22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

28 August 2011

Entrance	All that is hidden (Bernadette Farrell)
Penitential Rite	St Gabriels (mtgf)
Gloria	At the Table of the Lord (Collegeville Composers Group)
Psalm 62	For you my soul (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(A G Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	Ours were the griefs (Stephen Dean)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal (ICEL)
Lamb of God	St Gabriels (mtgf)
Communion	O God, you search me (Bernadette Farrell)
Final	He who would valiant be

And so farewell, our final 'And also with you' — our at least as common, intentional response as opposed forgotten out of kilter mumbling that I am sure there will be over the last few weeks. In terms of what we sing we have now been singing the new translations of the Gloria, Sanctus and Memorial Acclamation for 8 weeks and as far as I am aware this has worked well.

As mentioned last week this is the turning point of the Gospel Narrative — the prophecy of the Passion and taking the road for Jerusalem. Again nothing quite right seems to come to mind. Hymns about the Cross, such as 'When I survey' do not seem right. I had thought that 'All that is hidden' made explicit mention of taking up the cross, but apparently not, though I think it was still appropriate. 'Ours were the griefs' was a response to the image that Christ was to suffer.

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

21 August 2011

Entrance	Christ is made the sure foundation
Penitential Rite	St Gabriels (mtgf)
Gloria	At the Table of the Lord (Collegeville Composers Group)
Psalm 137	Your love, O Lord (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(A G Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	He became poor (John Bell)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal (ICEL)
Lamb of God	St Gabriels (mtgf)
Communion	All things are from the Lord (Collegeville Composers Group)
Final	All my hope on God is founded

I was at a meeting earlier this week where the Revised Common Lectionary was discussed and how its adoption in Reformed Churches in the US had led to hymn writers identifying readings for which there were not hymn texts and then to create them. Though I am sure I said before here that I am not sure that a hymn text should be too exact not be a retelling or paraphrase particularly I am surprised that today's Gospel has not led to more texts — or perhaps I am missing something obvious, suggestions welcome.

I think I am correct that Peter's recognition and next week's prophecy of the Passion are heard in all three Lectionary years and are the whole common events in Ordinary Time marking the turning point in the Gospel narrative. This suggests that lack of sung texts is more surprising. Another comment from the meeting is that we should think of being in the Year of John and Matthew (etc.) rather than just Matthew as in each year John is read on a significant number of Sundays (and usually significant Sundays as well).

Therefore the first hymn was in part acclamation to Christ but also shift to Christ rather Peter being the foundation; the final hymn took a similar line of foundations. I did wonder about a verse of 'O come, O come Emmanuel' to link to the first reading but that may have been a little obscure.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

14 August 2011

Entrance	Hail Queen of heaven
Penitential Rite	St Gabriels (mtgf)
Gloria	At the Table of the Lord (Collegeville Composers Group)
Psalm 44	On your right stands the Queen (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(A G Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	Magnificat (Bernadette Farrell)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal (ICEL)
Lamb of God	St Gabriels (mtgf)
Communion	O holy Mary (Owen Alstott)
Final	Tell out my soul

This week we down in numbers as both I and our accompanist were away. There was a pre-Olympic Cycle race which closed local streets. So a choir member reports:

Congregation were a little tentative at first but were clearly singing the Gloria and the Acclamations. We used two versions of the Magnificat (Farrell and Tell out my soul), but this seemed to be an appropriate response to the Gospel. It was something we knew and could sing unaccompanied, and somehow, 'Tell out my Soul' never quite feels like a Magnificat to me...

Meanwhile I was at the parish of Saint Jacques in Reims where Sunday Mass was for 20th Sunday. (Today, Monday, was the Assumption and a bank Holiday with large Mass in the Cathedral.) We had a cantor and an organist as well as congregation and priest who sang. Leaving aside a version of 'Make me a channel of your peace' with 'A new commandment' words. The two main things to note were a brief organ interlude after the Homily, which was effective (and also done at the Cathedral today) and there were baptisms after Mass and the infants with parents and god parents were brought to the Sanctuary after Communion and welcomed and the infants signed with the Cross. We then sang once through the Taizé Magnificat as both an acclamation and preparation for tomorrow. Otherwise it was done simply and well, in particular the disposition of ministers.

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

7 August 2011

Entrance	Dear Lord and Father of mankind
Penitential Rite	St Gabriels (mtgf)
Gloria	At the Table of the Lord (Collegeville Composers Group)
Psalm 84	Let us see, O Lord (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(A G Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	Let nothing trouble you (Bernadette Farrell)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal (ICEL)
Lamb of God	St Gabriels (mtgf)
Communion	As the deer longs (Bob Hurd)
Final	Eternal Father, strong to save

The connections between the reading is not obvious at first glance. I think it is something about the voice that speaks of peace, the quiet voice, the calm in the heart of the storm. The opening hymn set up the still small voice, and the final hymn the raging of the sea. Let nothing trouble you is a variant on be not afraid and at Communion as we approached the altar of the Lord, we also heard of the many waters.