1st Sunday of Lent

13 March 2011

Entrance	For God so loved the world (mtgf)
Penitential Rite	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Psalm 50	Have mercy on us (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Lenten (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	Be with me, Lord (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Lamb of God	Remembrance (Marty Haugen)
Communion	Out into the wilderness (Bob Hurd)
Final	Guide me, O thou great Redeemer ( )

From September until now the changes in Mass parts have been gradual, some constants, other parts changing with the seasons. With Lent, and with Easter, the changes are more abrupt. A practical reason is that as we have new people each September it allows time to learn the music and gain a foundation. For those who have been around a little longer one hopes that the return of familiar settings is a welcome memory.

One of our singers could not be with us today and as this meant a whole part in a couple of pieces I had planned we had to turn to familiar settings. Psalm 90 (91) is sung as the psalm in other years and though it is quoted in the gospel it is by the tempter! Marty Haugen's setting has an easy flow. I was struck by how this genre is intended to work whatever the resources — you can add and take away parts, beyond melody and chords everything might be seen as ornamentation; whereas Morales needs all parts present and correct.

Sometimes there is a difference in the text between the psalm setting and the Mass sheet. Obviously one goes with the Mass sheet to save confusion. This morning I noted that the psalm response is plural whereas the text of the psalm is singular, including the equivalent text of the response.