25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C, 2016)

Sunday, 18 September 2016

 
Entrance Praise my soul, the King of heaven
Kyrie Mass of the Redeemer (mcb)
Gloria Mass of the Redeemer
Psalm Ps 112 (Wellicome)
Gospel Acclamation Celtic Alleluia (Fintan O’Carroll)
Preparation of the Gifts Christ, be our light (Bernadette Farrell)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Mass of the Redeemer
Agnus Dei Mass of the Redeemer
Communion The Lord hears the cry of the poor (Foley)
Postcommunion Teach me, O Lord (Thomas Attwood, 1765-1838)
Recessional Tell out, my soul

The Cathedral was packed today, our normal congregation bolstered by the annual visit of the Catenians from Province Number One. There was plenty of music for an enthusiastic singing congregation to join in with, but that didn’t hamper the selection of a number of pieces to reflect the strong social justice theme of today’s first reading, responsorial psalm and Gospel reading.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C, 2016)

Sunday, 11 September 2016

 
Entrance Our Father, we have wandered
Kyrie Mass of the Redeemer (mcb)
Gloria Mass of the Redeemer
Psalm Ps 50 (Boulton Smith/Gélineau)
Gospel Acclamation Celtic Alleluia (Fintan O’Carroll)
Preparation of the Gifts Misericordes Sicut Pater (Paul Inwood)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Mass of the Redeemer
Agnus Dei Mass of the Redeemer
Communion The blessing cup (Sue Furlong)
Postcommunion Miserere Mei Domine (Orlande de Lassus, 1532-1594)
Recessional O God, our help in ages past

The Gospel of the prodigal son gave us a good opportunity to sing the official hymn for the Year of Mercy once again: be merciful, like the Father. It isn’t a piece our congregation have taken to warmly, and as usual for pieces with multiple repetitions of a simple refrain, we found ourselves by the end singing it on the people’s behalf, rather than with them. I wonder what I should do differently?

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C, 2016)

Sunday 4 September 2016

 
Entrance All people that on earth do dwell
Kyrie Mass of the Redeemer (mcb)
Gloria Mass of the Redeemer
Psalm Lord, you have been our refuge (John Bell)
Gospel Acclamation Celtic Alleluia (Fintan O’Carroll)
Preparation of the Gifts Where your treasure is (Marty Haugen)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Mass of the Redeemer
Agnus Dei Mass of the Redeemer
Communion As the deer longs (Bob Hurd)
Postcommunion Sicut Cervus (G.P da Palestrina, c.1525-1594)
Recessional O God, our help in ages past
 

Funeral Masses for Fr Anthony Grimshaw

Mass with Reception of the Body

Tuesday, 30 August 2016

 
Entrance Be thou my vision
Kyrie Missal Chant (English)
Psalm As the deer longs (Bob Hurd)
Gospel Acclamation Easter Alleluia (chant)
Preparation of the Gifts The Lord’s my Shepherd
Sanctus, Acclamation A, Amen Missal Chant (English)
Agnus Dei Missal Chant (English)
Communion Come to me (Martin Barry and Diane Murden)
Recessional Immaculate Mary
 

Funeral Mass

Wednesday, 31 August 2016

Entrance Requiem Aeternam (chant)
Be thou my vision
Kyrie Missa pro Defunctis
Psalm Because the Lord is my Shepherd (Christopher Walker)
Gospel Acclamation Easter Alleluia (chant)
Universal Prayer Salve Regina
Preparation of the Gifts If ye love me (Thomas Tallis, 1505-1585)
In bread we bring you, Lord
Sanctus, Acclamation A, Amen Missa pro Defunctis & English Missal chant
Agnus Dei Missa pro Defunctis
Communion Lux Aeterna (chant)
O Bread of Heaven
Commendation In Paradisum (chant)
Recessional Holy God, we praise thy name

Fr Anthony was for a short time a resident of the retired priests’ accommodation in the newly-refurbished Cathedral House. He was a musician himself, having directed the music at the English College in Rome, and at St Bede’s College in Manchester, and we often chatted after Mass on a Sunday about the day’s music. For his funeral Masses we had a mix of new and (mainly) old, and choral and (mainly) congregational. Raising a choir for weekday services in August is something of a challenge, and this was as much the explanation for the simple, chant-based musical fare as the inkling that that might have been Fr Anthony’s preference. I thought we did a good job of bringing out the noble simplicity of the Roman Rite.

Universa Laus, 2016

Universa Laus is an international study group for liturgical music, which was influential in developing and implementing the musical aspects of the liturgical reforms of Vatican II. This year was the 50th anniversary of its foundation. It was my first time attending, but I was part of a sizeable English contingent, including doyen John Ainslie, who I think has been attending almost since the beginning. We met at the enchanting Villa Cagnola in Gazzada, about 30 miles north of Milan, for a relaxed but interesting programme focussing mainly on liturgical aesthetics, including keynote lectures by Michael Driscoll and Paul Inwood. The first meeting 50 years ago was in Lugano, just over the border in Switzerland, and we had a celebratory day trip to the place where it all started, with talks on the history and the lasting achievements of the group, and Mass with the local bishop. (And the ladies of the Cathedral choir served us a sumptuous lunch, pausing only to serenade Mr Inwood with his own hymn for the Year of Mercy, Misericordes sicut Pater.)

Villa Cagnola is also home to an extraordinary art collection, donated (like the Villa itself) to the Vatican in 1850. We were treated to a private viewing, and the reward for those who endured the longueurs of the porcelain collection—evidently the life’s obsession of our very knowledgeable tour guide—was the amazing, breathtaking collection of Medieval and Renaissance painting.

En route home we called in at the Duomo in Milan for Sunday morning Mass in the Ambrosian Rite. A group of seven or eight male singers sang more or less to themselves, with no attempt to provide a role for the sizeable congregation. A nice enough sound, but not what you’d call actuosa participatio.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (2016)

Sunday, 14 August 2016

 
Entrance O Purest of Creatures
Kyrie Kyrie Eleison from Missa Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Gloria Psallite
Psalm Ps 44 (Stephen Dean)
Gospel Acclamation Celtic Alleluia (Fintan O’Carroll)
Preparation of the Gifts Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod, arr. Proulx)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Simple Sanctus (mcb)
Agnus Dei Lamb of God II (mcb)
Communion The Almighty works marvels for me (Peter Jones)
Recessional Hail Queen of Heaven
 

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C, 2016)

Sunday, 24 July 2016

 
Entrance Praise to the Lord, the almighty
Kyrie Mass for John Carroll (Michael Joncas)
Gloria Mass for John Carroll
Psalm Ps 137 (McCarthy)
Gospel Acclamation Mass for John Carroll
Preparation of the Gifts Seek ye first the kingdom of God
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Simple Sanctus (mcb)
Agnus Dei Mass for John Carroll
Communion Forget not what got has done (Marty Haugen)
Postcommunion Our Father (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, 1844-1908)
Recessional Thanks be to God (Stephen Dean)

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C, 2016)

Sunday, 17 July 2016

 
Entrance O God our help in ages past
Kyrie Mass for John Carroll (Michael Joncas)
Gloria Mass for John Carroll
Psalm Ps 14 (Dean/Bévenot)
Gospel Acclamation Mass for John Carroll
Preparation of the Gifts Be still, for the presence of the Lord
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Simple Sanctus (mcb)
Agnus Dei Mass for John Carroll
Communion Here I stand (John Bell)
Postcommunion Panis Angelicus (Franck)
Recessional Lord of all hopefulness
 

Ordination to the Priesthood of Michael Deas and Richard Howard

Saturday, 16 July 2016

 
Entrance Praise to the Holiest
Kyrie Missa de Angelis
Gloria Missa de Angelis
Psalm The almighty works marvels (Josephine Cheong) listen
Gospel Acclamation St Agatha Alleluia (mcb)
Litany of the Saints Chant
Illustrative Rites Veni Creator Spiritus (Chant & T.L de Victoria, c. 1548-1611) listen
Kiss of Peace Mary Immaculate, Star of the Morning listen
If ye love me (Thomas Tallis, c.1505-1585) listen
Creed Credo III
Preparation of the Gifts The Lord is now about to enter his temple (André Gouzes)
Sanctus, Acclamation A, Amen Missa de Angelis & Missal tones
Agnus Dei Missa de Angelis
Communion Where two or three are gathered (Liam Lawton)
Ubi Caritas (Maurice Duruflé, 1902-1986)
Postcommunion In the Lord (Taizé) listen
Recessional Hail Queen of Heaven listen

As usual, a mix of music with something for everyone, in a grand and happy celebration. Josephine Cheong’s lovely setting of the Magnificat was a youtube find; the composer also has the sheet music available for download. I played around a little with the verses, and added vocal harmonies, to make a simple, charming choral and congregational setting, which we will come back to.

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C, 2016)

Sunday, 10 July 2016

 
Entrance All are welcome (Marty Haugen)
Kyrie Mass for John Carroll (Michael Joncas)
Gloria Mass for John Carroll
Psalm Ps 68 (Dean/Forrester)
Gospel Acclamation Mass for John Carroll
Preparation of the Gifts Teach me, O God (Christopher Walker)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Simple Sanctus (mcb)
Agnus Dei Mass for John Carroll
Communion Whoever eats my flesh (John Ainslie)
Postcommunion Ubi Caritas (Maurice Duruflé, 1902-1986)
Recessional Immortal, Invisible

Requiem Mass for the Centenary of the Battle of the Somme (July 2016)

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Sunday, 3 July 2016

 
Entrance (i) Requiem Aeternam (chant)
(ii) Abide with me
Kyrie Mass XVIII (at Masses of the Dead)
Gloria Psallite
Psalm Ps 65 (Monaghan/Steel)
Gospel Acclamation Easter Alleluia (plainchant)
Preparation of the Gifts When I survey the wondrous cross
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Mass XVIII
Agnus Dei Missa pro defunctis
Communion (i) Lux Aeterna (chant)
(ii) Come to Me (Martin Barry & Diane Murden)
Postcommunion We shall walk through the valley (trad. arr. Moses Hogan)
Recessional O day of peace

Bishop John led us in a commemoration of one of the bloodiest battles in human history (as Wikipedia puts it). Much of the music was from the plainchant requiem, but the closing hymn, to the tune of Jerusalem, was a stirring plea for an end to wars:

May swords of hate fall from our hands,
our hearts from envy find release,
till by God’s grace our warring world
shall see Christ’s promised reign of peace.