Litany of Saints

[docmattc]

I began to plan the music for the next few weeks last night and, thinking ahead, I was musing on the possibility of starting Mass on All Saints' Day with the Litany of Saints. Is this a valid option? Our planner doesn't go that far yet but another one I have gets to All Saints and makes no mention of the litany.

[Nick Baty]

We did it the James Walsh one a couple of years ago, getting closer to home with each verse:
1) The biggies: BVM, St Michael, St Joseph etc
2) Saints of England & Wales
3) Martyrs from the north west – Edmund Arrowsmith, John Southworth etc
4) Patrons of the diocese
5) Patrons of Scotland Road (all those saints to whom we have churches dedicated)
And thinking we'd done the lot...
The PP added, all those saints known only to God,
All those saints who have sat in this church
All those saints in our families...
There wasn't a dry eye.

[musicus]

Our planner doesn't go that far yet but another one I have gets to All Saints and makes no mention of the litany.

I think its a fine idea, especially if it could be done as an extended entrance procession. Our planner in the current issue of M&L (issue 330, volume 34 number 2) does encompass All Saints (PtL page 11) and suggests James Walsh's Litany of the Saints or Bernadette Farrell's Saints of God in glory. Also settings of the Te Deum - another good idea, I suggest.

[pirate]

We did it once with extended procession around the church, incensing various saints' altars as we went. Much appreciative comment. (Not that we did it for the appreciative comment!) I may try it this year in my new parish.

[docmattc]

Our planner in the current issue of M&L (issue 330, volume 34 number 2) does encompass All Saints (PtL page 11) and suggests James Walsh's Litany of the Saints or Bernadette Farrell's Saints of God in glory.

Mea culpa- I was looking in 34 number 1. Number 2 had migrated away from my desk as it went to Summer School (which it enjoyed as much as I did!)

[musicus]

I was looking in 34 number 1. Number 2 had migrated away from my desk as it went to Summer School (which it enjoyed as much as I did!)

Readers will note the rare anthropomorphisation of a magazine

[mcb]

This setting might just be the all-time definitive version.

M.

[SOP]

Coooooool - can we do it??

[docmattc]

Mcb, just a couple of hours too late! I've ordered the Walsh octavo in the hope of having a couple of trumpeters. I should have ordered the G&S score instead.

[Peter]

I should have ordered the G&S score instead.

In this case, it's S without the G. I think the idea of setting a "little list" to this particular Sullivan tune came from Tom Lehrer, with "The Elements" and it's his version of the tune here. Years ago, I also heard a version (I don't know who wrote it) setting the London Underground stations to the same tune - a sort of "Mornington Crescent meets One Song to the Tune of Another"!

[docmattc]

By how much could one alter the litany? The recording of the Walsh litany is nine minutes long and if I do an opening piece of that length the only way in which it will "foster the unity of those who have assembled" is in their desire to lynch me! I'm all for making a bit more of the entrance but extending the procession could be tricky as the servers tend to be fast out of the blocks and we don't have much in the way of side altars/statuary to take in on the way round.

Obviously one could (and should) abridge/adapt the list of saints themselves but could the ending bits be omitted (Lord save your people, Lord hear our prayer)? These sentiments are covered in the penitential rite. The Walsh version of course leaves out the Kyrie at the start anyway.

[VML]

What about the Becker version? We may sing this at the offertory, though we have only used it at the Easter Vigil so far.

[Southern Comfort]

What about the Becker version? We may sing this at the offertory, though we have only used it at the Easter Vigil so far.

Beware: there are two Becker settings.

One, by John D. Becker, is simply an uninspired Englishing of the Latin chant tone, available here: http://members.cox.net/oplater/LitanyofSaints.pdf.

The other, by John Becker (pub. OCP), is terribly boring, IMHO. Mostly a monotone with shifting chords beneath, and very relaxed - a long way from the urgent dialogical nature of this litany.

[docmattc]

We did the Walsh litany this morning with verses adapted to include patrons of the deanery etc. It was accompanied by what I think would be described as "non-standard" instrumentation: organ, flute, cornet and tuba!
Even the person who described his view that the litany should be to the plainsong melody as "intransigent" said afterwards that it had worked.