For us organists, choirmasters, hymn-enthusiasts, pianists, worship-teams - what were your hymns for Sunday? For your last service? Let's discuss. I'll begin. This Sunday coming we are singing (I am playing): Prelude: Oh, what Joy and Gladness Processional: See, Our Lord Gradual: Ancient Words, Long Preserved Offertory: O, Wondrous Sight! Communion: Here, O My Lord, I see Thee Face to Face. (2) This is the Hour of Banquet and Song (3) I Have no Help, but Thine! Recessional: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise. Postlude: Ave Maria, Parsons, an improvisation upon.
Introit: Ye Holy Angels Bright Gradual: Bright the Vision that Delighted Offertory: God is Working Out His Purpose Communion: Spirit of God Recessional: Christ Whose Glory Fills the Sky
I gave my organist a strong suggestion to use Stabat Mater as the communion hymn for lent. I don't think she would work up the Coptic communion hymn from Psalm 150: https://youtu.be/4US4PSZF278?list=LLKJT1KVvN1sNR4Yco5Bk-_g https://youtu.be/eMsQd4-ErI8
Today for the procession, we chanted the Great Litany, it being the first Sunday in Lent. That left us with, Gradual: O, Lamb of God Offertory: There is a Green Hill (Horsley) Communion: God Will Make a Way (2) a spontaneous "It is Well With my Soul" which I began to play a meditation upon but the vicar raised his hand and the choir beautifully blended into the first verse and refrain. Recessional: Lest We Forget Gethsemane
No introit today, Great Litany. Gradual: Psalm 25:3-9 Sequence: Christ, when for us you were baptized Offertory: Dona nobis pacem Communion: From God Christ's deity came forth (1), Let thy Blood in mercy poured (2), O salutaris hostis (3). Recessional: The glory of these forty days
I tried to get the Great Litany into the service today and I could barely swing the Exhortations. My senior and the organist, I think, detest the Litany. It is really only used when the Archbishop comes on a high holy day. 'There is a Green Hill' is a wonderful hymn, but probably not one that would appear in an American church. And the portion of the Psalter was a mess because those involved had not practiced the music. I have asked why we are trying to reinvent the wheel and have novel tunes for the Psalter; let's do it in Plainchant. Apparently my musical suggestions are not highly regarded: we did not have Stabat Mater either. The curate, my senior, has expressed some frustration with the organist. And we have a more qualified candidate in the ranks. However, he is not willing to push the switch or put the incumbent in her place. It is a frustration for both of us.
Surely the organist is bound to respect the wishes of her clergy? After all , she's there to serve the parish.
You would be surprised how quickly and boldly politics dampen relationships betwixt organist, choir, and rector. Many organists are happy to do what the parish asks them, many place a great amount of trust in their own training and refuse to listen to counsel. It’s a hard thing sometimes. I meet wth the vicar and we discuss what to sing, so we are quite co-dependent on how the Liturgy follows through. Others, however, are like two ships passing through the night. Both arrangements work well, but I would hope when the priest gets involved in the latter arrangement, the organist would listen. Especially if they’ve been compensated for their services in times past.
This Sunday, the Second Sunday in Lent. Processional: I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say (Kingsfold) Gradual: O Lamb of God Offertory: Jesus Shall Reign Where'er the Sun Communion: And Now, O Father, Mindful of the Love Recessional: Beneath the Cross of Jesus
Lent 2 Introit: All my hope on God is founded Gradual: In the cross of Christ I glory Offertory: O Jesus, I have promised Communion: O God, unseen yet ever near Recessional: City of God, how broad and far. Setting for the Ordinary: Merbecke, 1550
2nd Sunday in Lent Introit: The God of Abraham praise Gradual: Psalm 16:5-11 Sequence: Take up your Cross, the Savior said Offertory: O taste and see, how gracious the Lord is (Williams) Communion: Take my life and let it be (1), And now, O Father, mindful of the love (2), Draw nigh, and take the Body of the Lord (3) Recessional: Eternal Lord of love, behold your Church Setting: Merbecke, 1550
We gave up on doing the Psalm to music. The organist and curate had tried an obscure Breviary, which set the Psalms to mostly 19th century popular American folk tunes a couple of times. That was a total disaster because those tunes are not as familiar to the average person as the organist thought - I didn't know what they were either time we tried that. We discussed doing them in plain-chant (or pointed chant, ie: reciting tone 1,2,3; reciting tone 1,2,3,4,5 where the numbers mark off the syllables that end a line) but that never materialized. We have settled on reading the Psalm responsively, which is fine with me, but defeated the purpose of using the Psalter for the Gradual.