James MacMillan at Chrism Mass

[organist]

The music for the Chrism Mass today at Westminster Cathedral featured a lot of MacMillan. I'm afraid the Gloria from the Westminster Mass did not appeal apart from a lovely middle section. The meandering organ part did nothing for me! St Ann'e Mass seemed to be wellknown and people were singing. The 2 motets were beautifully sung. We began with "My song is love unknown" and ended with "The royal banners forward go". At communion we sang "O Godhead hid". The oils were introduced by a hymn to the tune "Eisenach". The choir sang a wonderful Tenebrae last week which finished with the Allegri Miserere.

[JW]

I think the Chrism Mass in Southwark is on the Thursday morning. I think its great that all the diocese gets together and makes an occasion of it. I've never been because of work.

[organist]

Yes the Southwark one is on Thursday morning. The music choices are fairly predictable - lots of Marty Haugen but this year I noted 3 traditional hymns!

[VML]

Clifton this morning, - I found it inspiring. Nothing hugely ambitious, Coventry Gloria and Sanctus, Richard J-G's own Agnus Dei, Praise to the holiest, O Bread of Heaven, and two other hymns I did not know but to well known tunes so the assembly of lovely totally committed people from all over the diocese raised the roof. Responses all singable and sung with gusto. I don't get to the cathedral often, and seeing our priests and deacons assembled, (and meeting old friends) does me good.
Anyone else there?

[edbowie]

The Westminster Gloria took a lot of sitting through. The Chrism Mass is an ideal occassion for a setting that can be sung by the whole gathering. If not the Missa de Angelis setting, how about the New People's Mass by Dom Gregory Murray? Sounds like Clifton got it right; they know how to use accessible contemporary music to best effect.

Ed