Search found 850 matches

by JW
Wed Apr 19, 2017 3:19 pm
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: Drowning them in the Sea
Replies: 5
Views: 5190

Re: Drowning them in the Sea

This one is quite disquieting, especially if you have a young female cantor singing it. They don't seem to mind though.

It was a little odd this year as we now have a 30 second pause after each reading before the psalm, so it was a bit strange launching straight into it.
by JW
Wed Apr 19, 2017 3:13 pm
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: Litany of the Saints
Replies: 16
Views: 12963

Re: Litany of the Saints

It's nice to have some unusual saints, from candidates' baptismal and confirmation names. We had St William of Rochester this year (though he's really from Perth).

We were able to get an antiphonal effect with two cantors alternating from either side of the West Gallery. It worked quite well.
by JW
Wed Apr 19, 2017 3:07 pm
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: Easter Alleluia
Replies: 11
Views: 8701

Re: Easter Alleluia

I suspect we may move to 3 x Celtic Alleluia next year, rising a semitone, then into the verses. Provided we have a cantor.
by JW
Sat Apr 15, 2017 4:55 pm
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: Easter Alleluia
Replies: 11
Views: 8701

Easter Alleluia

A quick straw poll out of interest. How many do or don't observe the rubric that the Easter Alleluia should be intoned three times with the pitch raised each time? The last time we did the missal chant was about 30 years ago and no-one in the congregation sang because, even then, they didn't know it...
by JW
Sat Apr 15, 2017 4:47 pm
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: Litany of the Saints
Replies: 16
Views: 12963

Re: Litany of the Saints

We have the Litany of the Saints for the first time in 5 years this year, thanks be to God! As we have different cantors and a new translation we're using the Missal Tone. I know that the purists insist it should be unaccompanied. However, we'll be accompanying it, especially as it's unfamiliar to t...
by JW
Sat Apr 08, 2017 8:46 am
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: You can't please all the people all of the time
Replies: 30
Views: 20786

Re: You can't please all the people all of the time

That's a very good question H.P.. Somewhere in the mix there needs to be some serious top-down directive; that'd be a start. I'm in South East Wales. At a Saturday evening Vigil Mass a couple of weeks ago the p.p. said that he hadn't prepared a homily so he meandered a little until he eventually re...
by JW
Fri Apr 07, 2017 3:01 pm
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: You can't please all the people all of the time
Replies: 30
Views: 20786

Re: You can't please all the people all of the time

Perhaps part of the problem is that musicians, especially organists, are seen as remote. How do we counter that? It's not as if we can wait outside the church at the end of Mass and shake everybody's hand!
by JW
Tue Apr 04, 2017 7:44 pm
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: You can't please all the people all of the time
Replies: 30
Views: 20786

Re: You can't please all the people all of the time

If you were to thank musicians at Mass, then you should also thank the cleaners, maintenance people, servers, readers, eucharistic ministers, deacons, priests, coffee makers, greeters, children's liturgy people etc etc. I definitely agree that more affirmation than we get would help the music minist...
by JW
Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:04 pm
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: You can't please all the people all of the time
Replies: 30
Views: 20786

Re: You can't please all the people all of the time

Takes all sorts to make up a parish and we just do the best we can, usually voluntarily and often without thanks. As they say, don't let it get to you.
by JW
Mon Mar 20, 2017 7:51 pm
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: Triduum accompaniment
Replies: 17
Views: 12789

Re: Triduum accompaniment

I suspect best practice would be no accompaniment at all, but few congregations could cope with that. What I do is accompany everything, except the Exsultet. When accompanying, you will need to provide a proper introduction. But no fancy harmonisations, modulations or twiddly bits.. Instrumentation ...
by JW
Wed Mar 15, 2017 3:07 pm
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: Music and Church: Cult and Culture 50 years after Musicam Sacram
Replies: 24
Views: 18137

Re: Music and Church: Cult and Culture 50 years after Musicam Sacram

Under Canon Law, priests are there to run the parish. Saving souls is indeed part of the job description but the Church teaches that the laity is also responsible for evangelisation. However, in many dioceses and parishes true lay representation and participation in management is laughable. After al...
by JW
Mon Mar 13, 2017 2:02 pm
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: Music and Church: Cult and Culture 50 years after Musicam Sacram
Replies: 24
Views: 18137

Re: Music and Church: Cult and Culture 50 years after Musicam Sacram

With all the talk about formation, you have to ask what's the remedy. All our seminaries have liturgical musicians attached, so priests ought to know what good music at Mass should sound like. And they should be guiding music ministers who aren't up to scratch. Many dioceses do have formation opport...
by JW
Thu Mar 09, 2017 3:09 pm
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: International Declaration on Sacred Music "Cantate Domino"
Replies: 35
Views: 27640

Re: International Declaration on Sacred Music "Cantate Domino"

Given that logic, it would be fine if priests didn't prepare their homilies and just mumbled their way through liturgies. No point either in readers preparing and reading well. There's no excuse for a poor Sunday experience. It's a lack of respect for our fellow worshippers and God if we don't all d...
by JW
Sun Feb 12, 2017 9:37 am
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: Mass and Rugby
Replies: 4
Views: 4150

Re: Mass and Rugby

My mistake, we sang it to Cwm Rhondda, not Blaenwern.
'Love Divine' to Blaenwern was last week!.
by JW
Sat Feb 11, 2017 8:21 pm
Forum: Liturgy Matters
Topic: Mass and Rugby
Replies: 4
Views: 4150

Mass and Rugby

Just had my leg pulled for ending with 'Guide me O thou great Redeemer' to Blaenwern this evening while the Rugby was on. :lol: