Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph

28 December 2014

Entrance	See amid the winter's snow
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Christmas (Paul Gibson)
Psalm 104	He, the Lord, is our God (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Carol at Bethlehem Cave (Spanish arr. Walker)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Christmas (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Our God has appeared (mtgf)
Communion	Mary ponder in your heart (Christopher Walker)
Final	Unto us is born a Son

It can a simple, and possibly even obvious, thought which enlightens a feast for you but Living Eucharist noting that the Gospel was partly about the Holy Family gathering with older people. We used the optional readings for Year B and that idea ran through the other readings too with the reference to Abraham and Sarah.

Psalm 104 is not otherwise used on a Sunday. The response I wrote went from 4/4 to ¾ - I always slightly worry that this is my mistake but no that is how it naturally sounded. Picking a point from Christmas night in the congregation's leaflet I left the time signatures out of the music. My suspicion is that elements such as changing time signatures make the music look 'complicated' and therefore effect the congregation's response. I would argue that including the music encourages or at least reminds people to sing and some (many?) may be familiar with basic musical notation. I suppose it is this idea of 'basic musical notation' that suggest not making things appear to complex, such as omitting time signatures or empty bars at the end of a response. The purpose is to give people the necessary information to sing which may not mean a faithful representation of the musical score.

Christmas - Day Mass

25 December 2014

Entrance	Once in royal David's city
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Christmas (Paul Gibson)
Psalm 97	All the ends of the earth (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Sing we the Virgin Mary (Niles)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Christmas (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	All the ends of the earth (mtgf)
Communion	Child of my heart (Scottish arr. Hagen)
	Away in a manger
Final	O little town of Bethlehem

Both Mass during the night and at 11am were full - I would suggest more than our usual congregation.This will partly because outside term time we gain those who may usually go to the evening Mass but as well as regulars having families staying we also a fair number of the less frequent locals and former students.

I realised that I need to make a list of our Christmas repertoire as we fall on various pieces each year with different choir members having their favourites. And each we add a couple of new pieces or perhaps resurrect. Child of my heart is a Marty Haugen arrangement of a Scottish tune which also used by the Iona Community. Where the Iona version (Cloth for the cradle) is lively; this is a gentle lullaby. It is probably 20 years since I last used it but it is a lovely melody. On re-looking I find I want to tweak the words for either sentimentality or what is possibly dated cliché — but a lot of Christmas music would be at risk in the light of those comments.

Christmas - Mass during the Night

25 December 2014

Carol	Once in royal David's city
Choir	O radiant dawn (James MacMillan)
Carol	While shepherds watched
Choir	Shepherd's Cradle Hymn (Bavarian arr. MacPherson)
Carol	O little town of Bethlehem
Choir	Verbum Caro (Richards Dubra)
Carol	Infant lowly
Choir	O holy night (Adam)
Carol	Joy to the world
Entrance	O come all ye faithful
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Christmas (Paul Gibson)
Psalm 95	Today a Saviour has been born (Bernadette Farrell)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Profession of Faith	Credo III - Et incarnatus (Josquin)
Preparation of Gifts	What shall we give (Catalan arr. Dean)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Christmas (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	The Word became flesh (mtgf)
Communion	Night of Silence/ Silent Night (Daniel Kantor)
Final	Hark the herald angels

This year there was just singing from 11.30pm. On reflection there were 2 items too many and it may have been better to have ended with a choir piece.

We sang Credo III again, after a year's absence, with the interpolation of the Josquin Et incarnatus (from Missa Pange Lingua) to allow people time to genuflect - this needs more than a rubric in the booklet. We sang it alternately but I am not sure if the bold type was clear enough in the dim atmospheric lighting. One of the issues that has struck me in the liturgy leaflets is how you give (musical) information to enable people to participate. It may be better, though would require more preparation, to put in the booklet the music for the section which the congregation sing and just text for the rest.

We tried a new descant for Hark the herald angels — it is hard eclipse the memory of a Willcock's descant; for composers as well as singers.

4th Sunday of Advent

21 December 2014

Entrance	Longing, trusting (mtgf)
Penitential Rite	Kyrie 'Orbis factor'
Psalm 88	I will sing for ever (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Helmsley Alleluia (adp. mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	O come divine Messiah (French)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Advent (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Behold, a virgin shall conceive (mtgf)
Communion	O holy Mary (Owen Alstott)
Final	O come, O come Emmanuel

I was away this weekend - but normal musical service continued. It is probably best not to record my liturgical experience; it did make one appreciate again that those things one thinks of as normal, such as, just singing parts of the Mass is not a universal experience.

Looking back at this most Marian of Sundays I suspect this Mass might have better reflected this. However, it would also have seemed odd not to have sung O come, O come Emmanuel. In some ways this Sunday has a sense of 'why are we waiting' — increasing the numbers of 'Come, Lord Jesus'.

3rd Sunday of Advent

14 December 2014

Entrance	On Jordan's bank
Penitential Rite	Kyrie 'Orbis factor'
Canticle - Luke 1	My soul rejoices (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Helmsley Alleluia (adp. mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	Song of God among us (Huijbers)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Advent (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Say to the faint of heart (mtgf)
Communion	God of day and God of darkness (Marty Haugen/Sacred Harp)
Final	Benedictus (Bernadette Farrell)

Due to a blip in the system we did not have a Mass sheet this morning and so the hymn books came out and change for the 1st hymn.

God of day and God of darkness was new to us. The tune Beach Spring is from the Sacred Harp tradition. The tune is suggested as unknown, possibly English - it is a beautiful tune. We sang the 2nd and 3rd verses to some robust Sacred Harp harmony - I had swapped the tenor tune with the soprano line for the 3rd verse.

Immaculate Conception - Feast Day

10 December 2014

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.

2nd Sunday of Advent

7 December 2014

Entrance	Longing, trusting (mtgf)
Penitential Rite	Kyrie 'Orbis factor'
Psalm 84	Let us see, O Lord (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Helmsley Alleluia (adp. mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	O comfort my people (Irish arr. mtgf)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Advent (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Jersualem, arise (mtgf)
Communion	My soul in stillness wait (Marty Haugen)
Final	Come, thou long expected Jesus

We sang the last hymn to Stuttgart the choir told me afterwards that it is always sung to Cross of Jesus and they had never sung it to the other tune.

First Sunday of Advent

30 November 2014

Entrance	Longing, trusting (mtgf)
Penitential Rite	Kyrie 'Orbis factor'
Psalm 79	God of hosts (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Helmsley Alleluia (adp. mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	There is a longing (Anne Quigley)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Advent (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	The Lord will bestow (mtgf)
Communion	Long is our winter
Final	Hark a herald voice

And so we begin again. I scaled down original plans due to available singers but there was I hope a harmony to the hope.

The Helmsley Alleluia happened originally as a matter of economy. Preparing music for a small group in the week I wanted to use Lo, he comes on clouds descending and decided to use the latter half as a Gospel Acclamation - the hymn name is Helmsley. I had forgotten what a good sing the tune is and decided the Alleluia worked quite well and so with a bit of polishing it will be our Advent Alleluia

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

23 November 2014

Entrance	Christus vincit
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Psalm 22	The Lord is my shepherd (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Shepherd me, O God (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Communion Antiphon	The Lord sits as king for ever (mtgf)
Communion	Christ the glory (Lalouette)
Final	We praise you, O God (Peter Jones)

Quite a wide range of music. We have not done Christus vincit for quite a while but the rest was familiar. The last hymn had the last of its 3 planned outings and I hope it is back in our repertoire.

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

16 November 2014

Entrance	Lord of creation
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Psalm 127	O blessed are those (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Come my way (Vaughan Williams)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Communion Antiphon	Amen, I say to you (mtgf)
Communion	Centre of my life (Paul Inwood)
Final	All my hope

The parable of the talents is often seen as a hard gospel, a challenge to preachers but it is also a challenge to pick music around - for much the same reasons. The music was more about wisdom and choice.

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica - Remembrance Sunday

9 November 2014

Entrance	Eternal rest (mtgf)
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Psalm 45	The waters of a river (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Locus iste (Bruckner)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Communion Antiphon	Be built up like living stones (mtgf)
Communion	In Paradisum (Fauré)
Final	Christ is made the sure foundation

I like the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. From what may at first regard seem an obscure celebration there is richness about the here and now, and the heavenly Jerusalem - November themes. Though we were also marking Remembrance Sunday - the readings from the feast and as already noted I don't think there is a clash between the two.

For those wondering the Dedication replaces the Sunday because it is a Feast of the Lord (like the Presentation earlier this year) - the original dedication of the Lateran is to Christ the Saviour. I had not noticed before but GIRM 357 suggests that such Feasts are raised to Solemnities - it is one way of indicating the differences between a Feast and a Sunday or Solemnity.

We were joined by the University Choir. This seemed a good opportunity to sing Locus iste and In Paradisum as well as being a popular choice offered a connection between feast and remembrance.

This was also the first morning Mass that our new (part-time) Chaplain had celebrated.

All Saints

2 November 2014

Entrance	For all the Saints
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Psalm 23	Blessed are they (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Gaudent in caelis (Richard Dering)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Communion Antiphon	Blessed are the clean of heart (mtgf)
Communion	What does the Lord ask (mtgf)
Final	We praise you, O God (Peter Jones )

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

26 October 2014

Entrance	Love is his word
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Psalm 17	I love you, Lord, my strength (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Communion Antiphon	Christ loved us (mtgf)
Communion	I'll love the Lord (John Bell)
Final	God is love

Love your neighbour, or, as struck more challenging in the first reading: Love the stranger. We had a pastoral letter on the Synod. I'm not sure whether music choices touched on all the dimensions of love offered - or whether it could, or even should.

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

19 October 2014

Entrance	Praise the Lord, ye heavens
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Psalm 95	Give the Lord glory and power (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Christ the glory (Lallouette)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Communion Antiphon	Behold the eyes of the Lord (mtgf)
Communion	The love of the Lord (Michael Joncas)
Final	We praise you, O God (Peter Jones)

Sometimes one thinks so many hymns so little time… I was aware that we rendered more praise to God (well it is liturgy) than considered Caesar's claim. It seemed that the psalm was key to this balance. But I am aware that we do not know hymns such as 'O God of earth and altar'. The Joncas piece was offered as post-monetary - silver and gold are not worth as much as faith.

The final hymn is one we have not done for a while (I always tell the singers this but I suspect it is probably 10 years). Like Out of Darkness earlier in the year I thought it worth revisiting and we shall sing it a couple more times in the next month or so.

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

12 October 2014

Entrance	All are welcome
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Psalm 22	In the Lord's house (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Shepherd me, O God (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Communion Antiphon	The rich suffer want (mtgf)
Communion	One in body (Christopher Walker)
Final	Praise we our God with joy

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

5 October 2014

Entrance	Here I am, Lord
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Psalm 79	The vineyard of the Lord (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Servant King
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Communion Antiphon	The Lord is good (mtgf)
Communion	We have been told (David Haas)
Final	Lord Jesus Christ

We are bit thin on the ground over the next couple of weeks as I am away and we just cantor and keyboard. So nothing too demanding.

The psalm is a good example of direct connection with 1st reading. Indeed the response is taken from the reading.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

28 September 2014

Entrance	Our Father we have wandered
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Psalm 24	Remember your mercy, Lord, and the love you have shown from of old. (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	May we have the mind of Christ (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Communion Antiphon	By this we came to know (mtgf)
Communion	Bread of life (Bernadette Farrell)
Final	The kingdom of God is justice and joy

We had the wedding of a choir member yesterday and as celebrations had gone on into the night the music this morning was a little subdued and undemanding. We repeated the Marty Haugen setting of Philippians 2 from a couple of weeks ago. Though I appreciate that the refrain includes the verse before the usual text which does offer a proper response, I don't find it a convincing or perhaps memorable setting.

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

21 September 2014

Entrance	Praise to the holiest
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Psalm 144	The Lord is close (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	No longer I (Bob Hurd)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Communion Antiphon	I am the good shepherd (mtgf)
Communion	Lead me, Lord (SS Wesley)
Final	Tell out my soul

Not the easiest Gospel to find music to connect with. The choices were at tangents: Christ who comes at last in the opening hymn or the humble will be exalted at the end.

Freshers' week so I hope these were familiar, as a rule I tend not to animate less these day - but an occasion like today when we have a fair number of visitors or new people I offer a bit more - people were definitely picking up the Mass sheet and the regulars were also singing supportively.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

14 September 2014

Entrance	When I survey the wondrous cross
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Psalm 77	Never forget (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	May we have the mind of Christ (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Communion Antiphon	When I am lifted up (mtgf)
Communion	God so loved the world (Stainer)
Final	Sing my tongue

I quite like the years when a number of Sundays are replaced by Feasts of the Lord. We had the Presentation of the Lord in February and will have the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in November.

I thought we would try the Haugen setting of Philippians 2 again, and repeat it in a couple of weeks when the text is used for the 2nd reading. In a smiler way it is quite a while since we did the Stainer.

We jumped in the final hymn from the first verse to Faithful Cross which I hope conveyed some of the exaltation.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

7 September 2014

Entrance	Brother, Sister let me serve you
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Psalm 94	(mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Angels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Communion Antiphon	I am the light of the world (mtgf)
Communion	I hear your voice (Christopher Walker)
Final	God is love, his the care

A homily that spoke about amor and caritas; and a couple of former students celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary meant that there were a number of connections between the music chosen and the liturgy. This was Fr Paul's last week - he has supplied for August and this week. We have been very lucky in the quality of preaching we have had from our supply priests over the last couple of years.

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

31 August 2014

Entrance	Unless a grain
Penitential Rite	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Gloria	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Psalm 62	For you my soul (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	Your love is finer (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal
Lamb of God	Nores (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	How great is your goodness (mtgf)
Communion	Ave Verum (Elgar)
Final	He who would valiant be
At the Marian Icon	Ave maris stella

We had two groups of former students at Mass, celebrating 40 and 50 years since they were members of the community. They were invited after Mass to gather around the image of Mary presented by Pope Benedict to sing Ave maris stella which they had requested. Not all stayed but they were joined by present students and former staff.

21st Sunday on Ordinary Time

24 August 2014

Entrance	Christ is made the sure foundation
Penitential Rite	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Gloria	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Psalm 137	Your love, O Lord, is eternal (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	We walk by faith (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal
Lamb of God	Nores (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Whoever eats my flesh (mtgf)
Communion	He became poor (John Bell)
Final	At the name of Jesus

I have noted previously the lack of hymns which deal with key moments in the Gospels. I have wondered since then if hymns about Gospel (or scripture) texts need to be anamnetic rather than mimetic - just recounting what happened - so adding a present and future dimension to a past event.

To reflect Peter's confession of faith we used Philippians 2: first as verses to the Communion Song and then as the basis of the last hymn - Name him, Christians, name him!

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

17 August 2014

Entrance	Come, praise the Lord
Penitential Rite	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Gloria	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Psalm 66	(mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	Listen, Lord (John Bell)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal
Lamb of God	Nores (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	With the Lord there is mercy (mtgf)
Communion	Healer of our every ill (Marty Haugen)
Final	We give thanks for those who knew

A balance between the proclamation to all and healing - with a slight weight to healing. The last hymn was new to us - we sang it to Rockingham - it both fitted and led us out to the world.

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

10 August 2014

Entrance	Dear Lord and Father
Penitential Rite	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Gloria	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Psalm 84	Let us see, O Lord (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	Let nothing trouble you (Bernadette Farrell)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal
Lamb of God	Nores (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	The bread that I will give (mtgf)
Communion	As the deer longs (Bob Hurd)
Final	Eternal Father, strong to save

This morning we seemed be suffering from a pathetic fallacy due to 'ex-Hurricane Bertha'; cycle rides also meant that to everyone could actually get to the chapel. I seemed to recall that a previous time we have sung 'Eternal Father' the weather has been torrential - leading someone then to presume that it was chosen because of the weather rather than the gospel.

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

3 August 2014

Entrance	Let mortal flesh
Penitential Rite	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Gloria	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Psalm 144	You open wide your hands (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	He became poor (Bell)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal
Lamb of God	Nores (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	I am the bread of life (mtgf)
Communion	Ave velum (Elgar)
Final	God is love, his the care

Elgar's Ave Verum because we had four parts, we have not done it for a while and to gave a slight pre-WW1 glow.

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

27 July 2014

Entrance	Christ be beside me
Penitential Rite	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Gloria	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Psalm 118	Lord, how I love your law (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	The love of the Lord (Michael Joncas)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal
Lamb of God	Nores (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Bless the Lord, my soul (mtgf)
Communion	Dulcis Christe (Grancini)
Final	Be thou my vision

It is interesting that the first reading seem to to subvert the surface message of the Gospel - that wisdom and the law is to be preferred to gold, treasure or pearls. This contrast was picked up in the music.

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

20 July 2014

Entrance	Christ is alive with joy we sing
Penitential Rite	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Gloria	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Psalm 85	O Lord, you are good and forgiving (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	There is a longing (Anne Quigley)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal
Lamb of God	Nores (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Behold, I stand (mtgf)
Communion	We have been told (David Haas)
Final	The kingdom of God

Just a solo cantor and accompanist this week - so simpler fare.

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

13 July 2014

Entrance	Unless a grain
Penitential Rite	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Gloria	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Psalm 64	Some seed fell on rich soil (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	The Word of God (mtgf)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal
Lamb of God	Nores (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Whoever eats my flesh (mtgf)
Communion	Parable (M D Ridge)
Final	God, whose almighty word

3 years ago we had begun to sing the new translation - beginning at the beginning of July 2011. Permission was given to sing the text from Easter and to using the Order of Mass in September. We began with Gloria and Eucharistic Acclamations as above. Though there are times when I wonder what we will sing next after the Missal acclamations it is fair to say, that as we sing them unaccompanied, people can be heard to participate. I am not sure whether this is anything inherent in the music or their now familiarity. I suspect, if anything, it is that they are short and direct.

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

6 July 2014

Entrance	I heard the voice of Jesus say
Penitential Rite	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Gloria	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Psalm 144	I will bless your name (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	Like a child rests (Christopher Walker)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal
Lamb of God	Nores (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Come to me all who labour (mtgf)
Communion	Come to me (mtgf)
Final	Rejoice the Lord is king

The presider took the dominant theme as rejoicing whereas I had taken the invitation to rest.

St Peter & St Paul

29 June 2014

Entrance	Into a world
Penitential Rite	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Gloria	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Psalm 33	From all my terrors (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	What does the Lord require (mtgf)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal
Lamb of God	Nores (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Peter said to Jesus (mtgf)
Communion	Now we remain (David Hass)
Final	Thy hand, O God, has guided

The psalm usually serves as a bridge between first reading and gospel. On days such as today the there can be a greater harmony between the readings. I was struck how the second reading's reference to lions might have been picked on in the psalm's "Lion's suffer want and go hungry'.

The Body and Blood of the Lord

22 June 2014

Entrance	We come as guests invited.
Penitential Rite	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Gloria	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Psalm 147	O praise the Lord (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	Love bade me welcome (Vaughan Williams)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal
Lamb of God	Nores (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Whoever eats my flesh (mtgf)
Communion	Come, Christ's beloved (mtgf)
Final	Alleluia, sing to Jesus

O sacrum convivium was in the background today. Towards the end of Vaughan Williams' setting of Herbert's poem the choir enter softly with the chant — so I did sit and eat. If I remember correctly the chant is also used towards the end of Elgar's The Kingdom which is written just a few year's before the Five Mystical Songs. The chant is also used for the melody of the refrain of my setting of Come, Christ's beloved.

For the antiphon, for a change, the verses were taken from Wisdom — you gave your people the food of angels — one appreciates the Grail psalter in its absence. The length of the lines meant it felt as though we were singing anything, possibly a weather report. Indeed, a good consequence of our regular chanting in parts was that we pause for the sense instinctively together. So lesson is, yes it is good to vary the verse text but make sure it is singable.

The Most Holy Trinity

15 June 2014

Entrance	God, whose almighty word
Penitential Rite	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Gloria	At the table of the Lord (Collegeville)
Canticle: Daniel 3	To you glory and praise (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	Loving Creator (Niles arr. Bell)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal
Lamb of God	Nores (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	(mtgf)
Communion	God beyond all names (Bernadette Farrell)
Final	Holy God, we praise thy name

In a similar way to the beginning of Lent, the end of the Easter Season has a complete change of Mass parts. Something simpler for the Summer. I have wondered about moving on from the Missal chants but there were no strong candidates. We sing them accompanied and it is good to hear a shared unison with the congregation.

The litany form of today's canticle seemed effective - a shame that it is the only time such a form occurs on a Sunday.

Loving Creator was a late change from our usual item at this point. We used the Wild Goose arrangement but i was surprised that this is a melody that exists in a number of arrangements and versions of the text.

Pentecost

8 June 2014

Entrance	Come down, O love divine
Gloria	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Psalm 103	Send forth your Spirit (mtgf)
Sequence	Come, O Spirit, Lord divine (chant/mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	Spirit of God (Bernadette Farrell)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Lamb of God	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	They were all filled (mtgf)
Communion	Spirit of God within me (Michael Joncas)
Final	Christ be our light

We had a brief discussion about whether Michael Joncas' melody for the Dudley Smith text Spirit of God within me is a good tune. Down Ampney (the tune of Come down, O love divine is obviously a model with a similar flattened seventh. I think it has greater rhythmic flexibility but my stumbling block is always the last 3 notes — 3 repeated high D flats. Not that high but not that comfortable for a hymn tune.

The Ascension of the Lord

1 June 2014

Entrance	Praise him as he mounts the skies
Penitential Rite	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Gloria	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Psalm 46	Our God goes up (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Celtic (O'Carroll/Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Christ the glory (Lalouette)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Lamb of God	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Behold I am with you (mtgf)
Communion	O Rex gloriae (Marenzio)
Final	Lord, you give the great commission

Is this the only time at Sunday Mass that a lay person proclaims the words of Jesus in a reading? I am not sure why that particularly struck me this morning but it did.

A feast of many dimensions: our preacher touched on sorrow (are we left in sorrow here) which has never been my felling, more trumpet blast. It is harder to bring out the cosmological, eschatological dimensions. Actually the first hymn does some of this - I just find Llanfair a not too exciting tune - a pond of deflated 'Deck the halls'.

6th Sunday of Easter

25 May 2014

Entrance	Love is his word
Penitential Rite	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Gloria	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Psalm 65	Cry out with joy (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Celtic (O'Carroll/Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Let nothing trouble you (Bernadette Farrell)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Lamb of God	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	If you love me (mtgf)
Communion	We have been told (David Haas)
Final	We have a gospel

Originally we had planned If ye love me by Tallis but absence meant a rethink.

5th Sunday of Easter

18 May 2014

Entrance	Christ is alive with joy we sing
Penitential Rite	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Gloria	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Psalm 32	May your love be upon us (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Celtic (O'Carroll/Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Love one another (mtgf)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Lamb of God	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	I am the true vine (mtgf)
Communion	I received the living God (Anon. arr. Richard Proulx)
Final	Out of darkness

We were all together again and we had, inspired by the 2nd reading, another outing of Out of Darkness.

4th Sunday of Easter

11 May 2014

Entrance	All people that on earth do dwell
Penitential Rite	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Gloria	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Psalm 22	The Lord is my shepherd (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Celtic (O'Carroll/Walker)
Preparation of Gifts
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Lamb of God	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	The Good Shepherd has risen (mtgf)
Communion	Shepherd me, O God (Marty Haugen)
Final	Hail redeemer, King divine

I was away in Germany for EuroCat where our Sunday celebration was with the neophytes in Paderborn Cathedral. Rather than leave St Mary's with 2 weeks without Choir members led the music.

3rd Sunday of Easter

4 May 2014

Entrance	Sing of one who walks beside us
Penitential Rite	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Gloria	Mass of Angels & Saints (Steven Janco)
Psalm 15	Show us, Lord (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury (Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	On the journey to Emmaus (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Communion	Ke bona leseli (Barbara Bridge)
Final	This joyful Eastertide

This Sunday the university Choir had been invited to sing by our Chair of Governors, Bishop Richard Moth, at his cathedral in Aldershot. Parts of the liturgy were based on the Feast Day Mass - including using the same arrangement at the Preparation of Gifts as we sing for No wing at the window. The piece at Communion - We have seen the light - was the choir's piece of the annual choirs festival which we had repeated for the graduations.

2nd Sunday of Easter

27 April 2014

Entrance	O sons and daughters
Gloria	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Psalm 117	Give thanks to the Lord (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Celtic (O'Carroll/Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	We walk by faith (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Lamb of God	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Bring your hand (mtgf)
Communion	Now we remain (David Haas)
Final	This joyful Eastertide

2nd Sunday of Easter fare. Nothing too complicated.

Easter Day

20 April 2014

Entrance	Jesus Christ is risen today
Penitential Rite	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Gloria	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Psalm 117	This is the day (Haugen)
Gospel Acclamation/Sequence	Victimae Paschali (mtgf)
Sprinkling	Springs of Water (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	Christo resurgenti (Couperin)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Lamb of God	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Christ our passover (mtgf)
Communion	Exultate iusti (Viadana)
Final	Thine be the glory

Easter Vigil

19 April 2014

Procession	The Lord is my light (Taizé)
Exsultet	Missal
Psalm 103	Send forth your spirit (mtgf)
Psalm 15	Preserve me, God (Christopher Walker)
Exodus 15	I will sing to the Lord (mtgf)
Psalm 18	O Lord, you have the message (mtgf)
Psalm 41-42	As the deer longs (Palestrina/Bridge)
Gloria	Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Gospel Acclamation	Alleluia (chant/mtgf)
Baptismal Liturgy	Springs of water (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	For peace (Antoine Oomen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Lamb of God	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Christ our Passover
Communion	Sicut Cervus (Palestrina)
Final	Out of Darkness (Christopher Walker)

On average it takes us about 3 years to be confident with a piece.The first year is not disastrous but it can have the tension of possibility of falling apart. The setting of Psalm 41 As the deer longs is a case in point - it has settled into the familiar as though we never had problems. Whereas Sicut cervus is at that midway point - we know it is possible and will likely achieve it but it is not in our bodies yet. There were a number of new pieces this year (an implication of planning is that the choice will be for a few years). Psalm 117/Gospel Acclamation was written as an experiment - unaccompanied and with a little choral coda which I think worked. It was at year one performance - singers are not always sure when they singing a seventh in a chord - it may sound 'wrong' but can also be what gives interest.

Returning after a long absence was the final hymn Out of Darkness. As I had previously noted we had prepared for it on the Sundays before Lent but at the Vigil we sang the Easter verses and added the descant to the refrain. Apart from noting that the refrain is a Sarabande it is also one of those sections where I am not sure the choir parts add anything to what is a strong melody (but great choir parts in the verses).

Because of circumstances it was a less confident vigil liturgically - though I suspect I may have been the only one to have noticed where things did not go to plan. I was also struck by the need to have the first reading read well - to set the pace for what follows.

We had a Reception, which in my liturgical fundamentalist mode I might query, but in reality it added an atmosphere of delight to the whole Vigil.

Good Friday

18 April 2014

Psalm 31	Father, into your hands (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Lenten (mtgf)
Adoration of the Cross	Reproaches (Peter Jones)
	Christus factus est (Anton Bruckner)
	[O vos omnes (Victoria)]
Communion	[O Crux ave (Rihards Dubra)]
	Calvarie Mount (Tallis arr. Wood)
	When I survey the wondrous cross

It is hard to know whether there were fewer people there or we took longer but we needed far less music this year. One change, because we had our violinists was my arrangement of Charles Woods' version of Tallis' First Mode melody. The second verse is in the form of a chorale prelude with the instruments weaving lines around the unison melody and then in the last verse there is a decant which can be sung by a solo soprano

Maundy Thursday

17 April 2014

Entrance	For God so loved the world (mtgf)
Penitential Rite	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Gloria	Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Psalm 115	The blessing cup (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Lenten (mtgf)
Washing of the Feet	A new commandment (Peter Nardone)
Preparation of Gifts	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Lamb of God	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Communion Antiphon	This is the Body (mtgf)
Communion	Ave verum Corpus (Byrd)
Procession	Pange lingua (Ricky Manalo)
	Tantum ergo (chant)
Watching	Tantum ergo (Maurice Duruflé)
	Stay with me (Taizé)

The principle suggested last year of retaining much and changing c. 2 works applied again this year. Peter Nardone's short anthem A new commandment is satisfying to sing. There is a danger of taking it too quickly on the first page so that the entry of the men with the Ubi caritas chant is too rushed. In the liturgy booker which covers the three days and includes a simple commentary there was a note linking the chant with the Mass setting.

In the crypt we sang Duruflé's setting of Tantum ergo as a reflection after we had intoned the chant version. It struck me that in the 4 motets that Duruflé is exploring different ways of treating a plainchant cantus firmus. Here contrapuntally with the tenor part as a quasi-canon. For those interested in such thing the French publishers now publish a collection of French Sacred Choral Music which includes both the Duruflé motets and the Poulenc Christmas motets among other things for cost of not much more than either the above two items singularly.

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

13 April 2014

Entrance	Hosanna (Paul Inwood)
Psalm 21	My God, my God (Christopher Walker)
Gospel Acclamation	Lenten (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	Ours were the griefs (Stephen Dean)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Lamb of God	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Communion Antiphon	Father, if this chalice (mtgf)
Communion	Christus factus est (Anerio)
Final	My song is love unknown

5th Sunday of Lent

6 April 2014

Entrance	For God so loved the world (mtgf)
Penitential Rite	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Psalm 129	God of compassion (Scott Soper)
Gospel Acclamation	Lenten (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	I am the resurrection, I know that my redeemer (William Croft)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Lamb of God	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Communion Antiphon	Everyone who lives (mtgf)
Communion	When Jesus wept (William Billings)
Final	Praise the Lord, ye heavens

We had sung Croft's Funeral Sentences at the University Choir Concert earlier in the week so the Gospel gave us an opportunity to repeat the first two. William Billings was an early American composer who wrote rugged music. When Jesus wept is a simple 3 part canon which we sang in a pretty arrangement by Peter Paul Olejar.

4th Sunday of Lent

30 March 2014

Entrance	For God so loved the world (mtgf)
Penitential Rite	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Psalm 22	The Lord is my shepherd (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Lenten (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	My shepherd will supply (Virgil Thomson)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Lamb of God	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Communion Antiphon	The Lord anointed my eyes (mtgf)
Communion	Song of the Man born blind (Bob Hurd)
Final	I heard the voice of Jesus say

A little Americana this morning. Bob Hurd's Song of the Man born blind is a little C&W. we sing it in 3 part close harmony. As with other sings from the collection A lenten Journey it combines images from the gospel with the other readings - in particular the Good Shepherd. The Virgil Thomson is an arrangement of a Southern American hymn tune (Resignation I think) with words by Isaac Watts - a paraphrase of Psalm 22 (23).

Until I checked I thought that Horatius Bonar was also American, an Episcopalian I thought. But he was Scottish and a minister of the Free Presbyterian Church. Though the (different) Church of Scotland has now adopted the Revised Common Lectionary I am not sure what was used previously whether a variant of the old Roman Lectionary (used in Tridentine Missal & BCP) or whether there was greater latitude. Anyway the point of this is that the readings we can see as central to Lent on the 3rd, 4th and 5th Sundays in Year A from John's Gospel were not used. So the connection of I heard the voice of Jesus say to the Samaritan Woman and the Man born blind is probably a happy coincidence. A number of years ago I wrote 4th verse for the raising of Lazarus and the 5th Sunday which is now available here.

3rd Sunday of Lent

23 March 2014

Entrance	For God so loved the world (mtgf)
Penitential Rite	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Psalm 94	O that today (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Lenten (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	O God, you search me (Bernadette Farrell)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Lamb of God	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Communion Antiphon	If anyone drinks (mtgf)
Communion	As the deer longs (Bob Hurd)
Final	Praise my soul

Today's psalm is a good example (unique) where the text repeats the first reading about the Israelites at Massah and Meribah. What otherwise can be obscure place names are here given a context of thirsting for water and the psalm adds listening for God's voice. When I first became aware of the significance of the gospel's on the 34rd, 4th and 5th Sundays of Lent I was underwhelmed by the choice of psalm. Surely there plenty better psalms that could be sung including Psalm 41-42 which we sang at Communion. But the Gospel of Samaritan woman offers so many layers of meaning.

Our other psalm at the Preparation of Gifts was intended as the 'song of the Samaritan women' uncomfortably recognising Jesus as a prophet. Another text which might have been my choice of responsorial psalm we used as the verses for the Communion antiphon from Isaiah 12 - with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

2nd Sunday of Lent

16 March 2014

Entrance	For God so loved the world (mtgf)
Penitential Rite	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Psalm 32	May your love (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Lenten (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	O bata lux (Tallis)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Lamb of God	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Communion Antiphon	This is my beloved Son (mtgf)
Communion	Transfigure us, O Lord (Bob Hurd)
Final	Crown him with many crowns

1st Sunday of Lent

9 March 2014

Entrance	For God so loved the world (mtgf)
Penitential Rite	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Psalm 50	Have mercy, O God (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Lenten (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	Miserere (Lotti)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Lamb of God	Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Communion Antiphon	One does not eat (mtgf)
Communion	Out into the wilderness (Bob Hurd)
Final	Guide me, O thou great Redeemer

Lent is our most regular season in that many of the elements are not changed from year to year. This makes both planning and preparation easier. The Lotti we have done before but take a leaf out of Martin Barry's book we sang some verses from psalm 50 before relating the Miserere once more. We sang the psalm to a simplified Gregorian psalm tone. I find that Gregorian psalm tones are a little forced in English. I am not sure if it because of the Grail translation and its pulse or because of the difference between English and Latin prosody.

8th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2 March 2014

Entrance	All my hope on God is founded
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Newman (James MacMillan)
Psalm 61	In God alone (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Alleluia Beati (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Lead kindly light (Howard Goodall)
Eucharistic Acclamations	St Annes (James MacMillan)
Lamb of God	Newman (James MacMillan)
Communion Antiphon	Behold, I am with you (mtgf)
Communion	Restless is the heart (Bernadette Farrell)
Final	Out of Darkness (Christopher Walker)

Originally I had planned for the opening hymn to be My soul is longing for your peace. It picked up ideas of trust in God and the image of mother and child. However I suspected that it would be unfamiliar to the other singers and so picked a more well know hymn.

This is Sunday which rarely appears unless Easter is quite late. I was surprised when I looked at my files to see an unfinished setting last looked at in 2001. The psalm text is quite simple and in some ways mores songlike than usual - so the setting was completed.

Last week we were at the Cathedrals Group Choirs' Festival. Today we sang a movement from a piece we learnt for it 4 years ago in Lincoln: Lead kindly light from Howard Goodall's Eternal Light. I was not a fan of the complete work but I thought this was a good setting of an awkward text. I am not sure that it is a good hymn text, a similar thought struck me singing a Keble text at an Evensong a few weeks ago. Both were written as devotional poetry and have a personal element on which one might criticise in more contemporary texts.

We ended with Out of Darkness - its last outing before Easter.

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

23 February 2014

This Sunday all the musicians were at the Cathedrals Group Choirs' Festival in Chichester and so, as happens occasionally, there was no music at Mass.

6th Sunday on Ordinary Time

date

Entrance	Your words are spirit (Bernadette Farrell)
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Newman (James MacMillan)
Psalm 118	They are happy (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Alleluia Beati (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Eye has not seen (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	St Annes (James MacMillan)
Lamb of God	Newman (James MacMillan)
Communion Antiphon	They ate and had their fill (mtgf)
Communion	In perfect charity (Randall DeBruyn)
Final	Lord of Creation

Though the Entrance Psalm picked up the idea of God's law the rest of the choices reflected the Second reading more.

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

9 February 2014

Entrance	Christ be our light
Gloria	Newman (James MacMillan)
Psalm 111	Good people are a light (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Alleluia Beati (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	What does the Lord require (mtgf)
Eucharistic Acclamations	St Annes (James MacMillan)
Lamb of God	Newman (James MacMillan)
Communion Antiphon	Blessed are those who mourn (mtgf)
Communion	Bread for the world (Christopher Walker)
Final	The kingdom of God

Light, light, light — again.

When the reform of the liturgy was happening one of the first parts which had to be revised was the Calendar and I am slightly surprised that the Presentation of the Lord 'knocked out' the Beatitudes - as my impression is that generally celebrations which take the place of Sundays don't interrupt the flow of the readings.

We did sing the Beatitudes. They form the verses of What does the Lord require? and we tried a new version with more melodic verses.

We had a Baptism this morning at Mass which we have had not had for a long time. Even so some things do not change as we only discovered before Mass that it was taking place. If nothing else to would nice to include it in the Mass leaflet and invite people to remember and pray for the child.

Thanksgiving for University Title

5 February 2013

Entrance	As a fire
Canticle	My soul rejoices (Owen Alstott)
Reflection	Ave Maria (Chris Rolinson)
Final Hymn	O God beyond all praising

We are now St Mary's University and on Wednesday there was a short service of thanksgiving in the Chapel. The University Choir (as they are now known) came and with a trumpet, the organ and member of staff sang the Rolinson. The final hymn we use for graduations but it indicated the need to find things that people would sing. In preparing for a service for a mixed group of staff, students, governors and beyond from a variety of backgrounds the best you can do, I think, is pick melodies that people know with appropriate words. So the final hymn was Thaxted and the first (we are learners, we are teachers) was sung to Ode to Joy.

Presentation of the Lord

2 February 2014

Entrance	The Lord is my light (Taizé)
Procession	Christ is the light (Stephen Dean)
Gloria	Newman (James MacMillan)
Psalm 23	Who is the king of glory? (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Alleluia Beati (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	O nata lux (Tallis)
Eucharistic Acclamations	St Annes (James MacMillan)
Lamb of God	Newman (James MacMillan)
Communion Antiphon	My eyes have seen your salvation (mtgf)
Communion	Song of Simeon (mtgf)
Final	Out of darkness (Christopher Walker

It is a long time since we celebrated Candlemas on a Sunday — I am not sure what we did last time. What is striking is that is the final ripple of the Christmas season or cycle of feasts but ritually it looks forward to Easter. Our procession was physically the same as the Procession with Palms and our opening chant is repeated at the Easter Vigil. On practical note with the weather and lights off in the chapel we had an effective gloom for candles at 11am.

We were going to sing The Lord is now about to enter the temple by Gouzes. It is one of those pieces that stares out from Laudate but I changed it to the Tallis. We did it in an English version which had 3 verses only the second of which was explicit about the Transfiguration and so was omitted.

As promised last week we repeated Out of Darkness this time as a final hymn. I told people why - that I intended to use it at Easter and they seemed to sing it.

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

26 January 2014

Entrance	All that is hidden
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Newman (James MacMillan)
Psalm 26	The Lord is my light (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Alleluia Beati (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Lord, you come to the seashore (Gabarain)
Eucharistic Acclamations	St Annes (James MacMillan)
Lamb of God	Newman (James MacMillan)
Communion Antiphon	I am the light of the world (mtgf)
Communion	Out of Darkness (Christopher Walker)
Final	Church of God, elect and glorious

One of the effects of a through-sung Gloria is that it takes quite a bit of space on the service sheet. Usually we have an A5 sheet with Mass parts, psalms response, antiphon and references to the readings; this is used alongside the hymnbook. Currently we have a folded A4 sheet and therefore it contains all sung texts and hymn books are not given out. This actually meant that people had the refrain of All that is hidden but not the verses and there was no space for Lord, you have come. Long term readers of this blog may have noted that I like to adapt to changing resources (i.e. if someone is unable to come on Sunday) I therefore appreciate the flexibility that sheet and hymn book bring — whatever the resources we can usually manage Mass parts, psalm etc.

Today was a good example of a prophetic text in the first reading being quoted in the Gospel — it made an interesting start to our use of Matthew's Gospel in Ordinary Time, Christ as the fulfilment of the scriptures.

Last week, this and next, there is a lot of light around. The congregation got a double whammy of 1 Peter inspired texts at the end of Mass. The Seddon text is beautifully crafted and fits Blaenwern well. I have decided to resurrect Out of Darkness. It is a long time since we have done it — we used to sing it at the end of the Easter Vigil and I would like to try that again and so you will see a number of times over the coming weeks.

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

19 January 2014

Entrance	God whose almighty Word
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Newman (James MacMillan)
Psalm 39	Here I am, Lord (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Alleluia Beati (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	O child of promise (Andrew Maries)
Eucharistic Acclamations	St Annes (James MacMillan)
Lamb of God	Newman (James MacMillan)
Communion Antiphon	You have prepared a table (mtgf)
Communion	Those who were in the dark (Martin Willett)
Final	Blest be the Lord (Alstott/Farrell)

The strange chronology of Advent means that the beginning of Ordinary Time picks up the story of the early chapters of the Gospel, acting as frame device around the Christmas season. There were musical echoes of Advent today. O child of promise (particularly with the correct words) was repeated from the 4th Sunday and the Benedictus got another outing. I did consider repeating O radiant dawn as again it reflected some of the themes of the readings. In the end we stuck with Martin Willett's Those who were in the dark or Behold the Lamb of God. I have a soft spot for this St Louis Jesuit influenced piece, slightly retro but it has its charm.

The Baptism of the Lord

12 January 2014

Entrance	We shall draw water (Paul Inwood)
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Newman (James MacMillan)
Psalm 28	The Lrd will bless (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	There is one Lord (Owen Alstott)
Eucharistic Acclamations	St Annes (James MacMillan)
Lamb of God	Christmas (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Behold the one (mtgf)
Communion	Sicut cervus (Palestrina)
Final	O praise ye the Lord

Epiphany of the Lord

5 January 2014

Entrance	We three kings
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Christmas (Paul Gibson)
Psalm 71	O Lord, all the earth (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	What shall we give? (Catalan arr. Stephen Dean)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Christmas (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	We have seen his star (mtgf)
Communion	Three Kings from persian lands afar (Peter Cornelius)
Final	The first Nowell

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

29 December 2013

Entrance	See amid the winter's snow
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Christmas (Paul Gibson)
Psalm 127	O blessed are those (Paul Inwood)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Carol at Bethlehem Cave (Christopher Walker)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Christmas (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Our God has appeared (mtgf)
Communion	In the bleak midwinter (Holst)
Final	Unto us is born a Son