Epiphany at the Cathedral

The Cathedral Parish of St. Patrick
Harrisburg, PA


Prelude: Prelude sur l'Introit de l'Epiphanie -- Maurice Durufle

Entrance: The First Nowell / THE FIRST NOWELL

Gloria: Gloria for Christmastime -- Proulx

Psalm 72: Michel Guimont

Alleluia: Schiavone in D

Offertory Hymn (5:30, 7:30, 12:15): As with Gladness Men of Old / DIX

Offertory Anthem (9:30): There Shall a Star from Jacob Come Forth -- Felix Mendelssohn

Ordinary: Community Mass

Agnus Dei: Proulx in F

Communion: We Three Kings / KINGS OF ORIENT

Recessional: Songs of Thankfulness and Praise / SALZBURG

Postlude: Three Variations on "Noel Nouvelet" -- Robert Lau

Music Notes

(this is something I provide at the end of each week's bulletin, and I have received so

many positive comments on what I thought was just a little thing)

Maurice Durufle was a member of the modern French School of organ composition. A student of Charles Tournemire, Durufle served as the director of the Gregorian Institute at the Paris Conservatoire. All of his works are based on chants from the liturgy. Today’s prelude, translated “Prelude on the Introit for Epiphany”, was written in 1960, and uses the Gregorian melody for the Proper Antiphon (Introit) for this day. You will hear the chant melody played in the lower register of a trumpet.

The choral anthem today, There Shall a Star from Jacob Come Forth, is taken from Mendelssohn’s oratorio CHRISTUS, and is a musical setting of prophecies of Christ. Toward the end of the work, the famous German Epiphany hymn “How Brightly Shines the Morning Star” is quoted.

The organ postlude is a set of variations on the French tune “Noel Nouvelet”, arranged by local composer Robert C. Lau. Dr. Lau is the organist/choirmaster at Zion Lutheran Church in Penbrook, and holds degrees from Lebanon Valley College, the Eastman School of Music, and the Catholic University of America. Dr. Lau is a former chairman of the music department at Lebanon Valley College, and is an adjunct professor at Penn State-Harrisburg.