MARY, MOTHER OF GOD and THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

By popular demand, the Gloria and Sanctus will be sung in English.  We will continue with the Latin Agnus Dei, which seems to be sung rather well.

This Wednesday, January 1 (New Year's Day), is a Holyday of Obligation, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.  Masses are at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, December 31 (New Year's Eve) at St. Eugene's and 9:00 AM on New Year's Day at St. Joseph's.  I will provide the music for the Tuesday Mass at 6:30 PM.

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

December 31 - Anticipated Mass of Mary, Mother of God (6:30 PM)

Entrance hymn: #105 Hark! the herald angels sing ("Mendelssohn")

- The tune is named after, of course, the composer, Felix Mendelssohn.

Gloria (if sung): Holy Angels Mass (BMP) (PDF) (Listen)

- Much of the music of "Holy Angels Mass" is based on Mass VIII, which is where the Gloria from last Sunday's Mass came from.  Yes, I wrote this music, and yes, it made its way to Stillwater, Minnesota, where the listen link originated.

Psalm 67: R./ May God bless us in his mercy (Owen Alstott)

Alleluia "Divinum Mysterium" (BMP) (response based on the chant tune of the same name) (PDF)
Offertory hymn: #101 What Child is this ("Greensleeves")

Sanctus: #874 Heritage Mass

Memorial Acclamation: We proclaim your death, O Lord... #875 Heritage Mass

Amen: #876 Heritage Mass

Agnus Dei: #846 Mass XVIII

Communion hymn: #107 In the bleak midwinter ("Cranham") (Listen)

- This year's Breaking Bread hymnal is the first to include this gorgeous hymn.  The arrangement in the listen link is sung by the King's College choir (Cambridge, England).

Meditation hymn: #88 O little town of Bethlehem ("St. Louis")

Recessional hymn: #687 Sing of Mary, pure and lowly ("Pleading Savior") (Listen)

January 5 - The Epiphany of the Lord

Entrance hymn: #115 The first Nowell (trad. English)

- One of the few hymns whose tune name is the same as the first words of the hymn text.

Gloria (if sung): Holy Angels Mass (BMP) (Listen link in the list for December 31, above)

Psalm 72: R./ Lord, every nation on earth will adore you (BMP) (PDF)

Alleluia "Divinum Mysterium" (BMP) (PDF in the list for December 31, above)

Offertory hymn: #111 We three Kings of Orient are ("Kings of Orient")

Sanctus through Agnus: same as list for December 31, above

Communion hymn: #79 Puer natus in Bethlehem (Chant, Mode I) (Listen)

Meditation hymn: #112 Songs of thankfulness and praise ("Salzburg") (vv. 1, 3) (Listen)

Recessional hymn: #113 As with gladness men of old ("Dix") (Listen)

Happy and blessed 2025!

Quod scripsi, scripsi!

BMP

THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH and O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

Let me begin by wishing all of you at St. Eugene's a Merry and Blessed Christmas Season and a Happy New Year 2025.

Last Wednesday at the 10:00 AM Mass at my other church (Sacred Heart in West Warwick), I took the liberty of getting the congregation involved in part of the prelude ---- YES, the prelude, something that's usually reserved for solo organ work, whether it be written or improvised.

One thing that many Catholics in the USA don't know (except maybe us musicians) is that the Christmas carol O little town of Bethlehem is often sung to a different tune in certain other denominations (namely Anglican/Episcopal) than the tune many Catholics are familiar with.  In Catholic churches outside of the USA (namely Canada, Australia and the UK), the different tune is used as well.

The familiar tune we American Catholics all know is called "St. Louis," while the tune sung in other countries and by Anglicans here is called "Forest Green."  The tune names are linked so that you can listen to them (the former played by the world renowned Diane Bish, the latter sung by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, UK).  I'm sure you'll all be partial to "St. Louis" after listening, as that is what you're familiar with, and "St. Louis" is the tune we will sing as the meditation hymn after Communion at the 8:00 Mass this Sunday, but I must opine that both of these tunes are beautiful.

Before Mass last Wednesday in West Warwick, I sang the odd-numbered verses to "Forest Green" and invited the congregation to sing the even-numbered verses to "St. Louis."

And now, without further ado...

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

Entrance hymn: #110 Once in royal David's city ("Irby") (Listen)
Gloria (if sung): #841 Mass VIII (Listen)
Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 84): R./ Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord (music by Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB)
Alleluia "Divinum Mysterium" (BMP) (responsed based on the chant tune of the same name) (PDF)
Offertory hymn: #101 What Child is this ("Greensleeves") (Listen)
Sanctus: #842 Mass XVIII
Memorial Acclamation: #875 Heritage Mass
Amen: #878 Heritage Mass
Agnus Dei: #846 Mass XVIII
Hymn during Communion: #92 Of the Father's love begotten ("Divinum Mysterium") (Listen)
- NOTE: This is the hymn tune on which I based the Alleluia before the Gospel.
Meditation hymn: #88 O little town of Bethlehem ("St. Louis" - the tune more familiar to you)
Recessional hymn: #109 Angels we have heard on high ("Gloria") (verses 1 and 4 in English)
- Verse 4 catches my eye every year on the Holy Family feast.  "See him in a manger laid, whom the choirs of angels praise.  Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, while our hearts in love we raise."

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP

RORATE SUNDAY at EIGHT O'CLOCK, Oh, and "O!"

OK, so the Fourth Sunday of Advent doesn't quite have a name like "Gaudete" on the Third Sunday of Advent, or "Laetare" on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, but if the Fourth Sunday of Advent was to have a name, "Rorate" would be it, as, like the other two, it's the first word of the Introit of the day in Latin.

Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant justum.

Let the heavens drop down dew, and the clouds rain down the Just One.

For this Fourth Sunday, we will once again be singing O come, O come, Emmanuel, which is based on the "O" Antiphons.  There are seven "O" Antiphons, and while they're not specifically used at Holy Mass, they are used at Vespers (Evening Prayer) along with the Magnificat from December 17-23, with a different antiphon assigned for each date.

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

Entrance hymn: #39 O come, O come, Emmanuel ("Veni, Emmanuel")

Kyrie (if sung): #840 Mass XVI

Psalm 80: R./ Lord, make us turn to you, let us see your face, and we shall be saved. (Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB)

Alleluia "Conditor Alme" (music by yours truly, based on the Advent chant Conditor Alme Siderum, or Creator of the Stars of Night) (PDF)

Offertory: #59 Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates ("Truro") (Listen)

Sanctus: #842 Mass XVIII

Memorial Acclamation: #875 Heritage Mass

Amen: #878 Heritage Mass

Agnus Dei: #846 Mass XVIII

Communion Responsory: Psalm 19, R./ Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and his Name shall be called Emmanuel. (BMP) (PDF)

- - The text is that assigned for Communion by the Graduale Romanum.  The melody given is based on the hymntune "O Heiland, Reiss", the German translation of the Rorate caeli mentioned at the top of this post.

Meditation hymn: #42 Come, thou long-expected Jesus ("Stuttgart") (Listen)

Recessional hymn: #44 O come, divine Messiah ("Venez, Divin Messie") (Listen)

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP

GAUDETE SUNDAY at EIGHT O'CLOCK

Gaudete in Domino semper; iterum dico, "Gaudete!"

That is how the introit appointed for the Third Sunday of Advent begins.  Its translation is "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, "Rejoice!"  St. Paul writes to the Philippians in this Sunday's Epistle reading those same words.  The Lesson from Zephaniah for the day says, "Be glad and exult (synonym for "rejoice") with all your heart."  And even the Psalm response (note that the Responsorial Psalm is not a Psalm but a passage from Isaiah (12:2-6): "Cry out with joy and gladness", and doubles up on the third versicle.

The offertory and recessional hymns, as well as the responsory I selected for Communion, all bid "Rejoice!" in some way, shape or form, while the entrance hymn mentions John the Baptist's announcement of the Lord's coming.  The Second and Third Sundays of Advent could easily be called "John the Baptist Sundays", eh?  Yea, I say!

That said...

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

The rest:

Entrance hymn: #41 On Jordan's bank ("Winchester New")

- John's announcement of the coming of our Lord.

Kyrie (if sung): #840 Mass XVI

Responsorial Psalm (Isaiah 12:2-6): R./ Cry out with joy and gladness, for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel. (Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB)

Alleluia "Conditor Alme" (music by yours truly, based on the Advent chant Conditor Alme Siderum, or Creator of the Stars of Night) (PDF)

Offertory hymn: #39 O come, O come, Emmanuel ("Veni, Emmanuel")

- Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

Sanctus: #842 Mass XVIII

Memorial Acclamation: #875 Heritage Mass

Amen: #878 Heritage Mass

Agnus Dei: #846 Mass XVIII

Communion responsory: Magnificat anima mea Dominum (Tone 8g/Ciro Grassi)

- Translation: My soul rejoices in my God.  The first verse continues: "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior."

Meditation hymn: #67 Creator of the stars of night ("Conditor Alme Siderum")

Recessional hymn: #724 Rejoice! the Lord is King ("Darwall's 148th"), verses 1 and 4

- The refrain concludes: Rejoice, again I say, "Rejoice!"  While this hymn is normally used for the Solemnity of Christ the King, the refrain and the fourth verse are especially fitting here.  Verse 4 sings, "Rejoice in glorious hope; Our Lord the Judge shall come and take his servants up to there eternal home.  Lift up your heart, lift up your voice; Rejoice, again I say, 'Rejoice'"

Gaudete in Domino semper!  Iterum dico, "Gaudete!"

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT and IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

Second Sunday of Advent (December 8/8:00 AM)

Entrance hymn: #41 On Jordan's Bank ("Winchester New") (Listen)

- In this listen link, the hymn starts at the 2:09 mark after some fantastic organ fanfare.  The church: the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.

Kyrie (if sung): #840 Mass XVI

Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 126): R./ The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. (Alfred Calabrese) (PDF)

Alleluia "Conditor Alme" (music by yours truly, based on the Advent chant Conditor Alme Siderum, or Creator of the Stars of Night) (PDF)

Offertory hymn: #60 Comfort, comfort, ye my people ("Geneva 42") (Listen)

Sanctus: #842 Mass XVIII

Memorial Acclamation: #875 Heritage Mass

Amen: #878 Heritage Mass

Agnus Dei: #846 Mass XVIII

Hymn during Communion: #97 Lo! how a rose e'er blooming ("Es Ist Ein' Ros Entsprungen")

Meditation hymn: #43 People, look east ("Besancon Carol") (verses 1-3) (Listen)

Recessional hymn: #47 The King shall come when morning dawns ("Morning Song") (Listen)

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(December 9/7:45 AM)

OK, so in the case of this day, the eight o'clock music department becomes the "quarter-of-eight" music depatment. ;)

Entrance hymn: #687 Sing of Mary, pure and lowly ("Pleading Savior")

Gloria (if sung): #841 Mass VIII

Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 98): R./ Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds. (Response music by J. Robert Carroll)

Alleluia "Conditor Alme" (music by yours truly, based on the Advent chant Conditor Alme Siderum, or Creator of the Stars of Night) (PDF)

Offertory hymn: #97 Lo! how a rose e'er blooming ("Es Ist Ein' Ros Entsprungen") (Listen)

Hymn during Communion: #52 The angel Gabriel from heaven came ("Gabriel's Message") (Listen)

Recessional hymn: #204 Immaculate Mary ("Lourdes Hymn")

Quod scripsi, scripsi! ("What I have written, I have written!") ;)
BMP