Communion song for Easter Sunday?

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I’ve planned everything else, except the communion songs. I’ve had a series of crisis in my life that has slowed me down from my usual OCD type months ahead planning.

Give me your best ideas. Remember my group is mixed children and adults, children’s mass, and practice time is running short.

Thanks.
 
VAC said:
I’ve planned everything else, except the communion songs. I’ve had a series of crisis in my life that has slowed me down from my usual OCD type months ahead planning.

Give me your best ideas. Remember my group is mixed children and adults, children’s mass, and practice time is running short.

Thanks.
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Alleluia, Sing to Jesus
Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether (easy to sing–sprinkled with Alleluias)
I Received the Living God
Draw Near and Take the Body of Your Lord

You can find these in the Worship III hymnal.
 
I would recommend ONE song you MUST sing.

Ye Sons and Daughters.

I like the lyrics as they appear in the Adoremus Hymnal.

If you need another, then At the Lamb’s High Feast would follow next.
 
porthos11 said:
I would recommend ONE song you MUST sing.

Ye Sons and Daughters.

I like the lyrics as they appear in the Adoremus Hymnal.

If you need another, then At the Lamb’s High Feast would follow next.
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Actually, Ye Sons and Daughters is more appropriate for the Second Sunday of Easter, since significant chunks of the hymn talk about St. Thomas and his doubts. Furthermore, both Ye Sons and Daughters and At the Lamb’s High Feast have more of a “march-y” tone to them, making them more appropriate for the Entrance or Recessional than for Communion.

Setting and meter play a role in selecting a Communion hymn. It shouldn’t sound too much like a pomp and march tune. It should have some sublimity to it.
 
There’s another hymn I forgot to suggest:

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent

The tune may sound a little somber, but, it really brings home the Sacred Mystery. Plus, there are also smatterings of “Alleliua”; that’s why it may not necessarily work for Lent.
 
Is this one appropriate at Holy Communion?
“Jesus Christ has risen today”–Alleluia (or is that just a better opening song?)
I also like “The Strife is O’er” Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! The strife is o’er, the battle done, the victory of life is won, the son of triumph has begun! Alleluia (probably a good closing song, sorry, I’m not much help.)
 
benedictgal said:
Actually, Ye Sons and Daughters is more appropriate for the Second Sunday of Easter, since significant chunks of the hymn talk about St. Thomas and his doubts. Furthermore, both Ye Sons and Daughters and At the Lamb’s High Feast have more of a “march-y” tone to them, making them more appropriate for the Entrance or Recessional than for Communion.

Setting and meter play a role in selecting a Communion hymn. It shouldn’t sound too much like a pomp and march tune. It should have some sublimity to it.
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Well, yah, you make good points.

But last year I heard Ye Sons and Daughters at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception during Communion, and it sounded quite nice.

Anyway, I always recommend first the Gradual as much as possible.
 
allhers said:
Is this one appropriate at Holy Communion?
“Jesus Christ has risen today”–Alleluia (or is that just a better opening song?)
I also like “The Strife is O’er” Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! The strife is o’er, the battle done, the victory of life is won, the son of triumph has begun! Alleluia (probably a good closing song, sorry, I’m not much help.)
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Both of these songs are good, but, they would be better placed at either the entrance or the recessional. Jesus Christ is Ris’n Today makes the perfect recessional song for the Easter Vigil because of its triumphant tone. It also makes a great entrance hymn for Easter Sunday. I would save The Strife Is O’er for either the second or third Sunday of Easter. However, if you use Jesus Christ is Ris’n Today as the entrance hymn on Easter Sunday, The Strife is O’er would make a perfect recessional hymn.
 
Thanks for your replies. My opening song is 'Jesus Christ is risen today… Offertory is Alleluia, Alleluia + some of the verses of Joyful Joyful we adore thee, (both to the tune of Beethoven’s 9th.)
Recessional will be “this is the day that the Lord has made” (Children’s mass and choir you know:D )

Communion is where I am stuck. I love ‘let all mortal flesh’ and my group knows it, but Easter is about Jesus rising from the dead, not coming back from heaven. PLEASE correct me if I’m wrong so I won’t feel incorrect using it. “I am the bread of Life” is also on my list, and possibly ‘This is Jesus’ . need to plan more than one communion song because of the larger crowd expected and their lack of understanding of the meaning of prayerful silence.

TIA
 
I’m a Panis Angelicus type of girl. our choir always sings this for communion at our request during First Communion Masses after Easter, and the kids hear it during the prep meetings, so can even sing along.
 
VAC said:
Thanks for your replies. My opening song is 'Jesus Christ is risen today… Offertory is Alleluia, Alleluia + some of the verses of Joyful Joyful we adore thee, (both to the tune of Beethoven’s 9th.)
Recessional will be “this is the day that the Lord has made” (Children’s mass and choir you know:D )

Communion is where I am stuck. I love ‘let all mortal flesh’ and my group knows it, but Easter is about Jesus rising from the dead, not coming back from heaven. PLEASE correct me if I’m wrong so I won’t feel incorrect using it. “I am the bread of Life” is also on my list, and possibly ‘This is Jesus’ . need to plan more than one communion song because of the larger crowd expected and their lack of understanding of the meaning of prayerful silence.

TIA
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I have some stylistic issues with both “This is Jesus” and “I am the Bread of Life”. Since your entrance hymn is “Jesus Christ is Ris’n Today”, why not stick with a more traditional flow throughout? Alleluia, Sing to Jesus and Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether are both rather easy to sing for both children and adults. They also speak to the Mystery that is being received.

You may also interspace a musical interlude between the verses for the Communion hymn.

My big concern with a lot of the music for Children’s Masses is the fact that the newer stuff (I’m assuming you’re using Rise Up and Sing) is that these are more of the kiddie variety and do not do a good job in conveying the faith of the Church. When we had a children’s choir at the cathedral, we dispensed with the Glory and Praise stuff and started teaching them hymns like Jesus Christ is Ris’n Today, Alleluia Sing to Jesus, Let all Mortal Flesh Keep Silence and Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether. Contrary to the choir director’s complaints, the kids found these easier to sing and the message was a lot clearer.
 
VAC said:
I love ‘let all mortal flesh’ and my group knows it, but Easter is about Jesus rising from the dead, not coming back from heaven. PLEASE correct me if I’m wrong so I won’t feel incorrect using it.
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Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent/Silence is not really a hymn about the second coming. Its origins are the Divine Liturgy of St. James (an Eastern rite). Its place in the liturgy is after the catechumens and other non-initiated have left (after the Gospel):
The Singers begin the hymn Let all mortal flesh keep silent**, slowly and melodically.**

Let all mortal flesh keep silent, and with fear and trembling stand. Ponder nothing earthly-minded, Let all mortal flesh keep silent, and with fear and trembling stand. Ponder nothing earthly-minded, for the King of kings and Lord of lords advances to be slain and given as food to the faithful. Before him go the choirs of Angels, with every rule and authority, the many-eyed Cherubim and the six-winged Seraphim, veiling their sight and crying out the hymn: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

After the holy Gifts have been placed on the holy Altar and before they are covered with the Cloud, the Priest says…

So the purpose of the hymn is to call to attention the imminent (in their case) Real Presence; so its use during Communion seems appropriate, although the consecration has already taken place.
 
[Edited by Moderator]

I’ve generally found David Haas’ “Song of the Body of Christ” to work well for communion on Easter because of the repetition of the music. Easy enough for the “Chr-Easter” Catholics to get their hands around.
 
frommi said:
I’ll probably get slammed for this…

But I’ve generally found David Haas’ “Song of the Body of Christ” to work well for communion on Easter because of the repetition of the music. Easy enough for the “Chr-Easter” Catholics to get their hands around.
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Want me to send Ric Flair, Sting, Battista or John Cena after you? 😃

That song is very problematic for multiple reasons. :eek: :eek: First of all, it’s about glorifying the community and about how wonderful we are and about all of the marvelous things we are doing for God. Furthermore, it really doesn’t speak to the Mystery at all. It just talks about us.

There was also a very huge thread on this song.
 
kage_ar said:
Jesus My Lord, My God, My All

What wondrous love is this
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Actually, What Wondrous Love Is This is what we sang as one of the songs during the veneration of the Cross on Good Friday. However, as hauntingly beautiful a hymn as it is, it’s rather short. VAC, if I read her post correctly, is looking for something a little longer to sing.

The first one is pretty good.
 
benedictgal said:
Want me to send Ric Flair, Sting, Battista or John Cena after you? 😃

That song is very problematic for multiple reasons. :eek: :eek: First of all, it’s about glorifying the community and about how wonderful we are and about all of the marvelous things we are doing for God. Furthermore, it really doesn’t speak to the Mystery at all. It just talks about us.

There was also a very huge thread on this song.
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You asked for an opinion, I gave you mine.

I think that particular song balances horizontal and vertical dimensions more than you give it credit for.

Verses like these:
  1. Christ now, before, and always,
    our beginning and our end.
    Our Alpha and Omega; savior and friend.
  2. This day, is the day that God made:
    be glad, rejoice and sing!
    We will weep no more, so let the song of life now ring.
Do a good job of that…methinks
 
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