| Entrance | Godhead here in hiding |
| Penitential Rite | Lux et origo (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco) |
| Psalm 117 | Give thanks to the Lord (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Celtic (O'Carroll/Walker) |
| Preparation of Gifts | Now we remain (David Haas) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco) |
| Lamb of God | Lux et origo (mtgf) |
| Communion Antiphon | Bring your hand (mtgf) |
| Communion | Christ our peace (Marty Haugen) |
| Final | This joyful Eastertide |
| Entrance | Jesus Christ is risen today |
| Penitential Rite | Lux et origo (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco) |
| Psalm 117 | This day was made by the Lord (mtgf) |
| Sequence | Victimae Paschali Laudes (arr. mtgf) |
| Preparation of Gifts | Rise heart (Easter) (Vaughan Williams) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco) |
| Lamb of God | Lux et origo (mtgf) |
| Communion Antiphon | Christ our passover (mtgf) |
| Communion | I have seen the Lord ()Bob Hurd) |
| Final | Thine be the glory |
I was doing a workshop on limited musical resources which is quite an opaque phrase. I decided in the end it is about musical confidence rather than numbers. This morning there was just three of us - so various thing I had planned were put to one side. In act of musical confidence, which I am not sure the performance wholly bore out, I offered the first of Vaughan Williams 5 Mystical Songs.
| Procession | Missal |
| 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 29 | I will praise you, Lord (Paul Inwood) |
| Psalm 41-42 | As the deer longs (Palestrina/Bridge) |
| Gloria | Wisdom (Steven Janco) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Celtic Alleluia (O'Carroll/Walker) |
| 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 | Holy is God (Paul Inwood) |
I always enjoy the staginess of the Vigil. This includes the time beforehand when all the lights are on, ministers are preparing and people are arriving. Shortly we will be go into the night and capture the flame for the Easter Candle.
This probably is our model set of music for recent years with a variation of psalm. The one change was the use of the Missal 'The light of Christ' at the beginning. For many years we have used Taizé "The Lord is my light' and reason for that was a deacon who could not sing. It one advantage is that it does accompany the liturgical action with music and leads to the Exsulte.
| Psalm 30 | Father, into your hands (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Lenten (mtgf) |
| Adoration of the Cross | Reproaches (Peter Jones) |
| O vos omnes (Victoria) | |
| Communion | O Crux ave (Rihards Dubra) |
| When I survey the wondrous cross |
The list above does not always include everything which is sung, for example, the procession with the cross was sung to the simple Missal tone. We also sing a short acclamation during the Passion readings on Sunday and today. I think this a better option than the congregation being the crowd (which seems to me a false-participation). I also think that a short acclamation is better than a hymn for three reasons: it should be short and not stop the narrative, just punctuate it; ideally it should be something people know so that they can participate by heart, thirdly most hymns are general passion rather than specific to the narrative. For a number of years we have used John Bell's Behold the Lamb of God for both Sunday and Friday. I have been aware that John's Passion has a different emphasis and wanted to reflect this in the acclamation. This year we tried my For God so loved the world — a Johannine text.
I commented earlier in Lent about the desirability of a hymn as an authentic mode of participation.
| Entrance | For God so loved the world (mtgf) |
| Penitential Rite | Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd) |
| Gloria | Mass of Wisdom (Steven Janco) |
| Psalm 115 | The blessing cup (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Lenten (mtgf) |
| Washing of the Feet | Faith, hope & love (Christpher Walker) |
| Preparation of Gifts | I give to you a new commandment (Peter Nardone) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd) |
| Lamb of God | Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd) |
| Communion Antiphon | This is the body (mtgf) |
| Communion | Ave verum corpus (Byrd) |
| Procession | Pange lingua (Ricky Manalo) |
| Watching | Tantum ergo (chant) |
| Stay with me (Taizé) |
I think we (I?) have reconciled ourselves to less music - e.g. at Communion and in the crypt. It definitely flows more easily without that feeling that once we finish this piece the next will start immediately.
We had done the Nardone anthem on Maundy Thursday before. We have used it this term with the University choir and so it was good to place the chant of Ubi Caritas in its proper place. As I have probably said before it is a simple but effective piece - in some ways just the same melody sung three times but with enough variation and satisfaction for the singers.
We tried a different arrangement of singers for the Pange Lingua chant. It always involves a certain logistical planning with some singers heading for the crypt ahead of the procession and some staying with the procession upstairs and then making our way by a different route to regather with the singers in the crypt. What was apparent this year was that the congregation had taken up Ricky Manalos (lush) chant. I am not sure how long we have sung it (since 2010 and I note that in 2011/12 people seem to be picking it up well!)
| Antiphon | Hosanna to the Son of David (mtgf) |
| Procession | Hosanna (Paul Inwood) |
| Psalm 21 | My God, my God (Chrosyopher Walker) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Lenten (mtgf) |
| Preparation of Gifts | Ours were the greifs (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 |
Last year, I was away for Palm Sunday so this was the first time I had experienced the procession. We have a natural gathering point and route - from what was originally one of Walpole's follies - the Chapel in the Woods across the piazza to the chapel. We began with the choir singing the opening antiphon. For the procession we continued our use of the Hosanna from the Gathering Mass and I written a psalm tine from verses from Psalm 24. It seemed to work well, my one thought was that the harmony on the Hosannas might have been better left until we had entered the chapel.
| Entrance | For God so loved the world (mtgf) |
| Penitential Rite | Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd) |
| Psalm 129 | With the Lord (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Lenten (mtgf) |
| Preparation of Gifts | Miserere (Rihards Dubra) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd) |
| Lamb of God | Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd) |
| Communion Antiphon | Everyone who lives (mtgf) |
| Communion | I am the Resurrection (Bob Hurd) |
| Final | Gift of love |
We were joined by 70 local Catenians this morning. Though they participated with vigour it made one take a step back and reflect on how much might be unfamiliar to them. I am not sure what might our common repertoire be - especially as I would consider that the local Lenten journey through the Sundays has precedence. but that said it also highlights what seems to me to a problem with those who are broadly 'anti-hymn' in the liturgy. It seems to me that however 'liturgical' the rest there is the need for a good sing which a hymn provides. I am writing this on the evening of Good Friday and I think an important moment in that liturgy is the communal singing of When I survey after Communion - a gift to us from the non-conformist tradition.
The piece by Richards Dubra had been sung by the University Choir in Leeds. It is good to find place for such pieces in our worship. Today because it climaxes on 'and live' - which seemed a command to Lazarus.
| 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 | () |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd) |
| Lamb of God | Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd) |
| Communion Antiphon | The Lord anointed my eyes. (mtgf) |
| Communion | |
| Final |
By some mysterious chance all the singers were away this weekend and so our accompanist once again stepped into the breach as cantor
| 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 | Your love is finer (Marty Haugen) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd) |
| Lamb of God | Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd) |
| Communion Antiphon | For anyone who drinks it (mtgf) |
| Communion | O God, you search me (Berndatte Farrell) |
| Final | Glorious things of you are spoken |
What has been a feature of this Lent has been some unfamiliar or new hymns to us. Glorious things picked up ideas of the rock and the streams of living water.
