2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

15 January 2012

Entrance	Here I am, Lord
Gloria	Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Psalm 39	Here I am, Lord (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	As the deer longs (Bob Hurd)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Remembrance (Marty Haugen)
Communion	Agnus Dei - Mass for 3 voices (Byrd)
Final	Forth in the peace of Christ

Today we began a new Mass setting. One of the effects of using a Christmas Gloria is that it cannot out stay its welcome. So today we needed to change though we were unaccompanied and we had a baptism. The Gloria from the Mass of Wisdom by Steven Janco is I think the first through setting we have used (or at least one not using a tone). In my overall plan it will be our Easter setting but I decided to start it now so that it will be familiar at Easter. We begin the Eucharistic Acclamations - I also can't think when we have used as much of a Mass setting. I do think that the Gloria is one of the best written of the new settings.The composer seems to looked at the words and thought about what a melody needs to do to bring out the shape and meaning. To give just one example. Many other settings shaped by the previous text seem to see that 'we give you thanks for your glory' is the climax of the first section and then discover there is another phrase to sing. The Mass of Wisdom is shaped so that 'Lord God, heavenly King…' is where the melody is leading.

There was a baptism today, discovered after the leaflet was prepared. This affected a number of the choices. The first and last hymn though connected to the Liturgy of the Word were also chosen because they would be familiar and the explicit reference to 'priest, prophet and king' in James Quinn's text. As the deer for baptism though I realised that I mentally connect lambs and deer. Byrd as a celebration of 'behold the Lamb of God'.