Society of Saint Gregory

Just listened on i-player. Couldn't hear the congregation singing, just the soloists and music group. I'm reading 'Why Catholics can't sing' by Thomas Day, having borrowed it on Saturday. His first point is that no congregation likes to compete with the amplified music leader. It could have been a l...

Yes, please.

Is JW thinking of providing an update to take us through to Lent....?

Many thanks for all the links.

Of course, if a wedding couple want the (anglican) church choir, they have to pay £100. But they do get a group of people who will lead the singing and the responses and pray for them while the minster talks to the troops. Outreach/mission. I thought I should regard occasional attendance in the natu...

At the risk of stating the obvious, anglican psalmody uses non-Grail translations of the psalms, doesnt it? Unless there's a lot of work going on to recast the Grail versions onto the chants? As catholics, we surely should use our own texts. I've been singing anglican psalmody for 6 months now for E...

When you say in the 'I confess' "...and to you, my brothers and sisters," have you ever thought of turning to those on either side of you, to whom you are confessing? That is something I have noted happen in our weekday masses and have since adopted. The koinonia only flows sideways thoug...

For a number of years I have been advocating the double handclasp (which has the advantage that it does not disadvantage left-handed persons), in which both persons use both hands to clasp each other's, with no pumping up and down. We need to take TIME over this gesture and look into each other's e...

The Pentecost Sequence is not used on Saturday as there are special texts for the Vigil Mass and the sequence is not included I've now read the Diocesan Liturgy planner more thoroughly, it gives an Order of service for the Mass opening, with the extra readings and very clearly states that the Pente...

The rubrics say that the Communion hymn should start as the priest receives communion, so music is not only acceptable but preferable while servers and extraordinary ministers receive. What do you do musically during the procession? Ooh, I missed that question while reading the exchange between SC/...

What about that long period of silence while altar servers and eucharistic ministers take communion? Is music acceptable there?

As for the communion hymn, my instruction from the PP is very clear. It starts as he returns from the tabernacle after putting away the ciborium.

The diocese liturgical planner refers to a vigil set of readings. I have a copy and presumably our visiting priest will have too. It may even be the dean visiting... Maybe the misalettes will contain 2 sets of readings... Perhaps I'll just ask the celebrant before mass begins. ..beacause I put a fai...

Yes, we have the preprinted missalette, and the Redemptorist notice sheet which has given next week's readers just one set of readings for next week. Safe to assume we won't be having a vigil mass.

So, should I play the sequence for both masses?

Thanks for the links. I've checked them out and sadly there's nothing for me/my girls there. They both play instruments; just finished sitting with Hazel while she practised bassoon. One thought; do the boys feel put off once their voices break by needing to sing bass clef? As a pianist, it's what I...

Help, please. Our PP has just gone away for a fortnight am I'm playing organ (no singing group) this Sat and Sun, with an unknown visiting minister. I gather the sequence is mandatory. Last year I think it was spoken and it sounded awful. Could I play 341 Holy Spirit Lord of Light from HON and satis...

I don't often submit posts, and I did find the thought of using music funding exclusively with boys rather weird. In the ideal world our schools would teach all children to read and sing music. But they don't. And many choirs learn their lines by rote. I feel as though I'm struggling when I'm in a c...