The large city centre processions ceased after the building of the Queensway, at the request of the Police. But as all faiths are now encouraged to hold festivals in Victoria Square, who knows? In the next few years, the Kennedy Gardens roundabout is being replaced by St Chad's Piazza and pedestrian access along Snow Hill will be free of obstacle.
Are you suggesting making the late Anglican Bishop of Birmingham - Ernest Barnes - rotational in his sarcophagus? It was his public condemnation of Catholic doctrine on the Eucharist which provoked a lengthy processional reaction.
Meanwhile - the Corpus Christi procession will continue along some of the streets of the old Gun Quarter ending with Benediction in the Archbishop's garden (followed, probably, by beer in The Bull).
Holy days of Obligation
Moderators: Dom Perignon, Casimir
holy days
Thumbing through New English Hymnal, the CofE seems to be good at marking holy and even less holy (?) days with hymns, or at least tunes (e.g. "St Bartholomew"). Maybe we should learn up a stack of these, especially if (as suggested above) many important event days are to be saddled on the (already overburdened) sunday.
Hymns for Prayer and Praise is a worthwhile collection for saintly feasts. It doesn't cover all of them, and it would be wonderful if we had some modernish translations of the Liber Hymnarius to help us.
But yes, the EH is a very worthwhile collection - I love RVW's preface...
'The average congregation likes fine melody when it can get it, but it is apt to be undiscriminating and will often take to bad melody when good is not forthcoming.'
At the risk of going off topic, I love the way he treats congregational singing as a given, and as a good thing to be nurtured, rather than defaulting to a position that treats the congregation's song as secondary, or as a 'well, the choir can only sing hymns.' I think it's really important that we continue to foster this position, as the SSG and its members have been doing for decades. Otherwise, as the current seems to be flowing in some circles, the choir will sing only chant and polyphony (which, although a wonderful and valuable part of our heritage, it remains only a part), and the assembly will be left with meagre responses.
There. Rant over.
C
But yes, the EH is a very worthwhile collection - I love RVW's preface...
'The average congregation likes fine melody when it can get it, but it is apt to be undiscriminating and will often take to bad melody when good is not forthcoming.'
At the risk of going off topic, I love the way he treats congregational singing as a given, and as a good thing to be nurtured, rather than defaulting to a position that treats the congregation's song as secondary, or as a 'well, the choir can only sing hymns.' I think it's really important that we continue to foster this position, as the SSG and its members have been doing for decades. Otherwise, as the current seems to be flowing in some circles, the choir will sing only chant and polyphony (which, although a wonderful and valuable part of our heritage, it remains only a part), and the assembly will be left with meagre responses.
There. Rant over.
C
I must admit that I am not keen on the hymns for particular saints days in NEH. Variable quality to say the least. 'Twin Princes of the Courts of Heaven' and 'The Son of Consolation' are examples. Given that their achivements will have already been outlined in the Epistle or Gospel, one of the general hymns-such as 'Let the round World with songs rejoice' to the lovely tune 'Deus Tuorum Militum' will suffice.
Forgive the anecdote.
A couple of days ago an old school friend rang to ask whether I'd be willing to sing Bass for them on the Assumption - well it would have been rude to say no wouldn't it? A few traditional Marian hymns, sung gloria, psalm, use of chant dialogues for "The Lord be with you" etc, sung Sanctus and Agnus, couple of motets, procession to the shrine of Our Lady after the recessional hymn for the singing of the Salve Regina. And just when you think it couldn't get better, the congregation brought plates of finger food to share afterwards and the PP provided wines and soft drinks.
There is of course a catch - the Parish of St Peter and Paul, Eye, Suffolk is an Anglican parish. If ever there was a case for the 'separated brethren' being able to teach the Mother Church a thing or two!
For those worried about the salvation of my eternal soul I did, of course attend Holy Mass in a 'real' church. No chant, no singing, Euch. Prayer 2 (at Eye they prayed prayer 3)...
A couple of days ago an old school friend rang to ask whether I'd be willing to sing Bass for them on the Assumption - well it would have been rude to say no wouldn't it? A few traditional Marian hymns, sung gloria, psalm, use of chant dialogues for "The Lord be with you" etc, sung Sanctus and Agnus, couple of motets, procession to the shrine of Our Lady after the recessional hymn for the singing of the Salve Regina. And just when you think it couldn't get better, the congregation brought plates of finger food to share afterwards and the PP provided wines and soft drinks.
There is of course a catch - the Parish of St Peter and Paul, Eye, Suffolk is an Anglican parish. If ever there was a case for the 'separated brethren' being able to teach the Mother Church a thing or two!
For those worried about the salvation of my eternal soul I did, of course attend Holy Mass in a 'real' church. No chant, no singing, Euch. Prayer 2 (at Eye they prayed prayer 3)...
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organist
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Holy days of obligation
Thanks to Nick and Reginald. In my former parish sung evening Mass on Holy days of obligation was always special and I miss them. I wonder if the bishops will move all of the holy days to Sundays. I do think it is outrageous that some of our schools are pleased that Masses won;t interrupt their pursuit of brilliant results especially as so many of our children don't attend Sunday mass once they have got their place. I hear the Catholic Union are mounting a campaign to get the holy days back! Interesting that one of my "conservative" friends complained that we had not been consulted about this decision at all - we're e not in a democracy you know! My Anglican vicar is talking about not celebrating All Saints and Epiphany on the nearest Sunday which is a shame but I suppose as we have Sundays after Epiphany we can still sing all the great hymns for the feast. The thought of Epiphany without incense is awful - we have to sing "O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness". I can do without "We three kings" (too many parodies)!
I like using "Come Holy Ghost" and "If ye love me" ahead of Pentecost - the latter seems to come up in the planner a few times too. We've been using "There's a spirit in the air" several times so people get to know it better and it really has excellent words and tune (John Wilson) plus a simple descant!
Summer school was great if different! Never got to wear our server's robes (again!) but there you go!
At least we came by car and hadn't carried them on public transport. I did rather miss a big celebration in the Abbey church but I loved the Mass on HMS Cunard as Fr Alan put it especially as we used the same space for the concert.
I like using "Come Holy Ghost" and "If ye love me" ahead of Pentecost - the latter seems to come up in the planner a few times too. We've been using "There's a spirit in the air" several times so people get to know it better and it really has excellent words and tune (John Wilson) plus a simple descant!
Summer school was great if different! Never got to wear our server's robes (again!) but there you go!
At least we came by car and hadn't carried them on public transport. I did rather miss a big celebration in the Abbey church but I loved the Mass on HMS Cunard as Fr Alan put it especially as we used the same space for the concert.-
oopsorganist
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- Location: Leeds
holy days
Well,
we had two Masses one in the morning and one at 7.30. Both celebrated by a locum priest. Someone took the hymn board to him at evening Mass and he said if there was nothing planned then nothing would be sung. Probably tired. So they did not put the board back up.
Two (dissenting singers) parishioners took it upon themselves to call hymn numbers out and force some unaccompanied singing probably out of tune. About 20 people there all of them devout. I do not know what they sang as I kind of left them to it.
I feel a bit aggravated by this. It should not matter if people feel the need to sing a few hymns and we love Marian hymns but it feels undermining really, a bit rude to the Monseigneur. A bit of, ooh those other people aren't here so we will do as we like, which is not what it is about. They did not stay for the choir practice after the Mass and did not speak to me either leaving me feeling like I wish I was in another parish.
Moslem's have a lot of time for Our Lady too. I just found that out and thought I would share it with you.
we had two Masses one in the morning and one at 7.30. Both celebrated by a locum priest. Someone took the hymn board to him at evening Mass and he said if there was nothing planned then nothing would be sung. Probably tired. So they did not put the board back up.
Two (dissenting singers) parishioners took it upon themselves to call hymn numbers out and force some unaccompanied singing probably out of tune. About 20 people there all of them devout. I do not know what they sang as I kind of left them to it.
I feel a bit aggravated by this. It should not matter if people feel the need to sing a few hymns and we love Marian hymns but it feels undermining really, a bit rude to the Monseigneur. A bit of, ooh those other people aren't here so we will do as we like, which is not what it is about. They did not stay for the choir practice after the Mass and did not speak to me either leaving me feeling like I wish I was in another parish.
Moslem's have a lot of time for Our Lady too. I just found that out and thought I would share it with you.
uh oh!
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oopsorganist
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holy days/ catholic schools
Just to comment on post above mine.....
my children attend an Anglican school and they have to have a religious reference to get a place there! Three points for a sibling in school, three for parental involvement in a church and three for the child's own contribution to their church.
And the Diocesan levy is £50 not a measly £15.
my children attend an Anglican school and they have to have a religious reference to get a place there! Three points for a sibling in school, three for parental involvement in a church and three for the child's own contribution to their church.
And the Diocesan levy is £50 not a measly £15.
uh oh!
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docmattc
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asb wrote:So, what did people do for Peter & Paul then?
Ours was a very low key affair in the school hall (church is shut for reroofing). Considering parts of the parish had been under water earlier in the week and many had been without power since Monday evening I think we did well to be there at all. We could have done with the SS Peter and Paul (Steam Ship, not saints) in Sheffield this week!
Confusion of some parishioners as to whether this was a holy day of obligation or not. It was not listed as such in our bulletin, but we did have the bishop and Confirmation Thursday night, the vigil Mass, so far more people than would usually mark a holy day. Friday listed just as Solemnity of P&P, school Mass.
Our prayers are with you all up there: our son's school in Hull has the homes of 1 in 3 children affected by the flood.
Our prayers are with you all up there: our son's school in Hull has the homes of 1 in 3 children affected by the flood.
presbyter wrote:asb wrote:So, what did people do for Peter & Paul then?
The usual - celebrated three Masses
I was actually being a little more specific - music choices
PS - totally off topic, but may be of interest to Presbyter, I had a new phenomenon yesterday in the "Coventry" Gloria, someone in the congregation repeated the words "Lord God, Lamb of God" in the bar following that in which the cantor sings those words!
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docmattc
- Posts: 987
- Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 11:42 am
- Parish / Diocese: Westminster
- Location: Near Cambridge
asb wrote:PS - totally off topic, but may be of interest to Presbyter, I had a new phenomenon yesterday in the "Coventry" Gloria, someone in the congregation repeated the words "Lord God, Lamb of God" in the bar following that in which the cantor sings those words!
Yeah, my PP did that on Pentecost Sunday!
Musicwise for P&P we started with For all the saints (v1-4), Gathering Gloria, Salisbury GA, instrumental at prep gifts, Gathering Euch Accs, I am the bread of life at communion (cf Gospel)