Corpus Christi - the sequence

[quaeritor]

('scuse the Latin - I'm a slow typist!)

Will anyone sing the Sequence this Sunday? - anyone know an English version? - is there a plainsong version (in English, that is)? - Is there a "hymn" equivalent?

Please attempt all questions

Q

[Ephrem Feeley]

We always do the Sequence for Corpus Christi. The translation we use begins: "Behold the bread of angels sent / for pilgrims in their banishment." It works well to the tune JESU DULCIS MEMORIA, although one of the verses has an extra line, so we repeat the last line of the tune.

[old barmaid]

We will be singing the version given in the Parish Mass Book (and in missalettes). The short form has the last two verses beginning 'Behold the
bread of angels'. It fits perfectly to the plainsong tune given in Plainsong for Schools or The Westminster Hymnal (No. 247 verse 11 on). You could also sing the old favourite ' Ecce Panis Angelorum'-- Portuguese melody, which just has the first two of these verses.

[Nick Baty]

We've never sung any of the sequences. But that's mostly to do with my lack of knowledge about why they're there. They do seem to break the flow of the Liturgy of the Word.

[VML]

We sang the Pentecost sequence for the first time this year, and it went well. CC here is FHC so not a hope of the lovely Ecce panis.

[blackthorn fairy]

We do the Easter Day sequence (in the Latin plainsong - lovely!) and the Pentecost one to the hymn Holy Spirit, Lord of light (to 'Veni Sancte Spiritus' by Webb) which goes very well. So I thought - why not the Corpus Christi sequence to a hymn tune? I looked at the first few verses, which were 88 88 88 - good-oh I thought - what about 'Tynemouth' (O bread of heaven)? The best-laid plans of mice and men etc etc - when I turned the page, I saw that the last few verses very much did their own thing. so that scuppered that plan. I suppose one could pick and choose a few of the best regular verses and sing them to Tynemouth (it's a bit long!). Anyway, I then remembered that I was away that weekend...