Sunday, September 28, 2008

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time
St. John the Baptist Church, Pawtucket, RI


ST. THOMAS...O bless the Lord, my soul
Alstott...Remember your mercies, O Lord, Alleluia, and To you, O Lord
(The third title, which was the offertory, is not one of Owen Alstott's better works. The melody sounds more like something you'd hear at a 1971 folk Mass.)
Proulx...Sanctus, Christ has died, and Amen from Community Mass
Isele...Agnus Dei from Holy Cross Mass
Farrell...Christ, be our light
(On the other hand, this piece, by Bernadette Farrell, who is also MRS. Owen Alstott, IS one of her better works - if you compare it to stuff like God has chosen me, God beyond all names and that hideous Mass of Hope.)
NUN DANKET...Now thank we all our God

Peace,
BMP

PS: I have a copy of the 2009 Music Issue. I'll be reviewing it soon.

2 comments:

frival said...

Okay, I have a question. Our choir director is in the process of introducing a new Mass setting to the parish and brought out the Sanctus today for the first time. I'm curious just what it would take to identify the setting. It had a very quick tempo (from my long-ago music lessons it sounded 4:4 to me) and we repeat 'Hosanna' over and over and over again. It made me think we were in for "Fiddler on the Roof" rather than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to be honest. If someone had stood up and yelled "Tradition!" I wouldn't have been surprised...

Brian Michael Page said...

The only thing I can think of is the Sing Praise and Thanksgiving Mass by Michael Joncas (published by WLP).

Incidentally, I never saw "Fiddler on the Roof", but in high school chorus we did do a Broadway-type medley that consisted of clips from "Tradition" and "Sunrise Sunset".

Peace,
BMP