Sunday, October 31, 2010

All Saints

31 October 2010

EntranceFor all the saints
Penitential RiteSt Gabriel (mtgf)
GloriaSt Gabriel (mtgf)
Psalm 23Blessed are they (mtgf)
Gospel AcclamationAlleluia Beati (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of GiftsEye has not seen (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic AcclamationsMass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of GodLamb of God 6 (mtgf)
CommunionWhat does the Lord require? (mtgf)
FinalHoly God, we praise thy name

This was a Sunday of last minute changes. Our accompanist could not be with so we discovered before Mass so out went Gaudent in Caelis by Dering and in came Marty Haugen. At the beginning of Mass the visiting supply priest announced he would be changing the gospel to the one of the Sunday as it was more appropriate to All Saints. We were luckily reassured that Mass would be valid but it did make we wonder about the validity of the musical choices. (I do recognise the validity of the Mass is a different order of things.) I would say that music is chosen to assist people participate in the mystery being celebrated. That is greater than providing a musical commentary or illustration of the readings, indeed I would say most of the choices today were from the idea of the celebration rather than individual texts — as is often the case with particular feasts. The communion song does combine Micah 6 with the Beatitudes - so the Gospel text was sung at least. In truth, if I had been told before hand I am not sure I would have changed anything.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

24 October 2010

EntranceDear Lord and Father of mankind
Penitential RiteSt Gabriel (mtgf)
GloriaSt Gabriel (mtgf)
Psalm 33This poor man called (mtgf)
Gospel AcclamationAlleluia Beati (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of GiftsA touching place (John Bell)
Eucharistic AcclamationsMass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of GodLamb of God 6 (mtgf)
CommunionSeek the Lord (John Bell)
FinalPraise my soul

I am not sure the popularity of Dear Lord and Father this Sunday was because it expressed well the themes of the Liturgy of the Word or because the lack of something better. I did wonder about a setting of the 'Jesus Prayer' - Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, which echoes the words of the tax collector, but nothing suitable came to mind. A touching place is a song about tax collectors and their kind. It is not an easy text to sing and always feels awkward but perhaps that is part of the point.

The Lamb of God changed form this week. From beginning as a responsorial setting it has become more like a litany.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

17 October 2010

EntranceAll my hope on God is founded
Penitential RiteSt Gabriel (mtgf)
GloriaSt Gabriel (mtgf)
Psalm 120Our help is in the name of the Lord (mtgf)
Gospel AcclamationAlleluia Beati (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of GiftsListen, Lord (John Bell)
Eucharistic AcclamationsMass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of GodLamb of God 6 (mtgf)
CommunionI lift up my eyes (Huijbers)
FinalTell out my soul

Psalm 120 is a favourite psalm and as it only occurs on this Sunday I thought it would be nice to repeat the text at another point in the liturgy. We looked Mary Haugen's 'Pilgrim Song' but found it bland. On paper Huijbers' setting may look blander — it is all in unison — but the modal language, the rhythmic movement and the form give it character. I was worried that the form might throw us. To give an idea it begins A, B1, B2, C1, B2, C2, B1, B2, C1 etc. but written so that your eyes are darting back and forth on the paper. Not only does this hark back to Gregorian responsories it textually makes sense. Ideally it needs a larger body of singers so that you get a greater contrast between cantor and all — more a sense of the music been tossed from one to the other. The responsorial psalm setting uses the verse melody of 'Longing, trusting'. I can't remember which came first.

Listen, Lord was a second outing. It is often good musically to consolidate a piece by doing it again and this week the widow's pleas in the gospel gave us the opportunity.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

10 October 2010

EntranceAll people that on earth do dwell
Penitential RiteSt Gabriel (mtgf)
GloriaSt Gabriel (mtgf)
Psalm 97The Lord has shown his salvation (All the ends) (mtgf)
Gospel AcclamationAlleluia Beati (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of GiftsNow we remain (David Haas)
Eucharistic AcclamationsMass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of GodLamb of God 6 (mtgf)
CommunionLord, your love has drawn us near (Stephen Dean)
FinalGod is love, his the care

After careful practice before Mass our psalmist suddenly sang the other response given in the setting, the more familiar Christmas text of 'All the ends of the earth'. The congregation looked momentarily confused which at least shows they expect to sing the response and having the text on Mass sheet helps. In the event the two response are two sides of the same coin. In the given the Lord has shown his salvation to the nations; in the alternative all nations have seen God's salvation. What makes the psalm response interesting is that provides a particular focus for the first reading and gospel. The psalm could just be one of praise and thanksgiving for what God has done. The response draws attention that parallels between the two stories is not just healing but salvation being offered beyond Israel.

The opening hymn this morning reflected this with its invitation to all people. I was struck that we should bring out Vaughan Williams' arrangement again at some point and also remembered his comment about keeping the tune moving at the end of phrases.

Now we remain picked up on part of the text of the 2nd reading - though we never got to that verse (the last) today. The last two items wee chosen to reflect the praise and thanksgiving of the gospel. Apologies to the composer but I realised that one reason that we rarely do Lord, your love is that the choir parts which take the form of a 'four-part' descant demand larger resources than we can muster and it is not possible to 'salvage' something. A further heretical thought — I am not sure I am convinced of Holst's arrangement of the last hymn. This maybe because one often gets the Introduction (guess where to come in, isn't the Dorian mode fun!) and an adaptation of the rest. As far as I can tell text and arrangement have been together since the beginning in Songs of Praise though Holst's arrangement was first published with the original text from Piae Cantiones in the Oxford Book of Carols. Checking through various hymn books it is surprising which ones the text does not appear in.

Academic Mass

Wednesday 6 October 2010

EntranceAll are welcome (Marty Haugen)
Psalm 138 O God, you search me (Bernadette Farrell)
Gospel AcclamationAlleluia Beati (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of GiftsServant Song (Richard Gillard)
Eucharistic AcclamationsMass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of GodSt Gabriel (mtgf)
CommunionLove one another (mtgf)
FinalGod is love

Mass to begin the academic year. The readings were chosen especially by the presider — the Gospel was love your enemies. The singers were anyone who showed up beforehand — it was a good celebration

Sunday, October 3, 2010

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

3 October 2010

EntranceWe walk by faith
Penitential RiteSt Gabriel (mtgf)
GloriaSt Gabriel (mtgf)
Psalm 94O that today (mtgf)
Gospel AcclamationAlleluia Beati (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of GiftsListen Lord (John Bell)
Eucharistic AcclamationsMass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of GodSt Gabriel (mtgf)
CommunionLead me, Lord (SS Wesley)
FinalBe thou my vision

Listen, Lord was new to us and we enjoyed the typically rich harmony which develops from the singable vocal parts. We left the verses as solo but we may look at the harmony of these at a later date. In these Sundays at the beginning of the academic year there is an element of setting out one's stall, saying this is what we do and trying to represent that. I am not sure we get it right or whether it is even something to be aware of.

I have never been sure of Marty Haugen's tune for We walk by faith as one that accessible by congregations. I am quite sure many do manage it; I am not sure we ever have. We sang the text to Belmont, which seemed to fit the words well. I also like Barbara Bridge's use of Jesu dulcis memoria for this text. At the end of Mass I reflected that I might have had the same nervousness if I had to introduce Be thou my vision when Lord of all hopefulness was already known — or vice versa. A confession we were going to Lord of all hopefulness this morning but I gave the wrong number for the hymnboard…