What's going well?

[Nick Baty]

After a few weeks of singing the new texts – a few months in some places – what's going well in your community? And/or what has your assembly found tricky. I'm sure we're not the only ones to have tried a setting or two and to have binned them!

[NorthernTenor]

Coincidence of timing is going quite well, Nick. You couldn't have thought it wouldn't be noticed, surely?

Apart from that, parts of the Missal Ordinary and dialogues are beginning to catch on with the congregation. All credit to ICEL and Fr. Ruff - and the continuity they have sought to recognise.

[Southern Comfort]

In the parishes I have visited or received reports from, New Celtic Liturgy, revised Gathering Mass, revised Jones Gloria, Psallite Mass, Missal Sanctus and Agnus are all going well.

What isn't going at all well is the Missal Gloria, which many have tried and abandoned as being un-congregation-friendly and unmemorable, and the Missal Memorial Acclamations, which many do not find to be acclamatory.

[Nick Baty]

New Celtic Liturgy, revised Gathering Mass, revised Jones Gloria, Psallite Mass, Missal Sanctus and Agnus are all going well.

Yes, I'm hearing the same about all of the above. And I hear good things about Walker's In Pace Acclamations.

[docmattc]

What isn't going at all well is the Missal Gloria, which many have tried and abandoned as being un-congregation-friendly and unmemorable, and the Missal Memorial Acclamations, which many do not find to be acclamatory.

We have been using the Missal tone Gloria and I haven't detected any problems with it (although from the back row of a choir at the back I'm less than ideally placed). The congregation seem to be picking it up. We sing it at a reasonable pace and a tone higher than written.

We will be introducing the New Celtic Gloria this weekend, I can't say I'm keen on the refrain, but it is short and memorable for those in the congregation who prefer that kind of style.

[Eastern Promise]

Well, Bind Us Together Lord has been going quite well and oh, Adoro Te Devote ch-ch, as well...

[Gedackt flute]

We have been using the revised Mass of Creation. The guitar group are accompanying this (very well).

I supply a bass part from the organ.

People join in some of this. What surprised me is how successful the Agnus Dei is - it does look rather odd, and
was substitited with Martin Foster's 'Jesus, Lamb of God' previously.

Singing the memorial remains as unpopluar as ever, and the priests seem to have given up on singing the doxology.

[VML]

We have been singing the Belmont Mass, mostly anaccompanied, but we do have a good tradition here of following the cantor. Response is good.
Hope to try the chant when it's my turn again. It is in the Farnworth mass booklets, so the assembly have done very well to sing one tune with another in front of them. Had it planned for this week, but for the first time in years, the printers had a problem so no booklets.
I like the chant eucharistic acclamations, so long as they are kept moving. in fact acclamation is what it should be, and until they are well known, a cantor will sing from the lectern, repeated by people to reinforce the melody.
Have a nice romping Gloria in mind for Christmas.

[nazard]

...We will be introducing the New Celtic Gloria this weekend, I can't say I'm keen on the refrain, but it is short and memorable for those in the congregation who prefer that kind of style.

I have just been playing through the Gloria from Walker's "Celtic Mass" for the new texts, from OCP's free sample you can print off their website, and it doesn't have a refrain. Is the New Celtic Gloria something different?

The Celtic Mass Gloria is very easy to play, and sounds good either played on a single 8' flute or in organo pleno. The problem is that the words sound more than a bit forced into the pseudo Irish jig rhythm. Perhaps no one will sing, then it will sound OK.

Has anyone tried Randall DeBruyn's Mass of the Resurrection?

[Nick Baty]

Is Doc Matt referring to the Gloria from The New Celtic Liturgy?
That's a different setting from the new Celtic Mass.

[docmattc]

Is Doc Matt referring to the Gloria from The New Celtic Liturgy?

Yes.

[nazard]

My copy of Celebration Mass Settings has just arrived, and having looked at the New Celtic Liturgy, I think I'll stick with the New Celtic Mass.

[JW]

Hoping to find out this Saturday at the diocesan day at Ashford.

In my parish, the Mass of St Rita seems to be quite well received but I suspect we will have to drop the Missal Chants.

[NorthernTenor]

The Missal chants are going quite well down the road from JW. Perhaps we should discuss this when we meet up!

[Hare]

Hoping to find out this Saturday at the diocesan day at Ashford.

Er - Ashford, Kent??! I wonder why my PP never told me about it - we are only 12 miles away!

Anyone tell me anything about the event in retrospect please