18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B, 2012)

Sunday, 5 August 2012

 
Entrance All people that on earth do dwell
Gloria Missa de Angelis
Gospel Acclamation Easter Alleluia (chant)
Preparation of the Gifts Lord Jesus Christ, you have come to us
Sanctus, Acclamation Gathering Mass (Paul Inwood)
Communion One bread, one body (John Foley)
Recessional Forth in the peace of Christ
 

The choir’s on holiday until September, so this was typical summer holiday fare, for assembly and reluctant organist. The music – chosen by the management – was a good and ambitious mix, which elicited confident singing for the opening and closing hymns, and for the Gospel Acclamation and Sanctus. Not many people seemed to know their way through the Gloria from Mass VIII, and while the revised Gathering Mass uses the same melodic material as before, we haven’t thus far sung any of the new Memorial Acclamations. By about half-way through, people seemed to realise that the unfamiliar words fitted a familiar tune.

One bread, one body needs piano accompaniment, to provide some rhythmic movement underneath the rather static melody, and as both the extension cable (the piano’s actually a Clavinova) and the piano stool seemed to have gone walkabout, we were stuck with the organ, and no-one really knew what was happening. But we made it to the end.

All that, plus the Allemande from the Suite in A Major by Telemann by way of a voluntary. Anthony could find himself out of a job.

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B, 2012)

Sunday, 22 July 2012

Entrance Praise we our God with joy
Kyrie Kyrie for 3 voices adapted from Byrd (mcb)
Gloria Glory to God (Peter Jones)
Psalm His goodness shall follow me (Chris O’Hara)
Gospel Acclamation Here in our Midst (Peter Jones)
Preparation of the Gifts The living God my shepherd is
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Agnus Dei Holy Family Mass (John Schiavone)
Communion Here I stand at the door (John Bell)
Postcommunion Flocks in pastures green (J.S. Bach, 1685-1750)
Recessional Hail Redeemer, King divine
 

The lectionary makes ample reference today to the image of the Shepherd, and the three hymns, the Responsorial Psalm and our Postcommunion piece all did the same. The psalm setting was Chris O’Hara’s, with the verses set (a cappella, the way we did it) to the Irish folk melody She moved through the fair. Bekki Gocher was the cantor, in a haunting rendition.

We combined John Bell’s paraphrase of today’s Communion antiphon with chanted verses from Psalm 15(16): O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup.

That’s it from the choir until September. Next Sunday (5 August), the people of God of Salford do their annual penance: Anthony’s in Lourdes and so I’m playing the organ. I’m hoping for yet more of those glowing tributes, but I’ll settle for politely averted gazes afterwards.

Ordination to the Priesthood of Joseph Gee

Saturday of Week 15 in Ordinary Time
21 July 2012

 
Entrance Praise to the Holiest
Kyrie Kyrie Eleison from Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Gloria Psallite Mass
Psalm The Cry of the Poor (John Foley)
Gospel Acclamation Easter Alleluia
Litany of the Saints Chant
Illustrative Rites Veni Creator Spiritus (chant, with vv 2 & 6 by T.L. de Victoria, 1548-1611)
Kiss of Peace Sicut Cervus (G.P. da Palestrina, 1525-1594)
Preparation of the Gifts God has chosen me (Bernadette Farrell)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Spring Sanctus (mcb)
Agnus Dei Missa Ubi Caritas
Communion Come to me (Martin Barry & Diane Murden)
Postcommunion O Salutaris Hostia in F (Edward Elgar, 1857-1934)
Recessional Tell out, my soul
 

A good mix of music for a happy celebration. The most appreciative comments afterwards were for Bernadette Farrell’s God has chosen me, which captures the essence of priestly vocation (as expressed in Luke 4:18) in vibrant musical form.