Christ the King (Year B, 2012)

Sunday, 25 November 2012

 
Entrance Crown him with many crowns
Kyrie Mass of the Celtic Saints (Liam Lawton)
Gloria Mass of the Most Sacred Heart (Jacob Bancks)
Psalm The Lord is King (Paul Wellicome)
Gospel Acclamation Here in our Midst (Peter Jones)
Preparation of the Gifts Let all the world
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen German Mass (Schubert/Proulx)
Agnus Dei Lamb of God II (mcb)
Communion Te saeculorum principem (chant) & Jesus, remember me (Taizé)
Postcommunion The Truth From Above (Traditional, arr. R Vaughan Williams, 1872-1958)
Recessional Christus Vincit (arr. Martin Baker)
 

Our Lord’s words in the Gospel were:

I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.

Vaughan Williams’s haunting folk-song arrangement began and ended:

This is the Truth sent from above…
Be pleased to hear what he did say.

Our closing chant Christus Vincit was given redoubled vigour by Martin Baker’s fiery organ part. It was followed immediately by Marcel Dupré’s Placare Christe Servulis: more organ fireworks from our excellent organist Anthony Hunt.

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B, 2012)

Presentation of Candidates for Confirmation & First Communion

Sunday, 18 November 2012

 
Entrance Here I am, Lord (Dan Schutte)
Kyrie (Dinah Reindorf)
Gloria Psallite
Psalm Keep me safe (Paul Inwood)
Gospel Acclamation St Agatha Alleluia (mcb)
Presentation of Candidates Christ be our light (Bernadette Farrell)
Preparation of the Gifts For the beauty of the earth (John Rutter)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen German Mass (Schubert/Proulx)
Agnus Dei Lamb of God II (mcb)
Communion Take and eat (Michael Joncas)
Recessional Lo he comes with clouds descending
 

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) and Remembrance Sunday 2012

Sunday, 11 November 2012

 
Entrance Requiem Aeternam (chant)
Two minutes’ silence
Abide with me
Kyrie Mass of the Celtic Saints (Liam Lawton)
Gloria Mass of the Most Sacred Heart (Jacob Bancks)
Psalm Ps 145 (Stephen Dean)
Gospel Acclamation Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of the Gifts Justorum Animae (William Byrd, c. 1540-1623)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen German Mass (Schubert/Proulx)
Agnus Dei Lamb of God II (mcb)
Communion The Lord hears the cry of the poor (John Foley)
Postcommunion The Lord is my shepherd (John Rutter)
Recessional Lord, whose love in humble service
 

Two of the readings told the story of a poor widow. In the responsorial Psalm the focus broadened to the poor, the hungry, the sick and the oppressed (though widows still got a shout-out), and we echoed this in our Communion song and our final hymn.

Justorum animae is strictly one of the propers (the Offertory antiphon) for the feast of All Saints, but the text, Wisdom 3:1-3, is also a fitting accompaniment to prayers for the departed, especially as a reading at funeral Masses. William Byrd’s serene and tranquil setting, lingering on the words illi autem sunt in pace (but they are in peace), seemed a suitable choice for Remembrance Sunday.

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B, 2012)

Sunday, 4 November 2012

 
Entrance God is our fortress and our rock
Kyrie Mass of the Celtic Saints (Liam Lawton)
Gloria Mass of the Most Sacred Heart (Jacob Bancks)
Psalm Ps 17 (James Walsh)
Gospel Acclamation St Agatha Alleluia (mcb)
Preparation of the Gifts O the love of my Lord (Estelle White)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen German Mass (Schubert/Proulx)
Agnus Dei Holy Family Mass (John Schiavone)
Communion Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Postcommunion Love divine, all loves excelling (Howard Goodall)
Recessional God is Love, his the care
 

The first reading, Psalm and Gospel reading all spoke of the commandment to love God and neighbour. It’s perhaps easier to find hymns and songs that sing of God’s love for us than of our efforts to love him, and our song at the preparation of the gifts and our postcommunion anthem were both of this kind. The Latin hymn Ubi Caritas, though, includes the words

Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum.
(Let us fear and love the living God.)

We sang it in Bob Hurd’s gentle and reflective setting.

Our opening hymn, Michael Perry’s reworking of Luther’s Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott echoed the image of God our rock from the Responsorial Psalm. The tune, in J.S. Bach’s arrangement, was perhaps the most famous song we’d never sung, until today.