30 December - Feast of the Holy Family

This one had an interesting division of duty this morning. Because the organist needed to leave early to get to another service at 9.00 am, I ended up playing the Recessional Hymn, as well as the Postlude. Admittedly, I felt rather lazy and didn't start practising these pieces until the night before ... and it still turned out rather well, with a small group of people hanging out at the end of Mass and mobbing me at the console when I finished. It was also rather nice to be complimented by the Presider when he caught me in the Gathering Space as I was leaving ...

Here is the list. As usual, the numbers come out of GIA's Gather Comprehensive 1994 (green cover).

December 30: Holy Family (Sun. 7.45 am)

Gloria: Mass of Creation
Alleluia: 261 Murray; Verse to Tone VIII-g
Sanctus, Mem. Accl., Amen, Agnus Dei: Mass of Creation

Prelude: In dulci jubilo (Seventy-Nine Chorales, Op. 28): Marcel Dupré
Pro: 372 Once in Royal David's City (IRBY)
Psalm: 125, Ps 128, Haugen
Off: 380 What child is this (GREENSLEEVES; Stainer harmonisation)
Comm: 366 God rest you merry, Gentlemen
Re: 362 Good Christian friends, rejoice (IN DULCI JUBILO)
Postlude: In Dir ist Freude, BWV 615: J. S. Bach

For some strange reason, I was feeling so nervous, like I felt like my heart was going to pop right out of my chest! Slipping into the Willcocks descant for Once in Royal David's City for the last verse helped calm my nerves somewhat ... and I sung that without consciously realising it.

Admittedly, I am not very keen on the Stainer harmonisation. That C-sharp kept bothering me!!!

Also too - before the Mass, I chatted with the cantor briefly, and when I told him I was going to take the tempo of the Recessional Hymn at dotted half = 60, he expressed concern that was a little too fast. In my opinion, any slower than that, and it sounds like a funeral dirge. Happily, even though he disagreed with my tempo, he said he would follow along whatever tempo I took. (There's a delay anyway between the organ and the cantor podium, so I wasn't concerned - I figured he'll catch on, even if we're talking the early Sunday morning Mass here.) As I was playing, however, I was able to hear the people singing, and singing this one well, which made me feel really good. (Oh goodie, I can lead people from the console, yay!)

Enough rambling from me ... at least, for the moment ...