Monday, July 13, 2015

Worship music at the Anglo-Catholic congress

Updated after attending the services.

At the Forward in Faith sponsored International Catholic Congress of Anglicans in Ft. Worth this week, there will be four choral evensong services (Monday-Thursday) and four noontime communions (Tuesday-Friday), all held at nearby St. Andrew’s.

The liturgy for these services have been posted. Not surprisingly, none use the new ACNA liturgy or Rite II. However, despite the participation of key 1928 BCP clergy and laity — and the use of the 1928 BCP at St. Andrew’s — all eight services use Rite I from the 1979 ECUSA prayer book.

Evensong

For the evensong, the opening and closing hymns are traditional, while the anthems are more modern. The service music uses the Hymn #601 responses; however, the remaining service music emphasizes work by Chris Hoyt, the conference music director and the music director at REC’s Dallas cathedral (that uses the 1928 BCP).

Day Processional Hymn Anthem Closing Hymn Service Music
Mon Come thou almighty King (H40: 271) Palestrina: Veni Creator Spiritus Come down, O love divine (H40: 376) Psalm, Magnificat, Nunc dimittis: Hoyt
Tue Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven (H40: 282) Townend: How Deep the Father's Love for Us Dear Lord and Father of mankind (H40: 435) Psalm: J.W. Meachan adapted by Hoyt; Magnificat: Hoyt; Bendedic: Ouseley
Wed Come ye sinners poor and needy Perry: How shall they hear the word of God? How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord (H40: 564) Psalm, Magnificat: Hoyt; Bendedic: Ouseley
Thu Guide me, O thou great Jehovah (H40: 434) Deep River O day of rest and gladness (H40: 474) Psalm, Magnificat, Nunc dimittis: Hoyt

† From Southern Hymnal (1835), set to tune Restoration with a 2015 arrangement.

It was pretty straightforward to find the “Benedic, anima mea” by English composer Frederick Ouseley (1825-1889) — it’s Hymn #677 in H40. With some digging, I was able to find reference to Jerome Webster Meachen (b. 1930), onetime organist of St. John’s (Waterbury, CT) — but did not find any reference in the four most relevant 20th century hymnals (TEH, H40, H82, NEH).

After Monday’s (lengthy) visit to the 16th century, the evensong anthems the rest of the week take on a decidedly contemporary slant:
Holy Communion

The hymn selection for the mid-day holy communion is more eclectic, with some very familiar hymns from H40 and some brand new ones. Interestingly, three of the four anthem composers — Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924), Herbert Howells (1892-1983) and Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) were English composers active during the same period, while Harold Friedell (1905-1958) was an American 13 years younger than Howells.

DayProcessionalGradualAnthemOffer-tory HymnClosing HymnPsalm
TueFor all the saints (H40: 126)Come all Christians, be committed (2015)Stanford: Ye Choirs of New JersualemO love, how deep (H82: 449)†I bind unto myself today (H40: 268)Jerome Webster Meachen
WedThe Church's one foundation (H40: 396)Come labor on (2014)Howells: Like as the HartThy hand, O God (TEH: 545)I love thy kingdom, Lord (H40: 388)Chris Hoyt
ThuGlorious things of thee are spoken (H40: 385)Humbly I adore thee (H40: 204)Friedell: Draw Us in the Spirit's TetherDeck thyself, my soul, with gladness (H40: 210)Alleluia! Sing to Jesus! (H40: 347)Chris Hoyt
FriNot by the wisdom of this world (Hoyt, 2012)Faith of our fathers, taught of old (NEH: 479)Vaughan Williams: AntiphonRise up, O men of God! (H40: 535)Lift high the cross (H82: 473)Robert Knox Kennedy

† The tune used was not the familiar Deus Quorum Militium (H40: 344; H82: 448), nor Eisenach (TEH: 459; NEH: 425) nor Cornwall (NEH: 424)

The (uncredited) service music (Kyrie, Gloria, Nicene Creed, Sursum Corda, Sanctus+Benedictus, Lord’s Prayer) is the same for all four days, and appears to correspond to John Merbecke’s 16th century setting (the first ever English language setting).

Update: I left out the 16th century communion hymns (sung by the choir):
  • Tuesday: Palestrina: Ego Sum Panis Vivus
  • Wednesday: Palestrina: Sicut cervus
  • Thursday: Tallis: Verily, Verily, I Say unto You
  • Friday: Byrd: Haec dies
Also, before I got to Ft Worth I did not have the morning prayer book which each day included a daily office hymn
  • Tuesday: Thy Hand, O God, Hast Guided (NEH: 485)
  • Wednesday: Awake, My Soul, and With The Sun (H40: 151)
  • Thursday: New Every Morning (H40: 155)
  • Friday: Father, We Praise The, Now the Night Is Over (H40: 157 2nd)

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