Palm Sunday
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| Image Credit: Wisdom Online |
Thanks for a great small group Mass last week! Our ensemble of five was very in-sync, and the harmonies sounded lovely. We ended our five Saturdays of Lent on a high note! Here's the audio.
This also marks our last time of using Praise and Honor for the season. I borrowed the spiral copy of SS with the misprint and pasted in the correct music. We may also want to record some practice tracks of the wonky verses for next time. Sorry for the trouble with these!
Holy Week begins! We have some special things happening during Mass, so please make sure you're familiar with how everything will flow. Unlike past years, we will not have printed programs (just the green booklets for The Passion).
Let's plan to meet at 3:30 again this Saturday. I'm hoping to briefly go though most of our Good Friday music. I do want to make sure we start looking at Palm Sunday music no later than 4:00, though (we ran a little short on time last week :-).
Looking ahead to Good Friday, please pull music in black binders if you can! I believe many of you already have binders out on loan, but two or three are left if needed. Since Good Friday is a more subdued liturgy, that will minimize how much we're messing with books.
For Easter Sunday, Barb P. and I have been meeting separately to look at things like the Psalm and Easter Sequence. Everything else should be pretty familiar. Since we're not used to organ Masses, we may also try to get a rehearsal for everyone on the board. Stay tuned!
Finally, Barb P. and I will be attending the next (and probably final) planning meeting for the Parish Mission tomorrow evening. We should (hopefully!) have the final word on how the evening sessions will be structured and what's needed music-wise. Once that's sorted out, I'll update the plan.
Be well, and stay warm!
(All Mass Parts, except the Lenten Gospel Acclamation, are from Mass of Remembrance, including Holy, Eucharistic Acclamation 'A' (We Proclaim Your Death), Doxology & Lamb of God)
Out: Karen, Maureen, Frank (sick), Ginny
Blessing/Procession of Palms:
GC3 #572 - The King of Glory (Jabusch)
Materials (**links removed**))
**The liturgy will begin at the back of the Sanctuary with the Blessing of Palms. This will include a dedicated Reading. At the conclusion of the Blessing, Father will say something like:
"Dear Brothers & Sisters, like the
crowds who acclaimed Jesus in Jerusalem, let us go forth in peace."
We'll then sing 'The King of Glory' (as many verses as needed) while the palms are processed around the Sanctuary and brought up to the front.
Don't forget that the refrain will be sung softly, while the verses will be louder. The very first & last time, however, the refrain can be the same volume as the verses.**
(no Penitential Rite)
Responsorial Ps (Jake):
SS #058 - Ps 22 - My God, My God (Smith)
Materials (**links removed**))
**Please be careful with the triplet during the refrain! It's very easy to get out-of-sync! Including the lower harmonies would great too!**
Acclamation (All):
GC3 #511 - Were You There? (Spiritual)
Materials (**links removed**))
**This will be sung a capella as the Gospel Acclamation -- before, during (at the pause) & after the reading of The Passion. We'll keep the tempo up (but not rushed!) to prevent dragging.
The verses we'll use are as follows (the middle verse isn't in the book):
Before: “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”
Pause: “Were you there when He bowed His head and died?”
After: “Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?”
Let's plan to include all four parts. There are excellent practice tracks in the folder if needed. This will be repeated for Good Friday (with others added to the mix), so please make sure you know these!
Also, the readers for the Passion have used our choir mics in the past. Let's be prepared to share the choir space with them if needed.**
Preparation:
GC3 #491 - Jesus, the Lord (O'Connor)
Materials (**links removed**))
**This is another one to watch for tempo and rhythm. I'll try to be as clear as possible with entrances, fermatas, etc.. We'll probably only get through two verses.**
(Mass Parts)
Communion:
SS #172 - Behold the Cross (Hurd)
Materials (**links removed**))
**Could we begin this with a brief instrumental, before having someone start the singing? Keeping the tempo relaxed (not rushed) will be important too. We definitely want to get through all five verses, but not repeat any if possible. Harmonies would be great!**
Commendation:
Song of Farewell (Schutte)
Song of Farewell (Schutte)
Closing:
SS #179 - He is Exalted (Paris)
Materials (**links removed**))
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