| Entrance | What child is this |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Psallite (Collegeville) |
| Psalm 66 | O God be gracious and bless us (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Paschal Alleluia (chant) |
| Preparation of Gifts | O holy Mary (Alstott) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Comfort & Joy (mtgf) |
| Lamb of God | Christmas (mtgf) |
| Communion Antiphon | Jesus Christ is the same (mtgf) |
| Final | A noble flower of Juda |
As a Christmas weekday with a smaller congregation we scaled-down the Gloria and Alleluia.
| Entrance | The angel Gabriel |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Angels & Saints (Steven Janco) |
| Psalm 97 | Sing a new song (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker) |
| Preparation of Gifts | Hymn of the Cherubim (Russian) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Creation (Marty Haugen) |
| Lamb of God | Angels & Saints (Steven Janco) |
| Communion | I sing a maid (Irish arr.. Joncas) |
| Final | Tell out my soul |
| Entrance | The Angel Gabriel |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Angels & Saints (Steven Janco) |
| Psalm 97 | Sing a new song (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker) |
| Preparation of Gifts | No wind at the window (Irish/Bell) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Creation (Marty Haugen) |
| Lamb of God | Angels & Saints (Steven Janco) |
| Communion | Hail Holy Queen (mtgf) |
| Final | 10,000 Reasons |
This year the University Choir was joined by the 6pm Music Group for the first time in a number of years. The group is in a stronger position than it has been for a number of years - but also the membership of both groups overlaps. A general aim for this term is that both Sunday Masses share the same Mass settings so as not only to enable coming together of musicians but also as a worshipping community we have common settings.
| Entrance | A noble flower of Juda |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| [Gloria | Christmas (Paul Gibson)] |
| Psalm 66 | O God, be gracious (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker) |
| Preparation of Gifts | O holy Mary (Alstott) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Creation (Marty Haugen) |
| Lamb of God | Christmas (mtgf) |
| Communion Antiphon | Jesus Christ, yesterday (mtgf) |
| Communion | I saw a maiden (Pettman) |
| Final | See amid the winter's snow |
A first for the first hymn, one I have wished to do for a while. Unfortunately we had forgotten to put the hymn board up so though I announced the hymn and the number people did not have any visual information, alas.
| Entrance | The angel Gabriel |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Angels and Saints (Steven Janco) |
| Psalm 97 | Sing a new song (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker) |
| Preparation of Gifts | Angelus ad virginem (English 13th C. arr. mtgf) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Creation (Marty Haugen) |
| Lamb of God | Angels and Saints (Steven Janco) |
| Communion | Alma redemptoris mater (Palestrina) |
| Final | Tell out my soul |
The College Patronal Feast - Mass followed by Meat Pie. No big changes, the psalm was a new setting and sung by the same student who sang the same psalm on Remembrance Sunday. The usual economies of repetitions are present - but to little avail when you have mostly a different set of sopranos - the vagaries of student life!
| Entrance | Sing we of the blessed Mother |
| Penitential Rite | At the table of the Lord (Collegeville) |
| Gloria | At the table of the Lord (Collegeville) |
| Psalm 44 | On your right (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | (Murray) |
| Preparation of Gifts | Ave Maria (Arcadelt) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Missal |
| Lamb of God | Nores (mtgf) |
| Communion Antiphon | All generations shall call me blessed (mtgf) |
| Communion | Hail, Holy Queen |
| Final | Tell out my soul |
Having had long periods of stability we have had various supply priests (and today a supply bishop) it is interesting to get back into the habit of the conversation beforehand: which form of Penitential Act? Will you sing the Doxology and Invitation to the Mystery of Faith? Will you want a note?
I suspect I have noted before but with the Kyrie we do from the Psallite Mass (I) when it is Penitential Act 1 and the Gloria follows straight on one jumps from F# minor to C major and interesting key change which I suspect was not considered by the composers.
Sing we of the blessed Mother seemed a good opener for us as it is structured around the rosary on which the 15 windows of the chapel are based. I had understood that the Arcadelt was based on a 3 part chanson to which a 19th century had added sacred words and a bass part. AS we were missing our Bass today we could test this - but trying it without the bass part did not make musical sense so who knows.
Hail Holy Queen is probably a final song of mercy for this year. Written so it could be sung in unison and even unaccompanied as a prayer. Today it was sung by two voices with accompaniment.
| Entrance | Holy Virgin, by God's decree |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| [Gloria | Christmas (Paul Gibson)] |
| Psalm 66 | O God, be gracious (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker) |
| Preparation of Gifts | New Year Carol (Britten) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Creation (Marty Haugen) |
| Lamb of God | Christmas (mtgf) |
| Communion Antiphon | Jesus Christ, yesterday (mtgf) |
| Communion | On the lips of an angel (Bach/Gounod/Soper) |
| Final | Sing we of the blessed mother |
It has been a long time since there has been a resident priest around over the Christmas break. This has meant that there has been daily Mass. Someone thought it would be nice if we sang for the Octave day. In fact there was 2-1 congregation-choir. I was minded to begin with A noble flower of Judah but the numbers suggested something probably more familiar. The challenge how is it still Christmas
Next year the Solemnity will fall on the Sunday - so good to be prepared.
| Entrance | Hail Queen of heaven |
| Penitential Rite | At the table of the Lord (Collegeville) |
| Gloria | At the table of the Lord (Collegeville) |
| Psalm 44 | At your right stands the Queen (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | (Murray) |
| Preparation of Gifts | O holy Mary (Alstott) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Missal |
| Lamb of God | Nores (mtgf) |
| Communion Antiphon | All generations shall call me blessed (mtgf) |
| Communion | I sing a maid (Michael Joncas) |
| Final | Tell out my soul |
| Entrance | The Angel Gabriel |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Angels and Saints (Steven Janco) |
| Psalm 97 | Sing a new song (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker) |
| Preparation of Gifts | Ave maris stella (Elgar) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Creation (Marty Haugen) |
| Lamb of God | Angels and Saints (Steven Janco) |
| Communion | Verbum caro (Richards Dubra) |
| Final | Tell out my soul |
Our Feast day was transferred as the Principal Celebrant, +Richard Moth, was in Salford on Monday.
We have not sung Elgar's setting of Ave maris stella for a number of years. (Our University motto is drawn from the text Monstra te esse matrem — it has always struck me as a slightly odd motto for what was founded as a male institution.) I was far more impressed by Elgar's setting this time especially the unison entries of the other parts as a soft interjection during the soprano and alto verses. The Dubra piece was new to us. It is similar to O Crux Ave in being simple homophony but here more an accompanied Soprano melody. It is part of a larger cantata and it struck me as self-consciously lovely by which I mean it was written to sound lovely - this is not criticism as the piece achieves its aim.
| Entrance | The Angel Gabriel |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Angels and Saints (Steven Janco) |
| Psalm 97 | Alleluia - Sing a a new song (John Bell) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Salisbury (Christopher Walker) |
| Preparation of Gifts | No wind at the window (Irish trad.) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Creation (Marty Haugen) |
| Lamb of God | Angels and Saints (Steven Janco) |
| Communion | I saw a maiden (Pettman) |
| Final | Tell out my soul ( ) |
We celebrated on the vigil of our Patronal Feast. The music was led by the College Choir which had already done the Carol Service on Monday and Carol Singing in Twickenham the previous evening. Items were repeated from the Carol Service - though we had our versions of Monteverdi's Ave maris stella ready if needed at Communion - but one piece was enough and some silence.
| Entrance | The Angel Gabriel () |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriels (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Mass of the Angels and Saints (Steven Janco) |
| Psalm 97 | Sing a new song (John Bell) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Salisbury (Christopher Walker) |
| Preparation of Gifts | Adam lay bounden (Boris Ord) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Creation (Marty Haugen) |
| Lamb of God | Mass of Remembrance (Marty Haugen) |
| Communion | No wind at the window (Irish/Bell/Haugen) |
The Immaculate Conception is our titular Solemnity - our Feast Day. In recent years the Mass has moved to early evening followed by a meal and then retiring to the SU bar. It usually falls in the same week as the Carol Service and so the musical economist manages his music carefully. Again musicians are drawn from Sunday musicians and the College Choir and so music is chosen which in some cases suits all and in others allows one group to take a lead. The keen eyed will notice similarities with the Carol Service, Remembrance Sunday (when the College Choir sang at Mass) and last year's celebration - preparation is organic business.
The only item wholly new to us was the psalm. I took the rare decision to have a choral psalm. John Bell's setting is unaccompanied and joyful with an Alleluia refrain for the congregation.
| Entrance | The Angel Gabriel |
| Penitential Rite | |
| Gloria | St Gabriels (mtgf) |
| Psalm 97 | Sing to the Lord a new song (Haas/Haugen) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Gospel Greeting (Bernadette Farrell) |
| Preparation of Gifts | No wind at the window (Bell) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen) |
| Lamb of God | Behold the Lamb (Iona) |
| Communion | Bread of Life (Bernadette Farrell) |
| Ave Maris Stella | |
| Final | I say 'yes', my Lord (Donna Pena) |
The College is dedicated to St Mary and the Immaculate Conception is the College Feast Day with a Mass followed by a meal. This year the celebration was in the evening for the first time, after the end of lectures. The chapel, however, was still full. The Mass is an occasion when the Choir and the Music Group join together. Though the choice of music usually leans towards the repertoire of the music group those who are familiar with these pages will recognise that there is also a shared repertoire.
A challenge of the Immaculate Conception which I am not sure that we have ever successfully responded to is the feast itself. The Annunciation Gospel steers one towards that as an image and hence the choice of opening hymn and No wind at the window. It also influenced the final hymn which took the image of Mary's fiat — let it be done or I say 'yes'. We adapted the words, which I have always presumed work better (mean something) in Spanish so that they had an Advent flavour.
Ave Maris Stella is the College hymn. Sung in Latin to the uninspiring 19th century tune it always feels imposed rather than integral. I sure it was sung lustily by the student teachers of the 1950s but give me chant or Monteverdi any day! (and watch this space)
| Entrance | Sing we of the blessed mother (GB Timms) |
| Penitential Rite | Mass for 3 Voices (William Byrd) |
| Gloria | Jeanne Jugan (Christopher Walker) |
| Psalm 44 | On your right stands the queen (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | (A Gregory Murray) |
| Preparation of Gifts | O Holy Mary (Owen Alstott) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | No Greater Love (Michael Joncas) |
| Lamb of God | St Gabriels (mtgf) |
| Communion | Neither death nor life (mtgf) |
| Final | Hail Queen of heaven (John Lingard) |
Unaccompanied. The melody of the psalm's verses was based on the chant for Ave Maris Stella and the response derived from it too. This may have benefited from being unaccompanied.
The Byrd Kyrie is one way we mark Solemnities. Otherwise the Mass parts have been those we have been using over the summer.
The reference in Sing we of the blessed mother to Christ as the everlasting Bread was an unplanned but serendipitous connection with previous Sundays.
