3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

25 January 2015

Entrance	O changeless Christ
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	Newman (James MacMillan)
Psalm 24	Lord, make me know your ways. (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Alleluia Beati (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Lord, you have come to the seashore (Gabarain)
Eucharistic Acclamations	St Annes (James MacMillan)
Lamb of God	Newman (James MacMillan)
Communion Antiphon	I am the light (mtgf)
Communion	Lead me, Lord (SS Wesley)
Final	He who would valiant be

Two weeks of calling the disciples. One difference is that we now with Mark and in Galilee - the place the first hymn picked up. My impression is that Mark is a less attractive gospel to hymn writers that the others (order of popularity John, Luke, Matthew, Mark?). A hymn which uses 'The time is fulfilled' text would be a useful addition.

After last week's extravagance this week's psalm was simpler. It (and next week) is part of a project setting the Common Psalms and other related psalms. So Psalm 24 is used as a Common Psalm in Advent with the response To you, O Lord; on this Sunday there are a different set of verses from the psalm and a difference response Lord, make me know your ways. For ease the same psalm tone is used. One particular feature of the setting is a short interlude after the verse before the response which provides a little space and is also intend so that when it is accompanied by guitars they can get back into the pulse.

The psalm response led to the choice of Wesley's simple anthem Lead me, Lord.

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

18 January 2015

Entrance	Will you come and follow me
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	I'll love the Lord (John Bell)
Eucharistic Acclamations	St Annes (James MacMillan)
Lamb of God	Newman (James MacMillan)
Communion Antiphon	You have prepared a table (mtgf)
Communion	Behold the Lamb of God (Martin Willett)
Final	Forth in the peace

So Mass Settings for Ordinary Time. This is our third year of using the MacMillan settings - it is hard to tell if the congregation has taken to them. Unlike other settings we have stuck with one Memorial Acclamation (When we eat) as I find the word underlay more awkward in the other two.

The psalm setting was a possible indulgence - one I wrote some 26 years ago and I was more harmonically adventurous then. I have used the melody of the response, which I think has a pleasing symmetry, in subsequent settings. In this setting the response text is split, so first 'Here I am, Lord' and then in response to the 3rd verse 'I come to do your will' before coming together at the end.

It is strange, in some ways, that one thinks of many hymns as more suited to one part of Mass than another. Will you come and follow me we usually use at the end of Mass - possibly as though being at Mass was not about following.

The Baptism of the Lord

11 January 2015

Entrance	We shall draw water
Penitential Rite	St Gabriel (mtgf)
Gloria	[Christmas (Paul Gibson)]
Isaiah 12	With joy you will draw water (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	There is one Lord (Owen Alstott)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Christmas (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Behold the One (mtgf)
Communion	Sicut cervus (Palestrina)
Final	Blest be the Lord, the God of Israel

Last week our deacon had confidently preached that Christmas ends at the Epiphany apart from suggesting afterwards that the liturgical books suggest otherwise I thought I ought to follow my own advice and keep our Christmas settings for this Sunday as well. In the past we have begun our Ordinary Time music this week. I was interested to see if there would be any reaction from the congregation. In the end I don't know as the presider went straight from the end of the Penitential Act to the Collect. I am not sure he ever realised.

The psalm response was another example where the music in the leaflet avoided complexity and did not include the time signatures as the setting oscillates between 7/8 and 4/4.

Using the Benedictus at the end made a connection back to Advent to round the season off.

The Epiphany of the Lord

4 January 2015

Entrance	Bethlehem of noblest cities
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. Dean)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Christmas (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	We have seen his star (mtgf)
Communion	The Three Kings (Cornelius)
Final	We three Kings

In previous years, and you can check, we have begun the Epiphany with 'We 3 kings' and ended with 'The first Nowell'. This year we made a change and began with Bethlehem of noblest cities'. For me, at least, there is a tension between wanting to have our fill of carols and awareness a number of the Epiphany hymns giving perhaps a more theological view of the feast. Though I know some don't like 'We three kings' I think it is a good original carol and suspect that its verse have informed people of an interpretation of the Epiphany story. [I was intrigued to hear of some US parishes omitting the 4th verse as it is too sad - this may be an urban myth.]

In the event the opening hymn was just that - and I think what I am partly looking for is the character brings - and gives to the season - this is not Ordinary Time. We three kings did not feel right at the end either - a case of 'we already know this why are you telling us again?'? My thought for next year is the kings at the beginning and a hymn at the end but something uplifting. As Wie schön leeches die Morgenstern is not in the hymnbook 'Songs of thankfulness and praise' but as I suspect the tune is not known perhaps to King Divine?

I have been working on the Common Psalms recently. A Common Psalm is provided for Epiphany in addition to Christmas, presumably to show a shift in the season. (Though the Christmas response All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. would also be appropriate.) What I found interesting, and I suspect is no more than different working groups on the Lectionary, is that for the Epiphany the psalm verses are the same but the response is longer and I think is slightly better — Before you all kings shall fall prostrate, all nations shall serve you.

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.