Revised Common Lectionary, Sunday by Sunday (an RSCM publication).
Thank you.
We had:
The Splendour of the King (How Great is our God) Blessed be your name I Stand Amazed in the Presence of Jesus the Nazarene Worthy of Every Song We Could Ever Sing
Be still for the presence of the Lord
Plainsong Alleluia
New Celtic Mass
Sweet sacrament divine (a really sloppy bit of Victoriana. Its lyrics make mention of our whispering our tales of misery into the divine ear.)
Praise my soul the King of Heaven
I played a quirky bit of Vierne at the offertory that got a couple of favourable comments from people.
I'd be very surprised if we were RSCM affiliated. I'm very conscious that I'm not a liturgical expert but I was married to one for over 30 years, and I think some of his expertise rubbed off a bit ...
I might ask her about SBS, and offer to meet her for coffee and a chat; she has asked my opinion on musical matters before so I don't think I'd be stepping out of line.
Group membership is £133p.a. and individual membership is £88p.a. or £71 if you get digital rather than printed magazines.
Praise to the Lord! The Almighty, the King of Creation - Lobe den Herren Love Divine - Blaenwern Now thank we all our God - Nun Danket Be thou my vision - Slane
All today’s hymns were from the hymn book CAHOand N, as above) but were all - ahem “modern”.
We are marching in the light of God ( Siyahamba)
In Christ alone
There is a redeemer
As we are gathered
You are the king of glory
It could have been worse. At least we avoided 736 The world is full of smelly feet.
Our Place had the following rather eccentric selection for Trinity 13:
Firmly I believe and truly (Shipston) Sweet Sacrament divine (Divine Mysteries) Let all the world in every corner sing (Luckington) When a knight won his spurs (Stowey)
The final hymn had been requested by one of the faithful, presumably remembering his/her schooldays...although FatherInCharge reckoned it fitted in with the readings (!), and was suggested by the index of hymns for Sundays at the back of our default hymnbook (Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New).
If you had the same Epistle as us (putting on the armour of God), perhaps the knight winning his spurs wasn't so daft ...
Rev'd Rosie's sermon started with her imagining St Paul in prison, and reflecting on the armour/uniform of his Roman gaoler and then writing to the Ephesians about it.
Hymns
Praise my soul, the king of heaven, / Praise my soul
There’s a spirit in the air, / Lauds
In faith and hope and love, / Araluen
Soldiers of Christ arise, / From strength to strength
Choir
Therefore we, before him bending (Tantum ergo), / C. Upton
O saving victim (O salutaris hostia), / Elgar
Jesus is King, And I will Extol Him (Churchill)
What a Friend we have in Jesus (Converse)
You Are My Hiding Place (Ledner)
Beneath the Cross of Jesus (St Christopher)
All my hope on God is founded (Michael) Great is thy faithfulness (Faithfulness) Rock of ages, cleft for me (Petra) He who would valiant be (Monks Gate)
I regret to report that the final hymn used the Percy Dearmer version of the words, so there were no Hobgoblins nor Foul Fiends...
Lord of all hopefulness
Amazing grace
Hail Redeemer, King Divine (the unofficial anthem of Liverpool's Catholics.)
Plus the usual bits and bobs.
The band returns next week and I won't be choosing, so it will be back to awful 1960s dross.
We have sunk into the "Season of Creation", so our liturgy for the next few weeks will be even worse than usual ...
With a fairly full church, we managed, with a reasonable amount of gusto:
All creatures of our God and King - Lasst uns Erfreuen For the fruits of his creation - Ar Hyd y Nos God who made the earth - Sommerlied* O Lord my God - How Great Thou Art God of grace and God of glory - Regent Square
* I suspect all the other Scots in the congregation probably thought this was the Wrong Tune, and the one we all learnt in school/Sunday school was Beechwood.
I suspect all the other Scots in the congregation probably thought this was the Wrong Tune, and the one we all learnt in school/Sunday school was Beechwood.
Although (dare I say it?) they're not really very different.
A service in honour of Charles Villiers Stanford, 1852 - 1924 held in Sydney Sussex College Chapel, Cambridge.
Introit: O for a closer walk with God, based on the Scottish melody Caithness
Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd ( 1886)
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in A
Anthem: For lo, I raise up. Words based on verses from Habbakuk. Composed in 1914 but not published until 1939.
This was an unofficial Evensong, to showcase works of Stanford at the end of a choral weekend. No clergy present. Cantor was the Course Director who is a Lay Clerk at St Paul’s Cathedral. He sang the service, with plainsong responses. Two lessons, three collects but no intercessions or sermon.
Three of the items were also sung in Trinity College Chapel where Stanford was once organist. He later became Professor of Music at Cambridge.
Song of Earth (EASTER SONG)
Thy Strong Word (TON-Y-BOTEL)
I Sing The Almighty Power of God (FOREST GREEN)
Service music is back to Powell, and the choir's anthem was an arrangement of The Lone, Wild Bird (PROSPECT).
“The Lone, Wild Bird” is one of my favorites.
Is the Season of Creation a thing in the Episcopal Church? I dont think I’ve encountered it on this side of The Pond yet.
At least in our parish it is...not sure about TEC writ large, although I think it is catching on, but we are a very ecologically-minded church anyway so it fits in well with other parts of our mission.
This was an unofficial Evensong, to showcase works of Stanford at the end of a choral weekend. No clergy present. Cantor was the Course Director who is a Lay Clerk at St Paul’s Cathedral. He sang the service, with plainsong responses. Two lessons, three collects but no intercessions or sermon.
Sounds more like an Anglican "Cymanfa Ganu", though not of course in Welsh!
Hymns only today
The spring has come, / Gibson, Murray
I am the way, / Mangan
Inspired by love and anger, / Salley Gardens
Thuma mina, / Thuma Mina Somandla
Today's offerings at St Pete's (in which I didn't sing much as I was serving - a fact I only realised at eight o'clock this morning ... ):
Teach me, my God and King - Sandys Amazing grace, how sweet the sound - Amazing Grace For the beauty of the earth - Dix (the Wrong Tune) I heard the voice of Jesus say - Kingsfold Onward, Christian pilgrims - St Gertrude (the Right Tune, but the Wrong Words)
Be thankful that you didn't suffer Onward, Christian families, sing a happy song...
Our Place had (if anyone actually turned up - it's pouring with rain here):
Lord Jesus Christ (Living Lord) Brother, sister, let me serve you (words and music by Richard Gillard) Breathe on me, Breath of God (Carlisle) I come with joy (St Botolph)
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated at our Walsingham Cell Mass yesterday, but I expect FatherInCharge took the opportunity to sing Happy Birthday, dear Mary at the end of today's service...
Our Place had (if anyone actually turned up - it's pouring with rain here):
Probably the non-driving Frail and Elderly made it ...
“All people that on earth do dwell” - Old Hundredth.
“As we are gathered” (Daniels).
“I am the church” (March & Avery).
"Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour” - Fragrance.
“O Lord, all the world belongs to you” (Appleford).
“Let us build a house” - Two Oaks.
Who breaks the power of sin and darkness? I love you, Lord, O your mercy never fails me (All my life you have been faithful) Great is your faithfulness, O God (Your grace is enough) Here I am, down on my knees again
To God be the Glory (To God be the Glory)
Immortal, Invisible (St Denio)
We are a chosen people (David Hadden)
O the Deep, Deep love of Jesus (Ebenezer)
We had a good attendance this morning - but we must have been missing some of the stronger singers. We weren't on song.
After a fortnight's rest (8am attendance only!) it was back with a bang today.
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Patronal Eucharist
Ye who own the faith of Jesus (Daily Daily)
Gregory Murray setting
Celtic Alleluia
Ye watchers and ye holy ones
Virgin born we bow before thee (Quem Pastores)
Sing we of the blessed Mother (Abbots Leigh)
closely followed (elsewhere) by Civic Mattins (short form but still 🥱)
Praise my soul the King of heaven
No Venite
Psalm 103
Te Deum (but no second lesson or canticle)
The Lord's my Shepherd (Crimond)
Rejoice O land in God thy might (Wareham)
O woeship the King (Hanover)
National Anthem
Evensong (elsewhere) for Trinity 15
The sun is sinking fast (St Columba). despite it being 4pm 🤔
Psalm 119 (41-56)
Mag and Nunc
O God of Bethel (Martyrdom)
Jesu lover of my soul (Hollingside)
Not sure whether the Civic thing or this afternoon's Evensong was more dull and sleepworthy. Thankfully the small but very vocal group at the Eucharist sang well, those at Mattins frankly did not but it is not (even shortened) very suitable these days for a civic occasion imho.
Earth and All Stars (EARTH AND ALL STARS)
O Holy City, Seen of John (MORNING SONG)
Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us With Your Love (CHEREPONI)
Lord, Make Us Servants of Your Peace (DICKINSON COLLEGE)
We are taking a break in the Inner Hebrides, and joined the local "Piskies" this morning where we sang to recorded organ music.
Let All the World in Every Corner Sing
In Christ There is No East or West
We Cannot Measure How You Heal
There's a Wideness in God's Mercy
The church does not have its own minister and relies on visiting priests to preside at communion services. By chance, a former rector of our home parish in Somerset led today's service. Small world!
Neighbouring church’s Patronal Festival Choral Eucharist, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with visiting semi-professional choir of 4.
Schubert Mass in G.
Howells - Like as the hart
The church’s one foundation - Aurelia
For Mary mother of our Lord- St Botolph
Sun of my soul - Abends
All creatures of our God and king - Lasst uns erfreuen
Guitar group back after the Summer break. Much muttering among some members over the somewhat lacklustre choices.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
In bread we bring you Lord - played in the style of a cowboy movie saloon bar!
Bread of life
The Servant King - just two verses because the music leader doesnt like to prolong things once the celebrant has skedaddled down the aisle at the end.)
Hey-ho!
Postponed from last week, we had Evensong tonight, at which we warbled the following:
Father, who in Jesus found us* Quem Pastores I heard the voice of Jesus say - Kingsfold I will sing the wondrous story - Hyfrydol Praise and thanksgiving - Bunessan
* If J, who picks the hymns, had read the words of all the verses, she might have realised it was more suited to Communion ... 🙄
However, the chap reading the occasional prayers used Cranmer's matchless prose, which was lovely.
I prefer "Vox Dilecti", but on yesterday's "Songs of Praise" the tune used was "The Rowan Tree" as per the current Church of Scotland hymnary, which worked well.
I am a massive fan of RVW, but that harmonisation of Kingsfold is too fussy by half, and contains far too many chord changes for a folk-based tune.
Only if you're trying to accompany it with instruments that don't work well with harmonies of that nature. It's fine as a hymn tune derived from a folk tune. RVW will have been answering the question "how do we make this tune sound interesting with an organ and SATB choir" - a question generally answered better by block harmonies than a melody+chords approach.
My impression is that RVW - and others - were concerned that their tunes/arrangements should be within the capabilities of the churches, congregations, and choirs (if any) of their time.
This may be why (IMHO) they have stood the test of time...
Comments
Thank you.
We had:
The Splendour of the King (How Great is our God)
Blessed be your name
I Stand Amazed in the Presence of Jesus the Nazarene
Worthy of Every Song We Could Ever Sing
Plainsong Alleluia
New Celtic Mass
Sweet sacrament divine (a really sloppy bit of Victoriana. Its lyrics make mention of our whispering our tales of misery into the divine ear.)
Praise my soul the King of Heaven
I played a quirky bit of Vierne at the offertory that got a couple of favourable comments from people.
Love Divine - Blaenwern
Now thank we all our God - Nun Danket
Be thou my vision - Slane
We are marching in the light of God ( Siyahamba)
In Christ alone
There is a redeemer
As we are gathered
You are the king of glory
It could have been worse. At least we avoided 736 The world is full of smelly feet.
Sadly, yes.
If you had the same Epistle as us (putting on the armour of God), perhaps the knight winning his spurs wasn't so daft ...
Rev'd Rosie's sermon started with her imagining St Paul in prison, and reflecting on the armour/uniform of his Roman gaoler and then writing to the Ephesians about it.
Hymns
Praise my soul, the king of heaven, / Praise my soul
There’s a spirit in the air, / Lauds
In faith and hope and love, / Araluen
Soldiers of Christ arise, / From strength to strength
Choir
Therefore we, before him bending (Tantum ergo), / C. Upton
O saving victim (O salutaris hostia), / Elgar
Pentecost XIV
Ev'ry TIme I Feel the Spirit (Spiritual)
Break Thou The Bread of Life (BREAD OF LIFE)
Be Thou My Vision (SLANE)
Who Would True Valor See (MONKS GATE)
What a Friend we have in Jesus (Converse)
You Are My Hiding Place (Ledner)
Beneath the Cross of Jesus (St Christopher)
All my hope on God is founded (Michael)
Great is thy faithfulness (Faithfulness)
Rock of ages, cleft for me (Petra)
He who would valiant be (Monks Gate)
I regret to report that the final hymn used the Percy Dearmer version of the words, so there were no Hobgoblins nor Foul Fiends...
Amazing grace
Hail Redeemer, King Divine (the unofficial anthem of Liverpool's Catholics.)
Plus the usual bits and bobs.
The band returns next week and I won't be choosing, so it will be back to awful 1960s dross.
With a fairly full church, we managed, with a reasonable amount of gusto:
All creatures of our God and King - Lasst uns Erfreuen
For the fruits of his creation - Ar Hyd y Nos
God who made the earth - Sommerlied*
O Lord my God - How Great Thou Art
God of grace and God of glory - Regent Square
* I suspect all the other Scots in the congregation probably thought this was the Wrong Tune, and the one we all learnt in school/Sunday school was Beechwood.
Song of Earth (EASTER SONG)
Thy Strong Word (TON-Y-BOTEL)
I Sing The Almighty Power of God (FOREST GREEN)
Service music is back to Powell, and the choir's anthem was an arrangement of The Lone, Wild Bird (PROSPECT).
Introit: O for a closer walk with God, based on the Scottish melody Caithness
Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd ( 1886)
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in A
Anthem: For lo, I raise up. Words based on verses from Habbakuk. Composed in 1914 but not published until 1939.
This was an unofficial Evensong, to showcase works of Stanford at the end of a choral weekend. No clergy present. Cantor was the Course Director who is a Lay Clerk at St Paul’s Cathedral. He sang the service, with plainsong responses. Two lessons, three collects but no intercessions or sermon.
Three of the items were also sung in Trinity College Chapel where Stanford was once organist. He later became Professor of Music at Cambridge.
Is the Season of Creation a thing in the Episcopal Church? I dont think I’ve encountered it on this side of The Pond yet.
At least in our parish it is...not sure about TEC writ large, although I think it is catching on, but we are a very ecologically-minded church anyway so it fits in well with other parts of our mission.
“Through all the changing scenes of life” - Wiltshire.
“One more step along the world I go” - its own tune.
“This is a day of new beginnings” - Spiritus Vitae as we don't know its proper tune (well, I do!)
“Lord of the Church” - Londonderry Air.
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
Come, thou long-expected Jesus
God With Us (Sons and Daughters)
I worship you, Almighty God, there is none like you
Hymns
And can it be , / Sagina
I want to walk with Jesus, / Houston
Here in this place, / Gather us in
God gives us a future, / Camberwell
Choir
Create a clean heart in me , O God, / anglican chant by Giffen
Hymns only today
The spring has come, / Gibson, Murray
I am the way, / Mangan
Inspired by love and anger, / Salley Gardens
Thuma mina, / Thuma Mina Somandla
Teach me, my God and King - Sandys
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound - Amazing Grace
For the beauty of the earth - Dix (the Wrong Tune)
I heard the voice of Jesus say - Kingsfold
Onward, Christian pilgrims - St Gertrude (the Right Tune, but the Wrong Words)
Our Place had (if anyone actually turned up - it's pouring with rain here):
Lord Jesus Christ (Living Lord)
Brother, sister, let me serve you (words and music by Richard Gillard)
Breathe on me, Breath of God (Carlisle)
I come with joy (St Botolph)
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated at our Walsingham Cell Mass yesterday, but I expect FatherInCharge took the opportunity to sing Happy Birthday, dear Mary at the end of today's service...
“All people that on earth do dwell” - Old Hundredth.
“As we are gathered” (Daniels).
“I am the church” (March & Avery).
"Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour” - Fragrance.
“O Lord, all the world belongs to you” (Appleford).
“Let us build a house” - Two Oaks.
I love you, Lord, O your mercy never fails me (All my life you have been faithful)
Great is your faithfulness, O God (Your grace is enough)
Here I am, down on my knees again
Immortal, Invisible (St Denio)
We are a chosen people (David Hadden)
O the Deep, Deep love of Jesus (Ebenezer)
We had a good attendance this morning - but we must have been missing some of the stronger singers. We weren't on song.
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Patronal Eucharist
Ye who own the faith of Jesus (Daily Daily)
Gregory Murray setting
Celtic Alleluia
Ye watchers and ye holy ones
Virgin born we bow before thee (Quem Pastores)
Sing we of the blessed Mother (Abbots Leigh)
closely followed (elsewhere) by Civic Mattins (short form but still 🥱)
Praise my soul the King of heaven
No Venite
Psalm 103
Te Deum (but no second lesson or canticle)
The Lord's my Shepherd (Crimond)
Rejoice O land in God thy might (Wareham)
O woeship the King (Hanover)
National Anthem
Evensong (elsewhere) for Trinity 15
The sun is sinking fast (St Columba). despite it being 4pm 🤔
Psalm 119 (41-56)
Mag and Nunc
O God of Bethel (Martyrdom)
Jesu lover of my soul (Hollingside)
Not sure whether the Civic thing or this afternoon's Evensong was more dull and sleepworthy. Thankfully the small but very vocal group at the Eucharist sang well, those at Mattins frankly did not but it is not (even shortened) very suitable these days for a civic occasion imho.
Earth and All Stars (EARTH AND ALL STARS)
O Holy City, Seen of John (MORNING SONG)
Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us With Your Love (CHEREPONI)
Lord, Make Us Servants of Your Peace (DICKINSON COLLEGE)
Let All the World in Every Corner Sing
In Christ There is No East or West
We Cannot Measure How You Heal
There's a Wideness in God's Mercy
The church does not have its own minister and relies on visiting priests to preside at communion services. By chance, a former rector of our home parish in Somerset led today's service. Small world!
Schubert Mass in G.
Howells - Like as the hart
The church’s one foundation - Aurelia
For Mary mother of our Lord- St Botolph
Sun of my soul - Abends
All creatures of our God and king - Lasst uns erfreuen
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
In bread we bring you Lord - played in the style of a cowboy movie saloon bar!
Bread of life
The Servant King - just two verses because the music leader doesnt like to prolong things once the celebrant has skedaddled down the aisle at the end.)
Hey-ho!
Father, who in Jesus found us* Quem Pastores
I heard the voice of Jesus say - Kingsfold
I will sing the wondrous story - Hyfrydol
Praise and thanksgiving - Bunessan
* If J, who picks the hymns, had read the words of all the verses, she might have realised it was more suited to Communion ... 🙄
However, the chap reading the occasional prayers used Cranmer's matchless prose, which was lovely.
Same here. Not singing it to RVW's arrangement Is Outrage...
BTW, despite my gloomy prophecy about yesterday at Our Place, there was (according to my Spy) a very good turnout despite the dire weather.
Which also Is Outrage (probably).
I'm sure you're right, but, speaking as a non-musician, I still think it's a good and singable tune.
No doubt! It's still one of the best tunes in the book, IMNSHO...
I agree. a terrific tune.
Only if you're trying to accompany it with instruments that don't work well with harmonies of that nature. It's fine as a hymn tune derived from a folk tune. RVW will have been answering the question "how do we make this tune sound interesting with an organ and SATB choir" - a question generally answered better by block harmonies than a melody+chords approach.
I don't think those are particularly effective ways to write for either.
This may be why (IMHO) they have stood the test of time...