood
Litany of the Saints	Missal Chant
Blessing of Water	Springs of Water (Marty Haugen)
Sprinkling	Vidi Aquam (T.L. de Victoria, c.1548-1611)
Preparation of the Gifts	Christus Resurgens (Orlande de Lassus, 1532-1594)
Sanctus, Acclamation A, Amen	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Agnus Dei	Missa Ubi Caritas
Communion	Jesus, Lamb of God
Dismissal	Go in peace, Alleluia (chanted)
Final Hymn	Thine be the Glory

 

Confusion reigns supreme regarding the order of Psalms when a Baptism takes place at the Easter Vigil, as it did tonight. The Lectionary says:

The psalm to be used after the Seventh Reading (i.e. the fifth for us, from Ezekiel) varies from place to place and it depends on whether a baptism is being celebrated at the Easter Vigil. In the USA: If there is no baptism, either Isaiah 12 or Psalm 50(51) is used. If there is a baptism, Psalm 41(42) is used. In the English-speaking world: If there is no baptism, Psalm 41(42) is used. If there is a baptism, either Isaiah 12 or Psalm 50(51) MUST be used instead. In the rest of the world: If there is no baptism, Psalm 41(42) is used. If there is a baptism, either Isaiah 12 or Psalm 50(51) MAY be used instead.

(though in my hand Missal, The CTS New Sunday Missal (People’s Edition), a typo leads not to the Isaiah 12 Canticle, but to Psalm 29 (I will praise you Lord), which would normally occur after the reading from Isaiah 54, which we usually omit.) The Lectionary is silent on what to have after the Isaiah 55 reading, where the Isaiah 12 canticle would normally come, if you choose to have the latter after the Ezekiel reading instead. So I took a liberty, and put in Ps 29 after the Isaiah 55 reading. This to my mind was a better option than having the more subdued and penitential Ps 50(51) after the Ezekiel reading, since it concluded our exploration of the Hebrew scriptures on an uplifting note, and led us on, via the resurrection narrative, to a joyful celebration of the sacrament of Baptism (accompanied by two receptions, and therefore three celebrations of the sacrament of Confirmation) later in our feast.

I told you it was confusing. But not many people seemed to mind, judging from the relatively few puzzled scowls from the pews as we tried to find our way through the Parish Mass Book, and the Psalms were just right, I reckon, where they ended up. Happy Easter!

Office of Readings and Morning Prayer (Holy Saturday, 2016)

Saturday, 26 March 2016

Again a repeat of last year’s service. It was pleasing to hear the small but willing congregation grow in confidence in joining in with the singing of the psalms.

Celebration of the Lord's Passion, Good Friday (2016)

Friday, 25 March 2016

 

Psalm	Father, into your hands (chant, arr. Geoffrey Boulton Smith)
Gospel Acclamation	Christus factus est (Johann Ernst Eberlin, 1702-1762)
Adoration of the Cross	Behold the wood of the Cross (Missal tone) Praise to the Holiest Vexilla Regis (G.P. da Palestrina, c.1525-1594, & chant) O Crux Ave (Rihards Dubra, 1964-) Jesus, remember me (Taizé)
Communion	Ave Verum Corpus (William Byrd, 1540-1623) Soul of my Saviour

The motets during the Adoration of the Cross both set verses from the plainchant hymn Vexilla Regis, so we linked the two seamlessly with chant verses.

Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Holy Thursday, 2016)

Thursday, 24 March 2016

Opening Hymn	The Glory of the Cross (John Ainslie)
Kyrie	Mass XVII (chant)
Gloria	Mass of the Most Sacred Heart (Jacob Bancks)
Responsorial Psalm	The Blessing Cup (Christopher Walker)
Gospel Acclamation	Glory and Praise (mcb)
Washing of Feet	If there is this love among you (Martin Barry & Diane Murden)
Preparation of the Gifts	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Sanctus	Mass XVII
Memorial Acclamation B, Amen	Missal Tone
Agnus Dei	Mass XVII & Missa super Laudate Dominum (Orlande de Lassus, 1532-1594)
Communion	O Sacrum Convivium (mcb) listen
Procession	Pange Lingua (plainchant) Stay with me (Taizé)

 

The Mass of Chrism (2016)

Wednesday, 23 March 2016

 

Opening Hymn	O God beyond all praising
Kyrie	Kyrie Eleison fromMissa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Gloria	Glory to God (Peter Jones)
Responsorial Psalm	I will sing forever (mcb)
Gospel Acclamation	Glory and Praise (mcb)
Procession of the Oils	O Redeemer (Paul Ford/mcb)
Preparation of the Gifts	Hear my prayer, O Lord (Henry Purcell, 1659-1695)
Sanctus, Acclamation B, Amen	Missal tone in English
Agnus Dei	Mass XVIII (chant) & Missa Aeterna Christi Munera (G.P. de Palestrina, c.1525-1594)
Communion	O Lord, I will sing of your constant love (Christopher Walker) Prayer of St Richard of Chichester (Malcolm Archer) Now we remain (David Haas)
Recessional Hymn	Praise to the Holiest

 

It was a new departure (and, I’m told, a permanent change) to have the Mass of Chrism on morning of the Wednesday of Holy Week, rather than the Thursday. From the musicians’ point of view, once diaries were brought up to date with the late-breaking announcement of the change, it probably makes life easier, with the week’s exertions spread over one more day, and the the luxury of a whole rehearsal later the same day dedicated to the impending Triduum.