On Christmas morning I've been asked to play at a local church after Mass at my own church. The congregation are used to singing the above... just wondered if anyone has ever used it? Is it easy? I'll probably get just 10 mins to look through it before the service!

Thanks!
Ophecleide

It's a doddle. Based on the new World Symphony, Elijah, Brahms' 1, Largo (Handel) (which is the Sanctus) but you will need to know which of the alternatives they use as the Sanctus is also set to Elijah. Lord's Prayer (if used) is set to Beethoven's Pathetique. You'll either love it or hate it. VERY sight-readable but useful to know what tempo they like it at.

I feel sick already....

i think it's rather scary as well........

Sounds awful. Reminds me when, for the hymn 'There is a green hill far away' the Minister wanted it to the tune of 'House of the Rising Sun' (a den of iniquity), though it does fit perfectly.

The idea of the 'parody' mass setting is centuries old. More recently, Paul Trepte has written a setting based on a hymn tune, as has Martin How.

The real issue is good taste - or the lack of it. The current texts of the 'Common Worship' Holy Communion are unlikely to inspire great music.

Barry Williams.

OK, but how about 'O Jesus I have promised' to the tune of 'The Muppets'. Love it or hate it, you won't fail to be amused!

Love it or hate it? I'll hate it!

Thanks all for your posts.

I totally agree that the current HC Order One texts are very ininspiring.

Unusually, I played for a midnight service of Holy Communion, to help a parish out in an emergency. The service was said, despite the presence of a large and competent choir. I was told that the Vicar prefers it that way.

All the hymns were taken from a volume entitled 'Sing Glory', edited by Messrs Baughan and Saward of Jubilate Hymns. (The 'Hymns Old and New' brigade.) The volume is published by Kevin Mayhew.

Predictably, all the 'thees' and 'thous' had been carefully expunged but many other syntactic archaisms left untouched. New verses have been written and many other alterations made that directly contradicted the stated purpose of 'modernising' the hymns.

The tunes were all set very low, so we used 'Carols for Choirs' for most of the hymns and those that I played from 'Sing Glory' I transposed into higher keys, still well within the congregational range, but not "singing in the boots".

But the real point is that the congregation sang the usual versions of the words, ignoring the new versions completely!

Barry Williams

A frequent occurrence with my old choir using Hymns Old and New. Just trying doing Angel Voices from HON when some had been A and M'ing for the best part of 50 years!

Midnight -

1) Of the father's heart begotten

2) The first nowell

3) O little town

4) O come all ye faithful



nos 1, 3 and 4 with descants

I reckon we were relatively fortunate.

Yep - it sometimes feels close! We did a Mozart mass too, and Haydn St Nicolas mass on Christmas morning.

Sorry yours was disappointing.

Very sorry to hear it was a disaster, our services were pretty good this year!
Midnight
Choral Introit: Anon - Gaudete
O come all ye faithful
While shepherds watched
O little town
Joubert - Torches
Rutter - Nativity Carol
Silent night
Hark the herald

9.30am Mass
O come all ye faithful
Away in a manger
Christians awake! salute the happy morn
Byrd - Cradle Song
In the bleak midwinter
Hark the herald

6pm Evensong & Benediction
Come, thou Redeemer of the earth
Silent night

11am Sung Eucharist (at another church)
O come all ye faithful
O little town
Hark the herald
God rest you merry gentlemen.