Thursday, July 7, 2011

26 June—Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 8)

Still playing catch-up.

St. Joseph's Episcopal Church where I played the usual 10.30 am service. As usual, the numbers are out of The Hymnal 1982.

Second Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Eucharist Rite II
Prelude: Ave verum corpus (W.A. Mozart)
Processional: 414, God, my King, thy might confessing (STUTTGART)
Gloria: Gloria No. 3 (Taizé)
Psalm: Psalm 13, chanted to Tone 8
Sequence Hymn: 609, Where cross the crowded ways of life (GARDINER)
Offertory Hymn: 401, The God of Abraham praise (LEONI)
Sanctus: S-130, Deutsche Messe (Schubert/Proulx)
Lord's Prayer: chanted (S-119 in Hymnal 1982)
Fraction Anthem: S-169, My flesh is food indeed (Urwin)
Communion: Eat This Bread (Words and music by Jacques Berthier (GIA Publications))
Recessional: 525, The Church's one foundation (AURELIA)
Postlude: Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele (J. Brahms)

As you can see from my organ voluntary choices, I had Eucharistic themes in the brain. The prelude was sung by the choir, and it would be the last piece they sing as a group until the fall. I had made the decision, with the support of the Vicar and the Liturgy committee, to let the choir have the summer off. A few key members of the choir would be away for most of the summer, and considering how small my group is, I thought it would be a good idea to let them lead the singing in the pews. As far as I was concerned, it would be a win in the long run: they could listen for the strong singers in the pews and encourage them to join the choir when they reconvene for the fall.

In the absence of the choir, the Psalms would be chanted responsively by whole verse. I had suggested Responsorial Psalms, which was the way they were done when I had first started at St. Joseph's (they were using Gather Comprehensive as a source, which I found rather strange), but the members of the Liturgy committee had objected, saying they liked the idea of everyone singing the psalms, so my solution to that was to have the congregation chant it responsively by whole verse. It seems to work; this congregation chants well.

The last change is to Communion: I've been asked to program Taizé chants during that time. So I'm starting with something this group should know: Eat This Bread. It's in the St. Joseph's Hymnal. I'll also program others like "Bless the Lord, my Soul", "O Lord, Hear my Prayer", "Nada te Turbe", and "Laudate Dominum". I'll take this as an opportunity to expand this congregation's Taizé repertoire as it was limited to three: "Eat this Bread", "Ubi Caritas", and "Jesus, Remember Me".

Last thing: I was asked to play both Gloria No. 3 and the Schubert Deutsche Messe faster. I see the point with the Gloria; I actually played it much slower than recommended (MM dotted quarter=80!) so I played it a little faster (but not as fast as indicated).

The Schubert was interesting. In the Hymnal 1982, the recommended MM was quarter at 72. When we did this at Chapel of the Cross, we sung it slowly, I'd estimate around quarter at 84, and it felt right. A supply priest had strongly encouraged me to play it much faster, at least quarter at 120, which I found to be uncomfortably fast. I had polled my fellow organists, and the consensus appeared to be quarter at 104-108. When I played it at that tempo, people still sang it well, and the complaints about dragging tempo ceased.

Enough blathering from me. I didn't have any afternoon services because the 2011 AGO Region IV Convention had started that evening, so I had, on purpose, asked that I not be scheduled for any afternoon services that day.

More later!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

26 June—Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

Still catching up. I will make two separate posts for my June 26 music lists.




My turn came for cantoring the 7:45 a.m. Mass at Immaculate Conception Church. Any numbers you see come out of GIA's Gather Comprehensive 1994 (green cover). My friend, Jane L., was behind the console.

Sunday 7.45 am Mass: Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
Prelude: Four Improvisations on Gregorian Themes for Organ, No. 4: Cibavit Eos (Everett Titcomb)
Opening Hymn: 540, Let all mortal flesh keep silence (PICARDY)
Gloria: Chant Mass, arr. by J. Lynch, using the words from the new Roman Missal
Psalm: Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20 (M. Guimont)
Gospel Acclamation: 263 (Hughes Alleluia in C)
Offertory: 480, Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All (SWEET SACRAMENT)
Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation: Chant Mass, arr. by J. Lynch, using the words from the new Roman Missal
Amen: Simple, three-note Amen (G-(G-A))
Agnus Dei: 312, Agnus Dei XVIII (in Latin)
Communion Motet: Ave verum corpus (W.A. Mozart)
Recessional: 853, Alleluia, sing to Jesus (HYFRYDOL)
Postlude: Fughetta super Lob sei dem allmächtigen Gott (BWV 704; J.S. Bach)

The Aurora Choir invited me to sing the motet with them. And we received a lot of compliments for it after the Mass. It's really gratifying, knowing the people in the pews notice the efforts we make, all for the glory of God.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

19 June—Trinity Sunday

Yes, you saw that date right. 19 June. I will catch up, slowly but surely! And again, I repeat: better late than never, right? ;)



My first list is from the 7:45 a.m. Mass at Immaculate Conception Church. Any numbers you see come out of GIA's Gather Comprehensive 1994 (green cover). My friend, Jane L., was behind the console.

Sunday 7.45 am Mass: Trinity Sunday
Prelude: Free improvisation (Jane said it wasn't on any particular theme)
Opening Hymn: 474, Holy, Holy, Holy (NICAEA)
Gloria: Chant Mass, arr. by J. Lynch, using the words from the new Roman Missal
Psalm: 150, Daniel 3:52-56 (M. Guimont)
Gospel Acclamation: 263 (Hughes Alleluia in C)
Offertory: 472, How wonderful the Three-In-One (PROSPECT)
Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation: Chant Mass, arr. by J. Lynch, using the words from the new Roman Missal
Amen: Simple, three-note Amen (G-(G-A))
Agnus Dei: 312, Agnus Dei XVIII (in Latin)
Communion Voluntary: Wir glauben all' an einen Gott (BWV 740, attr. J.S. Bach)
Recessional: 479, O God, almighty Father (GOTT VATER SEI GEPRIESEN)
Postlude: Wir glauben all' an einen Gott (Samuel Scheidt)

If memory serves me right, this was Fr. Larry Hayes' first Sunday at ICC. I was impressed. His homily was very cerebral, very academic, and he would fit right in with a community that has a divinity school just down the street.



St. Joseph's Episcopal Church where I played the usual 10.30 am service. As usual, the numbers are out of The Hymnal 1982.

Trinity Sunday: Holy Eucharist Rite II
Prelude: Improvisation on Taizé Gloria
Processional: 370, I bind unto myself today (ST. PATRICK'S BREASTPLATE)
Gloria: Gloria No. 3 (Taizé)
Psalm: Canticle 13 (S-236; J. Rutter)
Sequence Hymn: 371, Thou, whose Almighty word (MOSCOW)
Offertory Anthem: Holy, holy, holy, Holy is the Lord (Schubert/Bullard)
Sanctus: S-130, Deutsche Messe (Schubert/Proulx)
Lord's Prayer: chanted (S-119 in Hymnal 1982)
Fraction Anthem: S-169, My flesh is food indeed (Urwin)
Communion: 368, Holy Father, great Creator (REGENT SQUARE)
Recessional: 362, Holy, Holy, Holy (NICAEA)
Postlude: Improvisation on Nicaea

Well, I know I should be taking David Arcus' advice and try to improvise more during services. I decided to do that for prelude, especially since we were introducing a new setting of the Gloria. And on a whim, I thought of doing the same for postlude. And Nicaea has some good lines on which to improvise. At least, I think I made it sound like music...



My turn came up to play the the 5.15 pm service at Chapel of the Cross.

Trinity Sunday: Holy Eucharist Rite II
Prelude: Improvisation on Nicaea
Processional Hymn: 362, Holy, Holy, Holy (NICAEA)
Psalm: Psalm 8, recited
Sequence Hymn: 367, Round the Lord in glory seated (RUSTINGTON)
Offertory: 315, Thou, who at thy first Eucharist didst pray (SONG 1)
Sanctus: S-125 Community Mass (R. Proulx)
Communion Voluntary: Three settings of Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr (A.N. Vetter, F. Zachau, J.G. Walther)
Recessional Hymn: 368, Holy Father, great Creator (REGENT SQUARE)
Postlude: Wir glauben all' an einen Gott (Samuel Scheidt)

I originally thought of doing one setting of Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr as prelude and the rest during Communion, but then I thought those pieces were short that if I did that, I might have to improvise during Communion. So why not just do them all during Communion and improvise on Nicaea as a prelude? After all, it seemed to work when I did it as a postlude at St. Joseph's.

Much to my surprise, I managed to produce something that sounded like music for eight minutes. It must have been pleasant because people came up to me after the service, asking me who wrote that lovely piece I played before the service. I hear that the more one improvises, the easier it gets. I hope that's right. Whenever I hear people like Van Quinn, Jane Lynch, and David Arcus improvise, I just sit and listen in awed silence. I can only aspire to be like them when I grow up...

The Cathedral Church of the Advent Choir—06.14.2011

This list comes quite late, but better late than never, right? :)

On Tuesday, June 14, the Cathedral Church of the Advent Choir stopped by Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill during a six-city tour that took them from Atlanta, GA to New York, NY. Singing under the direction of Dr. Stephen G. Schaeffer (the brother of Chapel of the Cross staffer Gretchen Jordan), the choir presented a wonderfully varied program. The church was choc-a-bloc full for this concert, which was really nice for a Tuesday evening, and this choir received a standing ovation, deservedly so.

I did live-Tweet this concert... I didn't intend to, but once I started Tweeting it, I just couldn't stop...

So as I had promised a couple of weeks ago... here is the concert program.

  • Hide Me Under the Shadow of Thy Wings—John E. West (1863-1929)
  • Hymn in Procession: Psalm 150 (Anglican Chant setting by George S. Talbot (1875-1918))
  • Be Not Afraid—Knut Nystedt (b. 1915)
  • Holy Manna—arr. John Carter (b. 1930)
  • Set Me as a Seal—René Clausen (b. 1953)
  • E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come—Paul Manz (1919-2009)
  • Thou Shalt Know Him—Mark Sirett (b. 1952)
  • Lux Aurumque—Eric Whitacre (b. 1970)
  • Jesu, the Very Thought of Thee—arr. Paul Halley (b. 1952)
  • Organ Solo (Charles M. Kennedy, organ): Choral, Op. 37, No. 4—Joseph Jongen (1873-1953)
  • Motet: Ascendens Christus, Part I—Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)
  • Anthem—Peter Bradley Adams (b. 1969)
  • Motet: Ascendens Christus, Part II—Victoria
  • God So Loved the World—Bob Chilcott (b. 1955)
  • When I Survey the Wondrous Cross—Gilbert Martin (b. 1941)
  • Give Me Jesus—arr. Larry L. Fleming (1936-2003)
  • Go Tell It on the Mountain—arr. Roland M. Carter (b. 1942)
  • Encore: Stars Fell on Alabama—Lyrics Mitchell Parish (1900-1993); Music Frank Perkins (1908-1988)

Behind again!

Goodness, I am neglecting this poor blog yet again. (Don't even ask me about my LJ... that's even more neglected than this one...)

I have lots of posts to make, including concert programs and music lists. Look out for them. I won't back-date them.

Here we go. I'll start off with a program of the concert I had live-tweeted when the choir of the Cathedral Church of the Advent sang at Chapel of the Cross a couple of weeks ago.

I'll also embed the Audioboos I recorded after each day of the 2011 AGO Region IV Convention. So there will be lots of good stuff coming here... well, after my last service of the day.

Grace and peace,
Lyn :)