Society of Saint Gregory

I'll check on the relics when I'm back in work on Wednesday.... but I suppose relics don't have to be bone, do they? There are reports of hair and even bits of cloth being admissible albeit described as secondary relics. Anyhow my faith is neither founded on nor rocked by relics. Liturgical music is...

Sorry Peter, don't want to appear ungrateful but we've already printed the Order of Service! I heard that some bones (probably from hand of JHN) were offered for reliquaries in major churches and to the Vatican back in 2008 when permission was given to open the coffin. I don't know the detail, I'm a...

You are most welcome, Dunstan. I've changed the refrain melody and some of the SATB part-writing slightly, and added brass parts for this Friday's celebration.

.. and thanks for the best wishes ... makes a change from discussing relic envy!

Legend has it that Pope Benedict XVI gave a relic of JHN to each Diocesan Bishop when he was in England's green and pleasant land.

.. I thought St Tranquilinus was drowned in St Sebastian's jacuzzi. It's a mystery, init?

Just in case you are interested we are re-opening the Diocese of Hallam's Cathedral Church of St Marie this coming week after a closure of 14 months for significant re=ordering work. Musically everything is set to go with a Diocesan Choir of 60 making a great sound at yesterday's rehearsal. PRAYER V...

I was also dissappointed by this lecture which did not seem to relate to what I expected from the title. I would expect that my congregation would find the psalm setting a challenge if a little awkward. The passacaglia piece was interesting but how much of what was presented could be deployed in a l...

I think we should all consider offering those mass settings which we can no longer deploy in our liturgies to our ecumenical friends who can still use them.

As JW says, you don't need to stick with the same mass setting throughout. Yes, I agree too. I note that Dan Schutte's Mass of Christ the Saviour is finding some popularity. This is a setting which would benefit from the kind of approach being advocated here. It tends to feature the same harmonic a...

Is anyone seriously suggesting that the English choral tradition, which so impressed the Pope on his visit, be abandoned? I also love the organ but not all are magnificent examples and many do not attract players in our churches so parishes have to make difficult decisions sometimes. I also love wh...

'Eh' is a rather familiar phrase in common usage, I feel. It has the effect of a gentle cajoling.

Thanks for the support John but let's avoid the exclusive jargon, eh?

... and the greater challenge is not how to render the song but rather how to ensure that outsiders will 'know we are Christians by our love'. Putting faith into action beond the enclosed space of worship is a focus for the Year of Faith which we are in danger of overlooking if we concentrate on emb...

This is not an opportunity for folk to ridicule our Panel but just me asking perhaps a daft question and seeking advice! I have just been sent some Mass settings by an Australian composer. I understand that he has not submitted his settings to the Panel in UK (and am unsure whether he has submitted ...

Of course my friend Peter Jones may choose not to accept what he describes as 'woolly' proposals for retaining troped Lambs (sic) of God ... but he is not a Conference authority to my knowledge. He is however a priest with considerable liturgical knowledge and musical skill serving the archbishop an...