22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

30 August 2009

Entrance	Dear Lord and Father
Penitential Rite	St Gabriels (mtgf)
Gloria	Jeanne Jugan (Christopher Walker)
Psalm 14	The just will live (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(A Gregory Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	O God, you search me (Bernadette Farrell)
Eucharistic Acclamations	No Greater Love (Michael Joncas)
Lamb of God	St Gabriels (mtgf)
Communion	Let the Word (Collegeville Composer's Group)
Final	The Kingdom of God (Rees)

A few weeks ago we changed our practice for Communion and instead of receiving Holy Communion first and the singing we now begin singing once the priest has received and join the procession at the end. To allow the possibility of the congregation also joining (something which they do at other parts of the Mass) the music is given in the Mass sheet. As there is always the possibility of being unaccompanied, as we were this morning, we are using Psallite as that will work whether accompanied or not. With accompaniment last week there was a good improvisation for the latter half of communion; today there was silence. Which though I know to be preferable I wonder if a reprise might be worthwhile.

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

23 August 2009

Entrance	All my hope on God is founded
Penitential Rite	St Gabriels (mtgf)
Gloria	Jeanne Jugan (Christopher Walker
Psalm	Taste & see (Stephen Dean)
Gospel Acclamation	(A Gregory Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	Your words are spirit and life (Bernadette Farrell)
Eucharistic Acclamations	No Greater Love (Michael Joncas)
Lamb of God	St Gabriels (mtgf)
Communion	Living Word (Marty Haugen)
Final	Alleluia, sing to Jesus

The end of the series of readings from John 6. The Bernadette Farrell psalm was chosen as it echoed the Gospel — I would have preferred, perhaps, a setting of the later phrase 'Lord, to whom shall we go' but none were familiar. Living Word we sang on the first week of John so it made a suitable bookend and for musical reasons it was good to sing it with the accompaniment this time.

It is, I think, a difficult series of weeks. There is an abundance of material, particularly for communion, but the challenge is, first, to apportion it wisely. The greater challenge is not just how do you provide something appropriate for each Sunday and even make it into a mini 'season' but how do you accompany, illustrate, enhance the narrative development over the weeks. Full marks to our preacher who made connections between the weeks every Sunday and offered us a summary today.

The Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary

16 August 2009

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.