James MacMillian's St. Anne's Mass - new words

[keitha]

We have used the 'old' version in my parish for a number of years and we like it. My wife and I also had it sung by the congregation (small one, with rehearsal in our hotel bar the night before!) at our wedding in Rome last year (possibly its Rome premiere?) and it went very well. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the new setting in its final publshed form. I understand that it is going through the 'panel process' at the moment and, based upon what I have heard from others about the setting, would be surprised if that gives rise to any issues.

I would urge Eastern Promise to stop pontificating upon what he believes to be the views of SSG members. I know many members who have told me that they are fans of James MacMillan, and got to know many of the c2,000 schoolchildren and 'ordinary' parish musicians (many of whom are SSG members) who told me that they were thrilled to be singing his Mass of Blessed John Henry Newman at Cofton Park a year ago. I was directing the music at the Birmingham Archdiocese Mass for Parish Musicians that Musicus mentioned on another thread, and a number of people who attended asked me why we did not sing MacMillan's 'Newman' Mass at that event as they had hoped that we would do so. I had to explain that we would have had to have bought around 250 copies of the full music edition (which currently retails at £2.99 a copy, which is not, I think, unreasonable ), and we had no money to pay for it!

[NorthernTenor]

I had to explain that we would have had to have bought around 250 copies of the full music edition (which currently retails at £2.99 a copy, which is not, I think, unreasonable ), and we had no money to pay for it!

It's a balancing act for B&H. They're commercial publishers and need to make a reasonable profit. On the other hand, they should think very carefully about optimum pricing - we didn't sing a major MacMillan work at Spode Music Week this year, as originally planned, due to the cost of the parts purchase & hire.

[Nick Baty]

It is a well known fact that ordinary Catholics in the pew, who we know are mostly stupid...

One can't argue with your personal experience. But who is "we"?

professional liturgists like us...

I hadn't realised there were any professional liturgists contributing to this forum. And I had no idea that you were one yourself, EP. But given your comments about composers like James MacMillan and your calls for riot and revolution, I can understand why you don't wish your employers to know your real name.

[Nick Baty]

a number of people who attended asked me why we did not sing MacMillan's 'Newman' Mass at that event as they had hoped that we would do so. I had to explain that we would have had to have bought around 250 copies of the full music edition... and we had no money to pay for it!

Did you ask B&H? I have dealt with them (although not over this particular piece), and many other publishers, over the years and have usually found them most accomodating, often allowing free reproduction of choir parts for special occasions.

[IncenseTom]

Personally, I think you only have to watch the clip of MacMillan's Tu Es Petrus from the Papl Mass last year to know he is a composer of profound skill, who wears his Catholicism on his sleeve and has much to offer the church. The St.Anne's Mass was always well recieved and, if I remember correctly, someone once told me the Sanctus was Bishop Arthur Roach's favourite Sanctus.
I do hope there will be a revised setting.

[contrabordun]

while there is a minority here whose understanding of the ethos of the rite and its music is grounded in ephemeral novelty

I call.

I don't believe there are any - any at all - posters on this forum who fit the above. I'm sure such people exist: I'd be astonished if they'd have any interest at all in reading and posting here.

There are currently 333 registered users of this forum. I challenge NT either to find and quote posts from three of them (tongue in cheek doesn't count) which justify his comment above, or to withdraw the comment.

[musicus]

Personally, I think you only have to watch the clip of MacMillan's Tu Es Petrus from the Papl Mass last year to know he is a composer of profound skill, who wears his Catholicism on his sleeve and has much to offer the church. The St.Anne's Mass was always well recieved and, if I remember correctly, someone once told me the Sanctus was Bishop Arthur Roach's favourite Sanctus.
I do hope there will be a revised setting.

Welcome to the forum, IncenseTom, and well said. There is indeed a revised edition of the St Anne's Mass, complete with a new Glory to God, as Fr Peter Jones points out in the original post.

[Peter Jones]

.....the Sanctus was Bishop Arthur Roach's favourite Sanctus.

Yes, welcome Tom. Please excuse me if I gently point out that a "Roach' is a fish and that the Bishop of Leeds is Arthur Roche.

[Eastern Promise]

Actually, EP, I think you're close enough to target for amusement's sake, but sufficiently wide to tell me you haven't been paying attention on the back row, there, boy [flings chalk]. To begin with, I believe the commentariat is not coterminous with that of the sponsoring Society. Then again, while there is a minority here whose understanding of the ethos of the rite and its music is grounded in ephemeral novelty, there are, I think, many who would appreciate the skill, dedication and sensitivity (liturgical, musical and pastoral) that Mr. Macmillan brings to liturgical music. There is also a spectrum of approach and development between the two.

I remember my first encounter with the St. Anne's Mass, when visiting Pitlochry, and look forward to its re-release. I have had the pleasure of singing a number of MacMillan Scots snatches since then and have grown rather fond of them.

But I like ephemeral novelty....

It is odd that I have been misread as criticising Paul Inwood, when I am, in fact one of his greatest fans. Musicus sent me a warning about it. How weird? Especially when the composer I have actually been laying into here is James McMillan. But on that criticism, not a peep. How weird? I'm obviously among friends after all. I've always thought that we should show greater solidarity with 'our' composers, especially when they are attacked in the press. I remember when Damian Thompson at the Daily Telegraph launched an outrageous attack on PI. We should have stormed the barricades in response. [moderated]

[musicus]

"Our composers...", "We should have..."

Pure trolling.

Comments are now closed