2nd Sunday of Lent

20 March 2011

Entrance	For God so loved the world (mtgf)
Penitential Rite	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Psalm 32	May your love (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Lenten (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	Eye has not seen (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Lamb of God	Remembrance (Marty Haugen)
Communion	Transfigure us, O Lord (Bob Hurd)
Final	Christ be our light (Bernadette Farrell)

Reduced singers and no accompaniment - so again nought fancy. As ever one of the advantages of being unaccompanied is that you can hear people singing. Last week I was a little concerned that people had not remembered or even warmed to Bob Hurd's Ubi Caritas acclamations; this week it was not just a couple of solos at the front. It may be an idea, as we have previously, to sing always this unaccompanied. The other difference was that this week we were in unison; last week I sang tenor. One of my many theories of leading music is that the congregation attune themselves to certain voices - this maybe pure self-aggrandisement!

1st Sunday of Lent

13 March 2011

Entrance	For God so loved the world (mtgf)
Penitential Rite	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Psalm 50	Have mercy on us (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Lenten (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	Be with me, Lord (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Lamb of God	Remembrance (Marty Haugen)
Communion	Out into the wilderness (Bob Hurd)
Final	Guide me, O thou great Redeemer ( )

From September until now the changes in Mass parts have been gradual, some constants, other parts changing with the seasons. With Lent, and with Easter, the changes are more abrupt. A practical reason is that as we have new people each September it allows time to learn the music and gain a foundation. For those who have been around a little longer one hopes that the return of familiar settings is a welcome memory.

One of our singers could not be with us today and as this meant a whole part in a couple of pieces I had planned we had to turn to familiar settings. Psalm 90 (91) is sung as the psalm in other years and though it is quoted in the gospel it is by the tempter! Marty Haugen's setting has an easy flow. I was struck by how this genre is intended to work whatever the resources — you can add and take away parts, beyond melody and chords everything might be seen as ornamentation; whereas Morales needs all parts present and correct.

Sometimes there is a difference in the text between the psalm setting and the Mass sheet. Obviously one goes with the Mass sheet to save confusion. This morning I noted that the psalm response is plural whereas the text of the psalm is singular, including the equivalent text of the response.

9th Sunday in Ordinary Time

6 March 2011

Entrance	Christ is made the sure foundation
Gloria	St Augustines (Christopher Walker)
Psalm 30	O Lord, be a rock (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	These words (Tom Lowenthal)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Remembrance (Marty Haugen)
Communion	Exultate iusti (Viadana)
Final	All creatures of our God and king

A Sunday to say farewell to the Alleluia hence the final hymn. The praise of water was appropriate as we had a baptism this morning as well. It was Sunday of leave taking of a number of texts and music. I think it will be the last time we sing 'Christ has died'. The Mass setting we sing before September and the new translation offer a choice of acclamations. It will be the last time we sing the Mass of Creation in its current guise. It is also farewell, I think, to St Augustine's Gloria. I am not aware that a rewrite with the new translation is planned. I have always enjoyed its sprightliness and forward drive. I was once in a parish where the parish priest did not like it because the refrains are in Latin.

Our organist he did not know the tune of Westminster Abbey, though we have sung Christ is made the sure foundation before, perhaps we did it unaccompanied. I am not sure it's a tune I would introduce unaccompanied. Anyway it linked to the gospel and also with the baptism. These words can sound like an off-cut from Fiddler on the Roof but it is a good memorable tune and arrangement and as well as being based on the first reading it spoke of baptism and the handing on of faith.

8th Sunday in Ordinary Time

27 February 2011

For the first time since in over 12 years, I think, there was no music at Mass this morning. The singers went with the College Choir for the Church Colleges Choir Festival in Lincoln and our organist was on vacation in New York.

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

20 February 2011

Entrance	Brother, Sister let me serve you ()
Gloria	St Augustine's (Christopher Walker)
Psalm 102	The Lord is compassion (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Remembrance (Marty Haugen)
Communion	Love one another (mtgf)
Final	God is love, his the care

Two baptisms this morning. I sometimes wonder if the congregation realise this is a surprise — the lack of reference to them in the Mass leaflet is the clue. Our deacon suggested before Mass that he could not make any connections between the readings and baptism so he would reflect on the MIddle East instead. Though he is experienced enough to weave some references to Baptism into the homily but the focus was regime change. And the connection with music? Well it seems to me that there is a balance between relating the gospel to current events, particular an area one has an interest in and making a judgement about the congregation that will hear it. First and last hymns were chosen was because there were two large baptismal parties and as is often the case many seem not over familiar with participating in Mass. The Servant Song because it is something the congregation knows well and it is suffused with baptismal imagery. The final hymn because I find it is well know and it is 'upbeat'.

I wondered today about the language of the Rite of Baptism given the recent debate in the Anglican General Synod. I find this a hard question, partly because I cannot listen without my 'informed' ear, but there is also a question of people's expectations. The danger is however you describe how language works in liturgy it sounds like a defence of impenetrability - for example if you suggest it may not all be meant to be taken in instantly. I also guess there is a divorcing of text from context - as this gives meaning.

A final passing thought. For another context I was wondering Ubi caritas: Hurd or plainchant? And realised I think of the chant as strongly linked to Maundy Thursday and would not be right at another time whereas Hurd (etc?) I am quite happy with elsewhere. It is not wholly rational this liturgy stuff.

6th Sunday in Ordinary

13 February 2011

Entrance	Your words are spirit and life (Bernadette Farrell)
Penitential Rite	St Gabriels I (mtgf)
Gloria	St Augustine's (Christopher Walker)
Psalm 118	They are happy who follow God's law (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	In perfect charity (Randall DeBruyn)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Remembrance (Marty Haugen)
Communion	Teach me, O Lord (Christopher Walker)
Final	Praise the Lord, ye heavens adore him ( )

The lateness of Easter means that we are into a series of Sundays that usually fall into the gap of the liturgical year. One of the strokes of genius in the reform of the liturgical year was to make Ordinary Time one season — exploring the life and teaching of Jesus — with some Sundays which are never celebrated each year. For the church musician this means psalms which if they do not recur in the Sunday cycle are rarely sung and Gospel that are heard less often. So today we had a simple setting of the responsorial psalm but the opening song was a similar meditation on the law and at Communion we sang a more expansive setting from Psalm 118. I was interested to note that my instinct if we are singing a second psalm setting is to place it at Communion rather than the Preparation of Gifts. As is often the case the act of Communion adds a level of meaning to the psalm - so the way we should follow is the procession to receive Christ's Body and Blood.

In perfect charity has a text based or inspired by St Francis of Assisi by the composer Randall DeBruyn. It is sung to a fine, long, well-constructed melody which he has arranged to make a satisfying choir piece.

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

6 February 2011

Entrance	God, whose almighty Word
Penitential Rite	St Gabriels I (mtgf)
Gloria	St Augustine's (Christopher Walker)
Psalm 111	Good people are a light (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Return to God (Marty Haugen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Remembrance (Marty Haugen)
Communion	Bread for the world (Christopher Walker)
Final	Christ be our light (Bernadette Farrell )

I am often aware that much of my knowledge of scripture comes from singing it and so it was with the first reading today. This means that the reverse can also happen. On reflecting on the passage a melody came to mind and so we sang Marty Haugen's Return to God.

Light was the dominant theme today - salt is a seemingly less attractive option for text writers - and light was there in all the musical choices.