I always seem to draw a blank for one song! So I made sure to take the program home with me tonight.Opening: Christ Be Our Light (Farrell)
Offertory: Lead Us to Your Light (Browning)
Communion 1: There is a Longing (Quigley)
Communion 2: Gah! I’m completely drawing a blank!
Closing: Soon and Very Soon (Crouch)
And this was the one week that the music director did not email us the list of songs ahead of time! (He was too preoccupied with our concert this past Friday.) It might have been the Taize Wait for the Lord but I’m simply not sure.I always seem to draw a blank for one song! So I made sure to take the program home with me tonight.
agreed! We all aren’t that lucky.Show-off!![]()
It definitely is challenging, but worth it once it becomes known. The trick is to use it often enough so that it does become well known. Verses 1, 3, & 5 have one melody and vv 2 & 4 have an alternate melody. We use it whenever John the Baptist is mentioned in the readings (as well as using The Benedictus [to the tune of Forest Green] similarly). So it’s done most of Advent, Baptism of the Lord, and the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, and feasts of JohntB.A Voice Cries Out (which wow, this must be one of the toughest for parishes to sing; it has no discernable pattern)
Wow. Now that is organized.Might as well post the Christmas block:
Required for survival. Not only organization, but I HAVE to have a couple months planned ahead, especially during Christmas season.Wow. Now that is organized.
Funny how it’s always one song (well for me it is)! I’ve actually sat there and driven myself crazy trying to remember which song I’m forgetting.And this was the one week that the music director did not email us the list of songs ahead of time! (He was too preoccupied with our concert this past Friday.) It might have been the Taize Wait for the Lord but I’m simply not sure.
I require the music ministries I work with to fill out the song schedule for the year.Required for survival. Not only organization, but I HAVE to have a couple months planned ahead, especially during Christmas season.
I use a pile method for rotation. I don’t file songs when I use them until the pile is about three months deep. Then I file them and re-use them. I try not to pick songs too often, except for seasonal one.I’m at a new parish now, and so, we’re in the building phase of the repertoire where we put new songs in a heavy rotation so people get to know them well.
You do what works best for your parish. That’s important. When I worked at our cathedral, the music director had the entire year planned. That place was so busy with all of the diocesan events, weddings, etc. that to at least have the regular Sunday liturgies planned way ahead was a help. The two directors I regularly work with now, do not do a year ahead, but they plan maybe a month to a couple months ahead. Easter and Christmas is usually planned many months. When I headed a children’s voice and handbell choirs at a small parish, I had to plan way ahead so that I would know in advance how much time I needed to take to teach the children the music, especially for the handbells. The voice choir was just learning how to sing in harmony and how to chant. It was also my first time ever directing anyone, so, I needed to plan months in advanced for my own learning benefit as well.I use a pile method for rotation. I don’t file songs when I use them until the pile is about three months deep. Then I file them and re-use them. I try not to pick songs too often, except for seasonal one.
I aim at trying 2-3 new songs a year. We have a very small operation, with only two musicians, with a third that plays one Mass a month, an only a handful of people that help sing in one of the three Masses. I am sure that what I do would never fly in a parish with staff musicians and a several people participating.
I was just along for the rideagreed! We all aren’t that lucky.
I’ll preface this by saying it was an Ordinary Form Mass in case anyone was wondering.
Propers:
Introit: Gaudete in Domino Semper
Gradual: Qui Sedes Domine
Alleluia: Excita Domine
Offertory: Benedixisti Domine Terram Tuam
Communion: Dicite: Pusilamines…
Ordinary:
Kyriale XVII, with Kyrie XVIIc; Credo 3.
The above all in Latin (except Kyrie of course). The rest was in French plainchant including the readings which were chanted. The only thing not chanted was the homily.
Yes it’s done this way every Sunday (every day for that matter!). It’s at a Benedictine monastery.
As a footnote, being Gaudete Sunday, the organ was used (prelude, offertory and postlude), and the presiding celebrant wore rose-coloured vestments.
Ours was accompanied by guitars. If ever there was a piece that calls to be sung a capella it is that chant! So much easier to sing without accompaniment.In my parish O Come, O Come Emmanuel was sung as an opening hymn. About half of the congregation sang along or attempted to sing along since the piano played it in much too high a key for most of the voices.