Sunday, April 14, 2013

3rd Sunday of Easter

14 April 2013

EntranceAt the Lamb's high feast
Penitential RiteLux et origo (mtgf)
GloriaMass of Wisdom (Stephen Janco)
Psalm 29I will praise you, Lord (Paul Inwood)
Gospel AcclamationCeltic (O'Carroll/Walker)
Preparation of GiftsI have seen the Lord (Bob Hurd)
Eucharistic AcclamationsMass of Wisdom (Stephen Janco)
Lamb of GodLux et origo (mtgf)
Communion AntiphonJesus said to his disciples (mtgf)
CommunionI received the living God (Anonymous arr. Proulx)
FinalForth in the peace of Christ

I have been meaning to use At the Lamb's high feast for a number of years as it is a good strong hymn, text and music. which people should know. So this morning we did. Not that many knew it and as is then often the case the people were tentative in their responses up to the Liturgy of the Word.

I found it surprising that this Gospel has not inspired more settings (whereas Emmaus in another year…).

The Lamb of God (and Penitential Act) is based on the chant Mass Lux et origo. As an experiment for the first invocation I sang the chant. We talked about beforehand whether it should come first or in between. In between might have thrown the congregation (and we had already done that once). In some ways it acted as an introduction which gave time for the priest to get to the altar for the breaking of bread. I suspect that in many places there is a mismatch between the length of the music (however short) and the action it is meant to cover.

2nd Sunday of Easter

7 April 2013

EntranceO sons and daughters
Penitential RiteLux et origo (mtgf)
GloriaMass of Wisdom (Stephen Janco)
Psalm 117Give thanks to the Lord (Collegeville Composers Group )
Gospel AcclamationCeltic (O'Carroll/Walker)
Preparation of GiftsWe walk by faith (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic AcclamationsMass of Wisdom (Stephen Janco)
Lamb of GodLux et origo (mtgf)
Communion AntiphonBring your hand (mtgf)
CommunionNow we remain (David Haas)
FinalThis joyful Eastertide

While planning the Easter Season I did look over what we have done in previous years. Sometimes you can forget local ideas and solutions. As I suspect I have mentioned in previous years I find Easter not an easy season to prepare music for. I think it is because I find the horizontal and vertical aspects of the Lectionary more opaque than other seasons. By this I mean how the passages relate together on one Sunday coupled with how the semi-continuous Sunday by Sunday passages work. You could suggest that there is a further dimensions which is how the Sundays in each cycle relate - for example this Gospel is common to all three years. On other Sundays there some correlation between the Gospels in each cycle.

It is a very rich Gospel. We went more to towards Thomas rather than 'Peace be with you' and the gift of the Holy Spirit.