Harvest Festival?

[oopsorganist]

Still getting it wrong here!

What part, if any, of the Mass would "Lord you have come to the Lakeside" be suitable for? The parish primary school is singing this, and ever anxious to try and please everyone, I tried to do it at today's children's Mass and someone complained. (Well they complained that they did not know it and I replied "it's for the children" and then they said, but they are not here....)

But I digress because of my thin skin.

So I suggested that instead of a limp and last minute "Harvest Festival with bananas and tinned peas" which sometimes occurs in our parish, with complaints about "We plough the Fields" etc which of course no one knows anyway, I thought we should be a bit more active and make a service for CAFOD and something about Fair Trade, to include the children and be more real for our younger parishioners. Father enthusiastically agreed, Bless, as he always does, and immediately asked for a display and information to be out, and Oct. 9 th looks good with its theme "Everyone is invited". And the catechist/children's liturgy bods seemed keen and could make some little prayer cards to sell...... and I felt a bit more inspired. Often I wonder if our parish is in the real world at all.

So now I am appalled that I have gotten so bossy! Anyway, it will happen now so what would we sing? Bearing in mind there are three of us making music at present due to bad vibes and, of those, only one is a singer, and he will not act as cantor. Can anyone suggest suitable songs/hymns?

I am far more inspired by issues of social justice than the liturgy and providing music for the church. There never was a less likely Catholic musician!

Also, and off thread, yesterday I went to a Mass in Bradford where the music was so beautiful and participatory that I felt a little spiritual calm and then could not sleep last night worrying about how today's music would be received in our parish. And they did not have a choir either, everyone sang led by the priest.

Somewhat aware of current themes being seeds and harvests and realizing that Harvest Festival is not a Catholic thing so please be kind to me and be gentle with the theology/ liturgy. And yes, I don't know what a Lectionary is. Must be one of those books on the altar.

[Merseysider]

The readings for 9th October (28th Sunday of the Year) are all about how good and generous the Lord is. If you're taking a Cafod/J&P slant on this then the way we distribute all this wonderful food might be quite a poignant. All depends on how your priest is planning to preach.

"Gather us in" is a pretty obvious one – do the children know that? And perhaps a version of Psalm 33 ("Taste and See") at the Communion procession.

The psalm for that day is Psalm 23(23) – plenty of versions of that around.

The more traditional harvest hymns are also about God beneficence – but will that give you the J&P edge you're planning. To what extent could you look at music about serving others/sharing etc? "Gesu, Gesu, fill us with your love", "When I needed a neighbour etc" Perhaps you could go for a more gentle message: "This is my body..." particularly its verse "Love one another, I have loved you..."

The current edition of Music and Liturgy has suggestions for 9th October on page LP7 – and the previous page has ideas for a specifically harvest liturgy.

Of course, if it's specifically a children's Mass, you'll have a lot more flexibility.

[pirate]

Hi, oops,

(when I began this reply I thought it would be very uncomplicated but it's become rather long. Please bear with me...)

Most of the time I'd guess, you and I are looking ahead at readings etc in either a 'Sunday Missal' which gives entry and Communion antiphons, readings, psalms and some of the prayers for particular Sundays or feasts, all collected in one handy volume, or a 'parish Mass Book', which does the same, only in segments of the year and is found at the back of the church with the hymnbooks.

Both these are collections of material from two other books:

* the Lectionary, which is the book of readings found on the lectern (or ambo, as it is often also called, the reading place, that is). This comes in three volumes: I - proper of seasons, ie all the Sunday and weekday readings for particular seasons (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Triduum, Easter), plus all the Sundays in Ordinary Time over the three years A, B, C (we're in A now) and for holy days, feasts of the Lord and solemnities. Then Vol. II contains all the readings for weekdays in Ordinary Time over a two year cycle (we're in year 1 now), plus readings for Saints' days; then Vol.III which has readings for ritual masses (confirmation, weddings, etc), masses for various occasions and votive masses (of the Holy Trinity, Sacred Heart, Blessed Virgin Mary etc)

* the Sacramentary, or altar missal, or Roman Missal - which is the big book on the altar, which contains antiphons, prayers, rubrics etc - in fact, everything but the readings - for Sundays, weekdays, seasons and feasts throughout the whole year. also what are caled ritual Masses, eg for Christian Initiation, marriage, ordination, masses for the dead; Masses for various needs and occasions, votive masses etc

Your parish might also use the Book of the Gospels, which contains all the gospel readings for the Sundays of the three-year cycle, plus major feasts

With all this in mind, I suggest you take half and hour some time to have a look through the liturgical books being used in your parish, and see how much there is there. Of course we can't use all of it all the time but sometimes we have the option to use one set of readings and texts in place of another and it's worth knowing about that.

(M&L Editorial Board please note: how about an article on all this: WHAT we can do and WHEN...)

[oopsorganist]

Thankyou Pirate

For de mystifying some of the Holy books! I look at the SSG Liturgy Planner. and also the Diocesan Directory which a little while ago I thought was how you could find out in advance what to play!! Hmm.

So, no wonder Father gets himself in such a muddle then.

Fancy all that being there. I have spent most of my life trying to avoid knowing stuff like this.

[musicus]

(M&L Editorial Board please note: how about an article on all this: WHAT we can do and WHEN...)

Good idea. Why not send them an email at editors@ssg.org.uk and suggest it? They might miss it here.

M

[Vox Americana]

I am far more inspired by issues of social justice than the liturgy and providing music for the church.

Good. So you should be. But then, so should we all be - God doesn't need worthless songs (cf Amos), and Jesus tells us in [bible]Matthew 25:34-46[/bible] what we should be doing. It's what the Liturgy oughta be inspiring us to do; it's Christ's mission for us; and it is what you can lead folks to with your choice of music and texts.

If "Everyone is invited", try All are welcome at this feast, a Marty Haugen song. (Think the first line is Let us build a house where love can dwell.)

[organist]

Dear oopsorganist
Your original message raises the thorny question of keeping everyone happy - it doesn't work! I am facing the dilemma of a list of harvest songs known at local schools but which I don't know and the congregation won't know. On the other hand my C of E congregation know and love the traditional harvest hymns. I am starting a new informal group to learn one song for the Harvest service so I'll have to choose something suitable. I want to use the Christian Aid material for this service. At the back of all this I've got some wanting me to do gospel music while the choir (and me) are pretty trad. I'm willing to have a go but I don't really feel I've got the right style. What I'd really like to teach them is "We are the church" by Chris Walker in "Calling the children" - we are feeding the hungry, etc. Kids love it. Prayers I think!

[organist]

Well our new group of young kids and some adults went really well. we sang Harvest samba and everyone enjoyed themselves. And the words were not too bad after all! I wound up the churchwarden by saying we would be doing a conga round the church and he fell for it - "you can't do that here" - very Anglican! Now we are starting to learn a simple piece for Remembrance Sunday - too late I realised it doesn't mention God. I went to the local school harvest festival for the Anglican church school. Lots of stuff about autumn and conkers. God did get a mention but Jesus? Still the head is friendly and supportive so I may get some recruits for choir or new group. Our new vicar was installed Wed and I conducted Parry's "I was glad" - what a thrill! Next we have ecumenical Advent carols and guess what David Palmer's "Holy boy" items are on the agenda! Oh well the kids like singing it.

[oopsorganist]

Hello

Well we had two in the end! All due to a mix up and a muddle but just as well as we did not get the water boiled for the Fair Trade tea the first time round. We did sing "Oh Lord all the World Belongs to You" with a bit of wellie which was good.

So then we ran again this last Sunday with some art work posters from our local RC Primary and.....a hymn they had learned "Thankyou Lord for the wonders of Creation" (Farrell) and sung responses including the Great Amen and ..... "One Bread One Body" which again has arrived via the primary school...... and "I will be with you" and it fitted OK with the theme Loving your neighbour ....... and we got tea and coffee and biscuits and ... people stopped and chatted and we got the kids to give out Fair Trade chocolate at the door and..... we got two of the teachers from above mentioned school to play ...flute and violin..... it was such a good service and I feel that things are alive. We even began with a gathering Taize "Ubi Caritas" which is where all the trouble began last Easter in the first place. So change is happening and has brought good things as well as troubles.

When I look back I think the music reflected the lack of cohesion and involvement in the parish. It was being suffocated and dominated by a few even though that domination was well meant, and it excluded the contributions of others.

Our local primary were so glad to be invited to join in and this is because their OFSTED action plan .... a powerful document in the current inspection game...... specifically required more linkage with the church and the parish......like, you say you are part of the wider community so where is your evidence. They want to come back for the first Sunday in Advent. The Lord moves in mysterious ways!

And a good collection was raised for CAFOD and lots of information spread about Fair Trade and human rights. Now I do not begrudge the time and effort that goes into all the music and debate if some good can come out of it in the end.

[organist]

keep up the good work - well done!

[gwyn]

Fantastic. Reading that was like a cool breeze on a hot humid day. Well done Oops.

Dare I say music to my ears? No. I won't push it. . .