All Saints

31 October 2010

Entrance	For all the saints
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Psalm 23	Blessed are they (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Alleluia Beati (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Eye has not seen (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Lamb of God 6 (mtgf)
Communion	What does the Lord require? (mtgf)
Final	Holy God, we praise thy name

This was a Sunday of last minute changes. Our accompanist could not be with so we discovered before Mass so out went Gaudent in Caelis by Dering and in came Marty Haugen. At the beginning of Mass the visiting supply priest announced he would be changing the gospel to the one of the Sunday as it was more appropriate to All Saints. We were luckily reassured that Mass would be valid but it did make we wonder about the validity of the musical choices. (I do recognise the validity of the Mass is a different order of things.) I would say that music is chosen to assist people participate in the mystery being celebrated. That is greater than providing a musical commentary or illustration of the readings, indeed I would say most of the choices today were from the idea of the celebration rather than individual texts — as is often the case with particular feasts. The communion song does combine Micah 6 with the Beatitudes - so the Gospel text was sung at least. In truth, if I had been told before hand I am not sure I would have changed anything.