Need help with Mass music

[ElizaE]

The catholic association at my medical school will be holding its third annual White Mass in 2 weeks. A White Mass is for physicians and other health care professionals.

We have a soloist that agreed to sing at our Mass. I need advice on music. I have a few ideas.

Here are the few I picked out… I know some of you do not like these so please give helpful suggestions. These are in no particular order:

Gentle Woman
Only a Shadow
Prayer of St. Francis (I know some don’t like it but it has such a good message esp for health care professionals)

I am guessing I need 4 hymns: Procession, Bearing of the Gifts, Communion, and End of the Mass (and a Psalm).

I am not sure if we will be able to get an organist or a pianist to accompany our soloist so the music has to be fairly well known. Also, any ideas for a solo after Communion?

Thank you all

 

[benedictgal]

The catholic association at my medical school will be holding its third annual White Mass in 2 weeks. A White Mass is for physicians and other health care professionals.

We have a soloist that agreed to sing at our Mass. I need advice on music. I have a few ideas.

Here are the few I picked out… I know some of you do not like these so please give helpful suggestions. These are in no particular order:

Gentle Woman
Only a Shadow
Prayer of St. Francis (I know some don’t like it but it has such a good message esp for health care professionals)

I am guessing I need 4 hymns: Procession, Bearing of the Gifts, Communion, and End of the Mass (and a Psalm).

I am not sure if we will be able to get an organist or a pianist to accompany our soloist so the music has to be fairly well known. Also, any ideas for a solo after Communion?

Thank you all

As someone who has planned her share of White Masses, this is what we have used:

Your Hands, O Lord, In Days of Old (Entrance)

I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say (Preparation)

I Received the Living God (Communion)

By All Your Saints Still Striving (has a verse that is dedicated to St. Luke, after all, he is the patron of Health care workers–it is also set to the tune of All Glory, Laud and Honor)

For the Mass parts, I picked the Latin (found in the Sacramentary, which is very easy to sing) for the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei.

For the Gloria, I picked the Community Mass setting, which would also work for the Sanctus, Memorial and Great Amen.

I did not put a post-Communion hymn because we wanted to implement Sacred Silence (no organ playing either). That really helped.

For the booklet, we used the model from Pope Benedict’ installation Mass wherein we had an icon in the cover. In the back cover, we put the diocesan coat of arms.

The whole thing turned out beautiful. The melodies were simple and everyone sang. Remember, because it is the Mass for healthcare workers, you need to put in hymns relevant to healing, and, because St. Luke is the patron, you need to insert something relating to him, as well.

I’m curious as to why you’re having it so late. Our Mass coincides with the Feast of St. Luke, which is the proper day for having it.

 

[benedictgal]

It just occured to me that you might need help with the readings. This is what I have been using every year for the White Mass:

FIrst Reading: I used the first reading from the Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross (Moses lifting up the serpant to heal the people who had been bitten by the snake)

Psalm: To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. (It should be sung by the cantor, if at all possible)

Second Reading: Epistle from St. James which extols caring for the sick

Gospel: St. Luke’s account of the healing of the paralytic (I like it because there are many aspects of the healthcare profession that come together when caring for the sick, just like it took the four friends to carry the paralytic to Jesus for healing).

Since I am at my office and don’t have my lectionary with me, I’ll look up my readings and send them to you in another post.

I hope this helps.

 

[ElizaE]

Let me just say that we are having it so late for a very good reason. We were going to co-sponsor the White Mass with another organization. The assured me that they had the church and the bishop all taken care of, When it came down to it, I found out (about 2 weeks prior to Oct 18) that the other group opted for a dinner and prayer rather than the White Mass. You can imagine how disappointed we were about the whole thing. The students decided to have the White Mass anyway.

If you can find the readings, I would be very grateful. I will look up the hymns you suggested as well.

Thank you

 

[benedictgal]

Let me just say that we are having it so late for a very good reason. We were going to co-sponsor the White Mass with another organization. The assured me that they had the church and the bishop all taken care of, When it came down to it, I found out (about 2 weeks prior to Oct 18) that the other group opted for a dinner and prayer rather than the White Mass. You can imagine how disappointed we were about the whole thing. The students decided to have the White Mass anyway.

If you can find the readings, I would be very grateful. I will look up the hymns you suggested as well.

Thank you

Talk about a bummer and a half . As soon as I get home, I’ll post up the readings for you. You’ll find the lyrics in the hymns I suggested quite refreshing as each, in some way, refers to ministry to the sick.

Now, your bishop can still use the propers for St. Luke. That shouldn’t be a big problem. I don’t know what your budget is like, but, perhaps, you could have St. Luke holy cards to give to everyone after the Mass.

 

[benedictgal]

The music is found in GIA Red Worship Hymnal III. While the translation is not as good as Worship II, it’s not as mangled as whatever OCP has out there.

I’ll be home in about an hour so I’ll get your readings together, along with other tips for this Mass.

 

[benedictgal]

Here is the first reading

A Reading from the Book of Numbers (Nm 21:4b-9)

With their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!”

In punishment, the Lord sent among the people saraph serpants, which bit the people so that many of them died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against God and you. Pray the Lord to take the serpants from us.” So Moses prayed for the people, and the Lord said to Moses, “Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live.” Moses accordingly made a bronze serpant and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpant looked at the bronze serpant, he lived.

The reason I picked this particular reading is because one of the doctors in the committee made such a big deal about the snake symbol in the medical profession. To appease him, I put this reading in there, but there is also that important healing element.

 

[benedictgal]

Here is the second reading, from the Letter of St. James

A Reading from the Letter of St. James (Jas 5:13-20)

Beloved: Is there anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirit? He should sing a song of praise. Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the Church, and they should pray over him and annoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful. Elijah was a man like us, yet he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain upon the land. Then, Elijah prayed again, and sky gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you should stray from the truth, and someone bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Now, this particular reading covers an all-too-often forgotten aspect of medical care, the sacramental side, the presence of the priest who annoints the sick person. That is why I believed it important to include this aspect in the readings. The hospital chaplain plays an important role because just as the doctors take care of the physical side, the priest handles the spiritual one. The hospital chaplain was very happy that I included his ministry in the liturgy.

Incidentally, when I planned the Chrism Mass, I had the former hospital chaplain (priest) bring the Oil of the Sick, flanked by a cancer survivor and a stroke survivor, to the bishop for consecration. No one had ever done that before and it was very powerful and very moving.

 

[benedictgal]

Here is the Gospel from St. Luke (if you can’t find it in the lectionary, there’s no reason why you couldn’t use St. Matthew’s account).

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke (5:17-26)

On one of those days, as Jesus was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but, finding no way bring him in, because of the crowd, they went on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into their midst before Jesus.

And, when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question saying, “Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?” When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you’, or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But, that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins-” he said to the man who was paralyzed-“I say to you, rise, take up you bed and go home.” And immediately he rose before them, and took up that on which he lay, and went home glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”

Now, I chose this particular reading because just as the four friends got together to help the paralytic man get healed, so does the healthcare community come together to help the patient.

I realize I’ve given you lengthy posts, but I figured you needed all of the help you could get on this one. Hope this helps.

 

[ElizaE]

It helps. Thank you.

Do you know where I can find sheet music for a piano. Our chaplain knows how to play!!!

 

[benedictgal]

It helps. Thank you.

Do you know where I can find sheet music for a piano. Our chaplain knows how to play!!!

See if any of the parishes have the GIA Red Worship III hymnal. You might be able to order it directly from them, if need be. However, some parish (or even the Cathedral) might have access. Get in touch with your diocese’s Office of Divine Worship (formerly known as office of Liturgy). I would fax you the music, but it gets to be a pain for you to cut and paste. By the way, ditch the Gloria. I forgot that by the time you have your Mass, it will be Advent.

Nonetheless, you can use the propers for St. Luke.

Let me know if you can’t find it and I’ll see what I can come up with from this end.

 

[Margarite]

Do you know where I can find sheet music for a piano. Our chaplain knows how to play!!!

[Edited by Moderator] A piano does not belong in a church. Get an organ.:tsktsk:

 

[Guitar]

Shame on you! A piano does not belong in a church. Get an organ.:tsktsk:

[Edited by Moderator] unless you are privy to inside information not contained in these posts.

You do not know that in fact took place in a church. (Only one of the medical services I’ve ever done has been, the rest were in hospital conference rooms and similar.)

You do not know that the OP was in any way responsible for the facilities available, so why admonish her without checking first? Piano may have been the only option and it may have had nothing to do with ElizaE anyway. And if a pianist is what she’s got, far better a piano played by a pianist than an organ played by a pianist who hasn’t had time to adjust.

Trying to get a usable electronic church organ “hired out” for a one-off service at short notice would be a matter of “best of British to you” in lots of cities anyway. If the Mass wasn’t in a church, it could be logistically difficult and if it were in a church, it wouldn’t necessarily be appropriate for a visiting temporary congregation to drag one along, even if it were feasible in the timescale.

While piano is not my favourite liturgical instrument by a long shot, the blanket statement that it has NO place in a church - any church, anywhere, anytime - is an opinion, and the the OP probably didn’t need to be beaten over the head with opinions after being “dumped in it” and while trying her best to do the right thing.

 

[Margarite]

I said that a piano does not belong in a church. I did not say that it did not belong anywhere else. I am sorry if I came across strongly. I have such fustrations with our church because we have an organ, but instead the pianist (who I know for a fact can play the organ) plays the piano in jazz style (even for Immaculate Mary). I am sorry I took my fustrations out on you.

I still believe that an piano does not belong at a church or mass. One church that I go to we (the congregation) just sing with no instrument and a cantor with no microphone. It is beautiful.

 

[Guitar]

I said that a piano does not belong in a church. I did not say that it did not belong anywhere else. I am sorry if I came across strongly. I have such fustrations with our church because we have an organ, but instead the pianist (who I know for a fact can play the organ) plays the piano in jazz style (even for Immaculate Mary). I am sorry I took my fustrations out on you.

I still believe that an piano does not belong at a church or mass. One church that I go to we (the congregation) just sing with no instrument and a cantor with no microphone. It is beautiful.

No worries, Margarite. I come across pretty strongly sometimes too - sorry likewise. We have two musicians in our music team whose style, like your jazz player’s, is a source of great frustration for many people. We can’t blame the instrument for the inappropriate style of the player, though - there are some very good church pianists around. Maybe yours is more used to improvising than reading notes and it’s easier for her to “lug” it in the style she is used to? That’s the problem with one of ours - the style she plays in elsewhere is a bad fit for Mass and she doesn’t adapt.

I personally don’t like piano for most liturgical music either, but they are not forbidden any longer and in some churches they are the only practical solution, at least in the short term. But it is a great joy in my musical travels to play in churches where there is a good organ that suits the acoustics and where the acoustics allow singing without microphones, like yours - would that there were more of them!