7th and 8th June - 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time/Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

(Reposted because idiot me overwrote this post with my new post from 6/15/2008.)

I must like pain.

Not long after the festivities in the wake of Terry's and Jonathan's Union Blessing, I decided to swing by Immaculate Conception and help out the choir (well, as much as I could with my bullfrog's voice) for their Saturday 5.30 pm Vigil Mass.

Here is the music list for that Mass.

As usual, the numbers come out of GIA's Gather Comprehensive 1994 (green cover):

The Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gloria: 176 (Andrews)
Gospel Acclamation, Sanctus, Mem. Accl., Amen, Agnus Dei: Mass of Light

Pro: 700, The Summons (KELVINGROVE)
Psalm: 54, Psalm 50 (Guimont - DM played this on the piano. Guimont's psalm settings just do not work on the piano, IMHO. They are so much better suited to the organ ... again, MHO.)
Off: organist's voluntary
Comm: 849, Table Song
Re: 718, We Are Called (Haas)

Sigh ... what a huge contrast to the service from earlier in the afternoon. My voice ended up failing me at the end to the point that I even lost most of the alto range, so I ended up singing (trying to, anyway) the last few songs an octave lower, or just dropping out altogether.

St. Joseph's Episcopal Church - numbers are out of The Hymnal 1982.

The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Eucharist: Rite II
Prelude: Prelude in d minor (attr. J. S. Bach)
Pro: 401, The God of Abraham praise (LEONI)
Trisagion: S-100 (New Plainsong Mass; Hurd)
Psalm: Ps 33 (Barrett)
Seq: 706, In your mercy, Lord, you called me (HALTON HOLGATE)
Off: 567, Thine arm, O Lord, in days of old (ST. MATTHEW)
Sanctus: S-130, Deutsche Messe (Schubert)
Lord's Prayer: chanted (S-119 in Hymnal 1982)
Fraction Anthem: S-169, My flesh is food indeed (Urwin)
Comm: Gather Comprehensive 700, The Summons (KELVINGROVE)
Re: 493, O for a thousand tongues to sing (AZMON)
Postlude: Fugue in d minor (attr. Bach)

I also played the bi-weekly service at Carol Woods, which is organised by Chapel of the Cross. This was a simple service, really resembling the 8.00 am summer morning Rite I services at Chapel of the Cross, with a few omissions, most notably the Psalm and the Offertory hymn. I've agreed to serve as the service pianist for the whole of the summer, up until my services at the Episcopal Centre at Duke University are required again shortly before Labour Day.

The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Eucharist: Rite II
Prelude: Bless the Lord (Taizé - it was what I happened to have on hand, so I improvised on it as people were toddling in.)
Pro: 401, The God of Abraham praise (LEONI)
Seq: 706, In your mercy, Lord, you called me (HALTON HOLGATE)
Comm: Sinfonia (from Cantata 156; J. S. Bach, arr. C. Callahan)
Re: 636, How firm a foundation (FOUNDATION)
Postlude: Rigaudon (A. Campra; arr. C. Callahan)

Thank goodness for Weddings for Manuals, which contains some of the more "popular" wedding music, arranged for manuals by Charles Callahan. It works on the piano ... plus, I thought, especially as far as Communion is concerned, it would be nice to have a piece that I can easily shorten or lengthen, depending on how Communion was going. Unlike most places, here the priest goes and takes Communion to the people. Looking on the congregation (and it was a pretty good turn-out; I'd say around 30 or so), I'd say most are in their late 70s all the way up to their 90s and beyond.

After the service was over, those who were able to approach me did so and thanked me profusely, saying it really made a difference to have music in the service. Those in wheelchairs or with oxygen tanks strapped to them, beckoned me to come to them, and they expressed their gratitude to me.

That is worth far more than the stipend Chapel of the Cross is paying me for this service. I made a difference in these peoples' Sunday worship. It was a very good reminder for me as to why I am doing this. Soli Deo Gloria!