Church Music

This is another setting for the Benedictus with a text by Owen Alstott set to a tune by Malcolm Archer.

I can’t find anything about it on the internet so for those with CWB II who want to sing along, here is a backing:

I’m just dipping in and out of the songs for the Divine Office. 187a is chant:

… so I have skipped to James Quinn’s paraphrase of the Benedictus (the Canticle of Zechariah).

The text is here (page 3). CWB II sets it to KINGSFOLD.

I’m way out of my depth with these songs for the Divine Office but I have enjoyed looking at them anyway.

This one is for Sunday Morning Prayer Psalmody. Isn’t everyone just at Mass? It appears it can be sung in thanksgiving after Mass. The canticle is based on Daniel 3. The antiphon is from The Divine Office:

Worship the maker of heaven and earth and the seas an ev’ry spring of water.

This version has a tune for the antiphon by Paul Taylor and the canticle (18 verses mind you) by A. Gregory Murray.

This is the usual text for the canticle and this version just puts “and you” at the beginning of each line and varies things a little, but you’ll get the idea. I doubt it is usually sung to a string band, but here it is.

Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.
You heavens, bless the Lord.
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord.
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord.
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Every shower and dew, bless the Lord.
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord.
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord.
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord.
Nights and days, bless the Lord.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord.
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.
Let the earth bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Mountains and hills, bless the Lord.
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.
You springs, bless the Lord.
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord.
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord.
You sons of men, bless the Lord.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.

Can I have suggestions for a streaming Mass? The Mass being streamed from the Cathedral in Brisbane is unwatchable even when it isn’t freezing repeatedly.

I stumbled onto Shalomworld and I’ll see if there is something there today there but I would like suggestions for a mass to watch that might encourage a measure of vicarious participation.

The minimum would seem to be some technical sophistication (eg volumes from the microphones balanced), some actual music – it can be simple but it has be real music, and the word proclaimed understandably – not chanted poorly.

I know I sound like I am whining (I am) but when the glitchy, dreary Easter Vigil Mass from Brisbane finally froze for the last time it was such a relief.

The team isn’t meeting since we have no masses for which to select music. We have special songs for this time of year that I suspect we would have chosen and I have put them in, but since this mass won’t happen I can throw in a left field selection.

Entrance: Alleluia! Love Is Alive (Angrisano, Manibusan, Hart)

Gifts: I Have Seen the Lord (Hurd) AOV 1/98

Communion: Holy Spirit Come (Mangan) AOV NG 67

Thanksgiving: Mission Song (Boniwell)

Recessional: Jesus is Risen (O’Brien- Ogilvie) AOV NG 82

I often skip chant but I am enjoying these morning prayers.

CWB II removes archaisms for their version of the text, which is attributed the Pope Gregory the Great. I’ve flipped the last two lines of the third stanza given in CWB II, because it must be an error, as it mucks up the rhyme. If I am correct I think it is only the second error I have found in the whole collection.

It is here set to NOCTE SURGENTES (Chant mode 1), but Hymnary notes the use of CHRISTE SANCTORUM.

The metrical accompaniment doesn’t seem to match the chant notation so I’ve just ignored the chant for my backing.

1 Father, we praise thee, now the night is over;
active and watchful, stand we all before thee;
singing we offer prayer and meditation:
thus we adore thee.

2 Monarch of all things, fit us for your kingdom;
banish our weakness, health and wholeness sending;
bring us to heaven, where your saints united
joy without ending.

3 All-holy Father, Son and equal Spirit,
Trinity blessèd, send us your salvation;
yours is the glory, ever resounding,
filling all creation.

This morning office hymn by James Quinn is a worthy prayer for any morning.

The text is here – scroll down.

It is set to CHRISTE SANCTORUM.

This has the same Latin derivation as yesterday’s hymn but with a different translation, this time by Peter Scagnelli.

The text is here (page 3). It is set to JESU DULCIS MEMORIA.

This is another hymn for the Morning Office. It is a c6 text Jam Christe, sol justitiate and is here set to ROCKINGHAM.

The text is here.

I’m going to dip in an out of all the songs for the Daily Office – many are merely antiphons for narrow purposes – but essential if you are doing these prayers all the time.

This is a whole song, though, and is a morning office hymn.

The text. by James Quinn, is here (CWB II omits the second verse).

CWB II set this song to SPLENDOUR (aka PUER NOBIS NASCITUR) by Michael Praetorius.