best picks for the First Sunday Advent

[mcb]

Also O Wisdom, source of harmony by Damian Lundy.

[Ephrem Feeley]

Other settings include the collection by Fintan O'Carroll (surprised Ephrem didn't mention this), and they are also in Music for Evening Prayer, originally published by Collins in 1978, now out of print but still available from the Stanbrook Abbey Bookshop (http://stanbrookabbeybookshop.com/STANBROOK-AUTHORS) at only £5 (Amazon are selling used copies for £12...)

Thanks - had completely forgotten about this! And thanks for the link...

[Hare]

In case anyone is remotely interested, this is the programme for Advent 1 at St Andrew's Tenterden, Kent

Prelude: Melismata Variations (Proulx)
"Advent Wreath" Kyrie (Schiavone)
Psalm: Gregory Murray
Advent Alleluia (Malcolm Archer)
Credo III
Eucharistic Acclamations: Belmont Mass (Christopher Walker)
Agnus Dei: Paul Inwood
Motet: Zion, at thy shining gates (arr. George Guest)
Hymns: Long ago, prophets knew
Creator of the stars of night
Lo! He comes with clouds descending
Postlude: Prelude on "Bristol" (Healey Willan)

[blackthorn fairy]

Thanks SC! I will investigate that (ready for next year perhaps?.

[VML]

Hare, that is a lovely list. Please can you tell me how many singers and musicians you have? And how often you and they practise?
I can't see us doing anything like that.

[Hare]

VML - Small SATB choir plus organist/choir director; weekly rehearsal.

[oopsorganist]

Hare, that is going to be an angel Rave!

Last night I went to our Vigil Mass. Two lovely ladies conferred around the hymn board and put up -

Sweet Sacrement we thee adore
Can't remember the second choice as we did not sing it....
Do not be afraid
and
Hail Redeemer King Divine
and sang the Alluluia Plainsong.

Although sing is probably not the word. More mumbled. Half the congregation left before anyone started the final hymn. But there were some good singers really, just lacking in confidence and rhythm. I am finding the study of which hymns our two parishes choose, absolutely fascinating. My Oops says the don't care, because they just consider it all "holy songs".

[VML]

Oh whoops, oops. Sorry couldn't resist.

[oopsorganist]

And at the next Mass they sang the Celtic Alleluia and Plainsong acclamations (ish) hardly recognisable really and then staggered through

1 Let all mortal flesh keep silent
2 Take my hands or bread or something
3 Tell out my soul
4 Holy Virgin by God's decree - which was unfortunately interrupted by a strange and frightening incident.

Both services had attendance around the 50 mark and an average age of 75.

[JW]

Have heard Hare's musicians and they're great. They also have a bishop as Parish Priest!

I notice that our group had a Gloria up on their music list. I wasn't there so I don't know if they were tipped off or whether they sung it.

Still on topic, there was a lovely Advent concert at St Simon & Jude, Streatham Hill today, Soprano Lara Martins, Organ yours truly:

Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Bach
Canon in D, Pachelbel,
Ave Verum, Mozart,
Nimrod, Elgar,
Vivaldi, Domine Deus
Elevazione No.1, Domenico Zipoli
Ombra Mai Fu, Handel,
Nun Bitten Wir Den Heligan Geist, Buxtehude,
Ave Maria, Schubert,
Watchet Auf, Bach,
Panis Angelicus, Franck,
Irish Blessing, Bob Chilcott,
Grand Choeur, Theodore Salome,
Jerusalem

Lovely cake afterwards!

[alan29]

Our local Tridentine Rite church finished off with O come, O come Emmanuel.
Marching to the beat of a different drum.

[VML]

Our list, in mid Glos:

Open your ears, O Christian people
Russian Kyrie,
Psalm: AGM
Alleluia: Plainchant
Like a sea without a shore, Maranatha
Belmont Holy and Lamb
Acclamation :Chant (to reinforce it with assembly)
Wait for the Lord
Wake, awake
City of God

This is in a parish where we no longer have practices. But the assembly do sing, and they were particularly great with the Kyrie and psalm response today.

[oopsorganist]

Oh that is so just enough.

The offertory hymn ‘All that I am' was accompanied beautifully by the musicians and the enrolment children sang a prayerful post-communion hymn.

I am so so out of here.
All my careful planning, gentle rehearsal, love and care.
Can I get willy in this thread again?

Willy. Just sing what you effing like.

[oopsorganist]

I apologise for writing effing on the board. It is not the word I wanted to use. But I do apologize anyway, I am rather upset, but general readers to not want to hear about it. General reader, I apologize.

God likes all the hymns and all the styles and he/she has a big celestial mixer desk where it all gets mixed. So he/she does not worry about hymn numbers.

However, I am human. So I do.

But I am going to resign. Can I do that when I am a volunteer?

[Dom Perignon]

Oops, I thought about your use of a certain term first time around and decided that it would probably not cause too much offence - we are all (I hope) understanding people, but maybe moderation in all things is the way to go!

Gentle chiding apart, I quietly resigned in not too dissimilar circumstances but offered my services elsewhere where the liturgy is regarded as more important. I am conscious that one of the problems that we all have is the the sheer lack of liturgical formation in the vast majority of parishes. It is something that the Society is looking at in terms of being able to "get through" to a much wider audience than we currently have. More anon.