AIUI, the funeral directors haven't resumed it because of increased Covid cases, at least a while back. We could organise it ourselves, but maybe FInC thought the two All Souls Day services were sufficient - I have no idea how many attended.
Reign of Christ the King. We had:
Rejoice the Lord is King
Fairest Lord Jesus
God is our refuge and our strength
Christ of God unseen the image
Jesus name above all names
What a friend we have in Jesus
Should have been a feast of fantastic Christ the King hymns, culminating with Hail Redeemer King Divine written for the opening of the crypt of Liverpool Met Cathedral.
Instead we had the enrolments for the First Communion programme, so it was dreadful Primary school pap.
Bleurgh.
“All hail the power of Jesus’ name!” (Diadem - sung with great enthusiam).
"We have a king who rides on a donkey” (Drunken Sailor).
"How deep the Father’s love for us” (Townend).
“Man of sorrows!”
“Look, ye saints, the sight is glorious” (Regent Square),
We had Christ the King today at St. Pete's (when we should have been Stirring Up*) - mostly quite a nice selection:
Christ is alive - Truro Rejoice, the Lord is king - Gopsal Thou didst leave thy throne - Margaret Father, hear the prayer we offer Sussex For I'm building a people power - People of Power (silly old arm-waving chorus-type thing).
* I was much miffed that instead of the Proper Collect:
Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Interestingly the 1982 SEC Liturgy, the CinW Liturgy and Common Worship all seem to have abandoned "Stir up" in favour of Collects for Christ the King.
Ah, but the SEC collects often seem to be different from those used in Other Places...not only that, but The Feast of Christ The King has sort of supplanted the last Sunday of Trinity, IYSWIM.
I expect the Stir-Up Collect was used at BCP Matins at Our Place this morning - Madam Sacristan would have insisted on it...
The Feast of Christ The King has sort of supplanted the last Sunday of Trinity, IYSWIM.
Yes. Confusingly the CinW has the last Sunday in Trinity at the end of October (and calls it Bible Sunday), followed by three "Sundays of the Kingdom" and then "Christ the King".
All Creatures of Our God and King/LASST UNS ERFREUEN Great God and God of Our Salvation/RENDEZ À DIEU Wade in the Water (we had a baptism) The Church of Christ Cannot Be Bound/McKEE
Our regular organist is away, so our pianist chose hymns she likes and can play- fair enough.
Be still for the presence of the Lord
Brother, sister let me serve you
At the name of Jesus
There is a redeemer
To God be the glory.
Special celebration service at 6 pm
Tell out my soul
Here I am to worship
I the Lord of sea and sky
Great is thy faithfulness
Thine be the glory.
The second and third were beautifully sung by the choir of the local CofE primary school (who then left).
Perhaps a bit off topic for this thread, but Brunel University in UK have published a study suggesting that the risks of spreading Covid through communal singing were exaggerated.
One unlooked-for result of the ban on singing at Our Place was FatherInCharge's insistence on everyone saying the hymns instead.
A few people stopped attending the main Sunday service on account of this - it lengthened an already verbose service - and was slightly resented by our organist and pianist, both of whom were quite capable of providing musical improvisations on the hymn tunes at the strategic points.
Interesting findings indeed. I was "taking a break" from church generally when the plague struck, so I wasn't affected as I would have been had it happened a couple of years earlier. When I did return to church (and even more, when I joined Scottish Voices and regained the opportunity to sing choral music), I realised how much I'd missed it.
Our offerings at St. Pete's for Advent Sunday were:
Crown him with many crowns - Diademata Have faith in God, my heart - Doncaster* Lo! He comes with clouds descending - Helmsley (sadly, without David's rather outrageous descant) Father of heaven, whose love profound - Rievaulx Hark! a herald voice is calling** - Merton
* I'd never heard the tune Doncaster before, and as we had the Organist Who Doesn't Practise™ this morning, I'm still not sure what it's meant to sound like ...
** which was rendered on the order of service as "Nark! a herald voice is calling.
A nice change of musical gear for Advent. We use much more Taize-like things so Mass becomes more thoughtful overall.
Good news is that we had 139 at the 11.00 "family" Mass.
I don't know Doncaster but, having looked at the score, it seems to be a very dull tune. I'd probably move north-westwards and go for Carlisle.
We had a united service with the Anglicans and had:
Make Way
Lo, he comes (Helmsley)
I cannot tell (Londonderry Air)
O come, O come Emmanuel (with far too many long notes).
One of the churches in The Netherlands which I visit online on (most) Sundays had some added choral items today - the theme of the service was The Annunciation:
Gabriel's Message (in English) Magnificat (in English - chant by Brewer) Es is' ein Ros entsprungen (in German)
They were very much in Advent mode - purple stole, Advent wreath, Advent hymns (but none I recognised).
We sang a couple of new ones at Our Place today; they were forgettable - meaning, I have forgotten them.
We also sang "Light of the World You Stepped Down Into Darkness" which I consider an Oldie but Goodie.
We lit the first candle on the Advent wreath - white ones >rolleyes<. Our Baptist minister said he thought that properly they should have been purple - looking around to anyone who might know for sure. A few of us nodded vigorously.
(I heard quite an amusing joke this week about the Gaudete candle. Why is it pink? Because Mary wanted a girl.)
Deep in the Shadows of the Past/SHEPHERD’S PIPES Longing for Light, We Wait in Darkness/CHRIST BE OUR LIGHT Come Now, O Prince of Peace/O-SO-SO Bring Many Names/WESTCHASE In the Singing/BREAD OF PEACE O Come O Come, Emmanuel/VENI EMANUEL People, Look East/BESANÇON
Today’s plans were thrown into disarray, as our organist has Covid, so the substitute pianist made the final choice.
O Come O come Emmanuel
Hark the glad sound
Lo he comes with clouds descending
(And two others in between)
Evensong was cancelled.
This afternoon I went to the last ever service in a local Methodist church. Some good singing!
To God be the glory
Lord for the years
This, this is the God we adore
Love divine
Guide me O thou great Jehovah.
My watch stopped this morning hence I was embarrassingly late for church ... Which included missing the first hymn which disappointed me greatly as it was one of my favourite tunes, and the hymn only usually appears once a year at Advent 'Theres a light upon the mountains'. I don't know the name of the tune but the first hymn I learnt to that tune is one we never sing now 'I am waiting for the dawning'
The tune is called "Mount Holyoke". I like the hymn too, we had it a fortnight ago!
One hymn I missed yesterday (I associate it with both Advent and Remembrance) was "Behold the mountain of the Lord". I particularly remember singing it lustily in a small URC chapel on the Essex/Suffolk border a few years ago.
I wonder if there is mileage in the idea that for Evangelicals "new" is the last decade, Anglicans the last century, Orthodox the last millennium?
You might be on to something there. The minister on Sunday (at Our Evangelical Place) observed that he'd thought of "Light of the World" as a new song until the drummer (aged around early 20s) pointed out that morning that he'd sung it at primary school.
I wonder if there is mileage in the idea that for Evangelicals "new" is the last decade, Anglicans the last century, Orthodox the last millennium?
You might be on to something there. The minister on Sunday (at Our Evangelical Place) observed that he'd thought of "Light of the World" as a new song until the drummer (aged around early 20s) pointed out that morning that he'd sung it at primary school.
My rule is no minister is allowed to call a song "modern" in my presence if it's older than I am.
Followers of this thread may be interested that, starting tomorrow, BBC Radio 3 will broadcast a service of compline each Thursday in Advent at 23.00 (UTC).
1 Dec: Advent 1
A reflective service of night prayer for the first week of Advent from the Church of Our Most Holy Redeemer, Clerkenwell, London. With words and music for the end of the day, including works by Tallis, Owain Park, Judith Bingham, and Palestrina, sung by The Gesualdo Six.
8 Dec: Advent 2
A reflective service of night prayer for the second week of Advent from St Paul’s Church, Withington, Manchester, with words and music for the end of the day, including works by Mark Sirett, Stainer and Poston, sung by the HeartEdge Manchester Choral Scholars.
15 Dec: Advent 3
A reflective service of night prayer for the third week of Advent from the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Tetbury, with words and music for the end of the day, including works by Vaughan Williams, Palestrina, Tallis and Rutter, sung by St Martin’s Voices.
22 Dec: Advent 4
A reflective service of night prayer for the last week of Advent from the Chapter House of York Minster, with words and music for the end of the day, sung by the Ebor Singers.
In a comment on the census finding about low numbers of Christians, Harriet Sherwood in today's Grauniad complains that "a sizeable share of public broadcasting is devoted to Christian programmes": I think that's putting it rather strongly!
"Sleepers, wake!" A voice astounds us (Wachet auf)
Once he came in blessing (Gottes Sohn ist kommen)
Jesus came, adored by angels (Lowry)
The King shall come when morning dawns (St. Stephen)
Choral:
Brahms: O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf
Howells: Mass in the Dorian Mode (Sanctus/Benedictus, Agnus Dei)
I first heard both in Glasgow c.1976: Glasgow itself at Sandyford Henderson church and SGE at St George's Tron.
One is tempted to add Dundee (with long notes!). Sadly I'm not aware of hymn-tunes called Aberdeen , Inverness or Perth, though Kilmarnock is good!
Aberdeen exists, also called St Paul.
Inverness seems to as well, though is much more obscure. Ditto Perth. Other tunes named for Scottish towns include Stirling, Dunfermline, Lanark and Gretna.
... One is tempted to add Dundee (with long notes!). Sadly I'm not aware of hymn-tunes called Aberdeen , Inverness or Perth, though Kilmarnock is good!
Dundee (with long notes) was one of David's favourites (and sung at his funeral), not least for the sublime Metrical Psalm syntax:
Henceforth thy goings out and in
God keep forever will
I'm very partial to Kilmarnock too - and St. George's Edinburgh (a must have on Communion Sundays).
... One is tempted to add Dundee (with long notes!). Sadly I'm not aware of hymn-tunes called Aberdeen , Inverness or Perth, though Kilmarnock is good!
Dundee (with long notes) was one of David's favourites (and sung at his funeral), not least for the sublime Metrical Psalm syntax:
Henceforth thy goings out and in
God keep forever will
It’s on my funeral list as well, and with long notes. (For some reason our current hymnal eschews the long notes for “I to the Hills,” but embraces them on “O God, in a Mysterious Way.” Specific instructions are being left. )
Sadly, GLASGOW and ST. GEORGE’S, EDINBURGH are unknown here. I would love to remedy that.
On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's cry (Winchester New)
Lo In the Wilderness a Voice (Luther's Hymn)
Thy Kingdom Come on Bended Knee (Irish)
Long Ago Prophets Knew (Personent Hodie)
Arise to meet the Lord of light - Repton Creator of the starry height - Hereford (Not The Right Tune* imho) Long ago, prophets knew - Personent Hodie Hail to the Lord's anointed - Crüger The Lord will come and not be slow - St. Stephen
On Jordan's bank (Winchester New)
Advent Wreath Carol (The holly and the ivy)
Kyries (Nardone - St. Cedd Mass)
Hail to the Lord's anointed (Crüger)
The Kingdom of God is Justice and Joy (Hanover)
Here is bread (Kendrick)
How lovely on the mountains (Our God reigns)
“Hark, the glad sound” (Bristol)
"Advent candles tell their story” (Angel Voices)
“On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry” (Winchester New)
“Wild and lone the prophet’s voice” (Aberystwyth).
"Great is the darkness”.
Hark, a thrilling voice is sounding. ( Dundee)
On Jordan’s bank ( Winchester New )
We have a gospel to proclaim ( Fulda)
Faithful shepherd feed me
Longing for light.
O Come O Come, Emmanuel/VENI EMANUEL Longing for Light, We Wait in Darkness/CHRIST BE OUR LIGHT Come Now, O Prince of Peace/O-SO-SO No Wind at the Window/COLUMCILLE Watchman, Tell Us of the Night/ABERYSTWYTH
Prepare way, O Zion (Bereden väg för Herran)
There's a voice in the wilderness crying (Ascension)
Comfort, comfort ye my people (Psalm 42)
Christ, whose glory fills the skies (Ratisbon)
Choral: Bereite dich, Zion, from Weihnachts-Oratorium, Part 1
Willan: Missa Brevis XI (Missa Sancti Johannis Baptistae)
Giovanni Battista Martini: Jerusalem surge
Prepare way, O Zion (Bereden väg för Herran)
There's a voice in the wilderness crying (Ascension)
Comfort, comfort ye my people (Psalm 42)
Christ, whose glory fills the skies (Ratisbon)
Choral: Bereite dich, Zion, from Weihnachts-Oratorium, Part 1
Willan: Missa Brevis XI (Missa Sancti Johannis Baptistae)
Giovanni Battista Martini: Jerusalem surge
I very much like that first hymn - popular in Sweden, but not, AFAIK, well-known in England (the English version is in the Lutheran Book of Worship, of course):
With its reference to strewing palms, spreading cloaks, and singing *Hosanna*, it serves for Palm Sunday too, ISTM. I understand that the tune is an old German folk melody (17thC?), and that the Swedish words are early 19thC.
Prepare way, O Zion (Bereden väg för Herran)
There's a voice in the wilderness crying (Ascension)
Comfort, comfort ye my people (Psalm 42)
Christ, whose glory fills the skies (Ratisbon)
Choral: Bereite dich, Zion, from Weihnachts-Oratorium, Part 1
Willan: Missa Brevis XI (Missa Sancti Johannis Baptistae)
Giovanni Battista Martini: Jerusalem surge
I very much like that first hymn - popular in Sweden, but not, AFAIK, well-known in England (the English version is in the Lutheran Book of Worship, of course):
It can also be found in American Presbyterian and, as suggested by @Oblatus listing it as hymn sung at his church this past week, Episcopal hymnals. Lutherans here sing it as Prepare the Royal Highway.
We haven’t sung it yet this Advent, but we usually do. We’ll see if it appears this Sunday or the next.
Meanwhile, I particularly like this video of the hymn (even though whoever did the titles for the video got the tune name wrong).
Thanks @Nick Tamen - yes, the flute and drums add a certain je ne sais quoi to what is, IMHO, a joyful hymn.
I don't think it's known widely, if at all, in the C of E. I did try, some while back, to introduce some Lutheran hymns to Our Place, but with no success whatever, they being wedded to English Anglo-Catholic slush...
Comments
AIUI, the funeral directors haven't resumed it because of increased Covid cases, at least a while back. We could organise it ourselves, but maybe FInC thought the two All Souls Day services were sufficient - I have no idea how many attended.
Rejoice the Lord is King
Fairest Lord Jesus
God is our refuge and our strength
Christ of God unseen the image
Jesus name above all names
What a friend we have in Jesus
Instead we had the enrolments for the First Communion programme, so it was dreadful Primary school pap.
Bleurgh.
"We have a king who rides on a donkey” (Drunken Sailor).
"How deep the Father’s love for us” (Townend).
“Man of sorrows!”
“Look, ye saints, the sight is glorious” (Regent Square),
Christ is alive - Truro
Rejoice, the Lord is king - Gopsal
Thou didst leave thy throne - Margaret
Father, hear the prayer we offer Sussex
For I'm building a people power - People of Power (silly old arm-waving chorus-type thing).
* I was much miffed that instead of the Proper Collect:
Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
we got something that wasn't.
Harrumph.
I expect the Stir-Up Collect was used at BCP Matins at Our Place this morning - Madam Sacristan would have insisted on it...
Which is what we had this morning at our Cathedral
All Creatures of Our God and King/LASST UNS ERFREUEN
Great God and God of Our Salvation/RENDEZ À DIEU
Wade in the Water (we had a baptism)
The Church of Christ Cannot Be Bound/McKEE
Be still for the presence of the Lord
Brother, sister let me serve you
At the name of Jesus
There is a redeemer
To God be the glory.
Special celebration service at 6 pm
Tell out my soul
Here I am to worship
I the Lord of sea and sky
Great is thy faithfulness
Thine be the glory.
The second and third were beautifully sung by the choir of the local CofE primary school (who then left).
A summary of the report can be found at
https://www.brunel.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/articles/Covid-choirs-ban-was-flawed
And the full research paper at
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033350622003237
One unlooked-for result of the ban on singing at Our Place was FatherInCharge's insistence on everyone saying the hymns instead.
A few people stopped attending the main Sunday service on account of this - it lengthened an already verbose service - and was slightly resented by our organist and pianist, both of whom were quite capable of providing musical improvisations on the hymn tunes at the strategic points.
Our offerings at St. Pete's for Advent Sunday were:
Crown him with many crowns - Diademata
Have faith in God, my heart - Doncaster*
Lo! He comes with clouds descending - Helmsley (sadly, without David's rather outrageous descant)
Father of heaven, whose love profound - Rievaulx
Hark! a herald voice is calling** - Merton
* I'd never heard the tune Doncaster before, and as we had the Organist Who Doesn't Practise™ this morning, I'm still not sure what it's meant to sound like ...
** which was rendered on the order of service as "Nark! a herald voice is calling.
Good news is that we had 139 at the 11.00 "family" Mass.
We had a united service with the Anglicans and had:
Make Way
Lo, he comes (Helmsley)
I cannot tell (Londonderry Air)
O come, O come Emmanuel (with far too many long notes).
Gabriel's Message (in English)
Magnificat (in English - chant by Brewer)
Es is' ein Ros entsprungen (in German)
They were very much in Advent mode - purple stole, Advent wreath, Advent hymns (but none I recognised).
We also sang "Light of the World You Stepped Down Into Darkness" which I consider an Oldie but Goodie.
We lit the first candle on the Advent wreath - white ones >rolleyes<. Our Baptist minister said he thought that properly they should have been purple - looking around to anyone who might know for sure. A few of us nodded vigorously.
(I heard quite an amusing joke this week about the Gaudete candle. Why is it pink? Because Mary wanted a girl.)
Deep in the Shadows of the Past/SHEPHERD’S PIPES
Longing for Light, We Wait in Darkness/CHRIST BE OUR LIGHT
Come Now, O Prince of Peace/O-SO-SO
Bring Many Names/WESTCHASE
In the Singing/BREAD OF PEACE
O Come O Come, Emmanuel/VENI EMANUEL
People, Look East/BESANÇON
O Come O come Emmanuel
Hark the glad sound
Lo he comes with clouds descending
(And two others in between)
Evensong was cancelled.
This afternoon I went to the last ever service in a local Methodist church. Some good singing!
To God be the glory
Lord for the years
This, this is the God we adore
Love divine
Guide me O thou great Jehovah.
One hymn I missed yesterday (I associate it with both Advent and Remembrance) was "Behold the mountain of the Lord". I particularly remember singing it lustily in a small URC chapel on the Essex/Suffolk border a few years ago.
You might be on to something there. The minister on Sunday (at Our Evangelical Place) observed that he'd thought of "Light of the World" as a new song until the drummer (aged around early 20s) pointed out that morning that he'd sung it at primary school.
My rule is no minister is allowed to call a song "modern" in my presence if it's older than I am.
1 Dec: Advent 1
A reflective service of night prayer for the first week of Advent from the Church of Our Most Holy Redeemer, Clerkenwell, London. With words and music for the end of the day, including works by Tallis, Owain Park, Judith Bingham, and Palestrina, sung by The Gesualdo Six.
8 Dec: Advent 2
A reflective service of night prayer for the second week of Advent from St Paul’s Church, Withington, Manchester, with words and music for the end of the day, including works by Mark Sirett, Stainer and Poston, sung by the HeartEdge Manchester Choral Scholars.
15 Dec: Advent 3
A reflective service of night prayer for the third week of Advent from the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Tetbury, with words and music for the end of the day, including works by Vaughan Williams, Palestrina, Tallis and Rutter, sung by St Martin’s Voices.
22 Dec: Advent 4
A reflective service of night prayer for the last week of Advent from the Chapter House of York Minster, with words and music for the end of the day, sung by the Ebor Singers.
Further details at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001g70w/broadcasts/upcoming
In a comment on the census finding about low numbers of Christians, Harriet Sherwood in today's Grauniad complains that "a sizeable share of public broadcasting is devoted to Christian programmes": I think that's putting it rather strongly!
Once he came in blessing (Gottes Sohn ist kommen)
Jesus came, adored by angels (Lowry)
The King shall come when morning dawns (St. Stephen)
Choral:
Brahms: O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf
Howells: Mass in the Dorian Mode (Sanctus/Benedictus, Agnus Dei)
To the tune Glasgow, obviously ...
It's too long since I've sung it.
One is tempted to add Dundee (with long notes!). Sadly I'm not aware of hymn-tunes called Aberdeen , Inverness or Perth, though Kilmarnock is good!
Aberdeen exists, also called St Paul.
Inverness seems to as well, though is much more obscure. Ditto Perth. Other tunes named for Scottish towns include Stirling, Dunfermline, Lanark and Gretna.
Henceforth thy goings out and in
God keep forever will
I'm very partial to Kilmarnock too - and St. George's Edinburgh (a must have on Communion Sundays).
Sadly, GLASGOW and ST. GEORGE’S, EDINBURGH are unknown here. I would love to remedy that.
I Sing a Song of the Saints of God/GRAND ISLE
For All the Saints/SINE NOMINE
Lo In the Wilderness a Voice (Luther's Hymn)
Thy Kingdom Come on Bended Knee (Irish)
Long Ago Prophets Knew (Personent Hodie)
Arise to meet the Lord of light - Repton
Creator of the starry height - Hereford (Not The Right Tune* imho)
Long ago, prophets knew - Personent Hodie
Hail to the Lord's anointed - Crüger
The Lord will come and not be slow - St. Stephen
* should have been Conditor alme siderum
Advent Wreath Carol (The holly and the ivy)
Kyries (Nardone - St. Cedd Mass)
Hail to the Lord's anointed (Crüger)
The Kingdom of God is Justice and Joy (Hanover)
Here is bread (Kendrick)
How lovely on the mountains (Our God reigns)
"Advent candles tell their story” (Angel Voices)
“On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry” (Winchester New)
“Wild and lone the prophet’s voice” (Aberystwyth).
"Great is the darkness”.
On Jordan’s bank ( Winchester New )
We have a gospel to proclaim ( Fulda)
Faithful shepherd feed me
Longing for light.
O Come O Come, Emmanuel/VENI EMANUEL
Longing for Light, We Wait in Darkness/CHRIST BE OUR LIGHT
Come Now, O Prince of Peace/O-SO-SO
No Wind at the Window/COLUMCILLE
Watchman, Tell Us of the Night/ABERYSTWYTH
Prepare way, O Zion (Bereden väg för Herran)
There's a voice in the wilderness crying (Ascension)
Comfort, comfort ye my people (Psalm 42)
Christ, whose glory fills the skies (Ratisbon)
Choral:
Bereite dich, Zion, from Weihnachts-Oratorium, Part 1
Willan: Missa Brevis XI (Missa Sancti Johannis Baptistae)
Giovanni Battista Martini: Jerusalem surge
I very much like that first hymn - popular in Sweden, but not, AFAIK, well-known in England (the English version is in the Lutheran Book of Worship, of course):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACF2Ua5wkh8
With its reference to strewing palms, spreading cloaks, and singing *Hosanna*, it serves for Palm Sunday too, ISTM. I understand that the tune is an old German folk melody (17thC?), and that the Swedish words are early 19thC.
We haven’t sung it yet this Advent, but we usually do. We’ll see if it appears this Sunday or the next.
Meanwhile, I particularly like this video of the hymn (even though whoever did the titles for the video got the tune name wrong).
I don't think it's known widely, if at all, in the C of E. I did try, some while back, to introduce some Lutheran hymns to Our Place, but with no success whatever, they being wedded to English Anglo-Catholic slush...