22 August - Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 16

Better late than never, right?

I have three lists for you today.

I played the 7.45 am Mass at Immaculate Conception Church. As usual, the numbers come out of GIA's Gather Comprehensive 1994 (green cover):

Sunday 7.45 am Mass: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Prelude: Largo Staccato, Voluntary in G (Op. 7, No. 9; J. Stanley)
Processional Hymn: 661, The Church's one foundation (AURELIA)
Gloria: 176, New Mass for Congregations (C.T. Andrews)
Psalm: 112, Psalm 117 (Haas)
Gospel Acclamation: 177, Mode VI; Verse to Tone 6F ("I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father, except through me.")
Offertory Hymn: 651, So the day dawn for me (NEW FREEDOM)
Sanctus: 180, People's Mass
Memorial Acclamation, Amen: 181-182, Danish Amen Mass
Agnus Dei: 184, Agnus Dei XVIII (in English)
Communion Voluntaries: Fantasia (J. Pachelbel); Allegretto (Wm. Boyce)
Recessional: 615, Seek ye first the kingdom of God (SEEK YE FIRST)
Postlude: Vivace, Voluntary in G (Op. 7, No. 9; J. Stanley)

I'll admit--I do like playing the little Zimmer organ at IC. And Angela has granted me practice time on the instrument whenever I want it. :)

I just wish that TPTB would have had the foresight to have expanded the organ when they had the chance way back when we first moved into the larger "worship space", especially since the space just swallows up the organ.

Once my schedule stabilises somewhat, I will definitely take Angela up on her practice time offers. :)

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St. Joseph's Episcopal Church where I played the usual 10.30 am service. As usual, the numbers are out of The Hymnal 1982.

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Eucharist Rite II
Prelude: Largo Staccato, Voluntary in G (Op. 7, No. 9; J. Stanley)
Processional Hymn: 521, Put forth, O God, thy Spirit's might (CHELSEA SQUARE)
Trisagion: S-100, New Plainsong (Hurd)
Psalm: Psalm 71 (Simplified Anglican Chant)
Sequence Hymn: 567, Thine arm, O Lord, in days of old (ST. MATTHEW)
Offertory Hymn: 522, Glorious things of thee are spoken (AUSTRIA)
Sanctus: S-130, Deutsche Messe (Schubert/Proulx)
Lord's Prayer: chanted (S-119 in Hymnal 1982)
Fraction Anthem: S-169, My flesh is food indeed (Urwin)
Communion Hymn: 655, Rock of ages, cleft for me (TOPLADY)
Recessional Hymn: 411, O bless the Lord, my soul (ST. THOMAS (Williams))
Postlude: Vivace, Voluntary in G (Op. 7, No. 9; J. Stanley)

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I played the 4:00 pm service for Carol Woods, which is organised by Chapel of the Cross. The music list would generally resemble the 8.00 am summer morning Rite I services.

The music list:

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Eucharist Rite I
Prelude: Improvisation on Regent Square
Processional Hymn: 368, Holy Father, great Creator (REGENT SQUARE)
Psalm: Psalm 103 (recited)
Offertory Hymn: 624, Jerusalem the golden (EWING)
Communion Voluntary: O Jerusalem (J. Vogt)
Recessional Hymn: 411, O bless the Lord, my soul (ST. THOMAS (Williams))
Postlude: Vivace, Voluntary in G (Op. 7, No. 9; J. Stanley)

I believe this is my last Sunday at Carol Woods for a while. It's been a pleasure playing for this service. The people who go to this service are very appreciative of my efforts. So of course, I'll be very happy to step in and play a service whenever they need me.

The summer season is over! The students are back, and Compline will start up again on Sunday. I am very much looking forward to singing with that group of people once again! So, as my mentor, Van Quinn, loves to say, Hallelujah and pass the Liber Usualis! :)

Thursday Thoughts

I have not been the most faithful as far as blogging is concerned, but I have enough thoughts in my head to share. So here goes.

• The Bull City Connector. People around town were getting really really excited about this new program. It would be a fare-free route from Duke University to the Golden Belt. The route includes Ninth Street and Downtown Durham. This would be absolutely perfect for me: I live very close to Duke's East Campus, and the bus stops are convenient to home and work (both the M-F and the Sunday/weekend sites). So I could leave the car at home and get myself to move more, which I really, really need.
  
  So last Monday, I decided to give this new route a go; after all, it did say it was going to start then. So I stood there and waited. And waited. And waited some more. I kept glancing at the clock and got more nervous. Half an hour passed, and I only saw one bus, which was the DATA Bus #9. This certainly did not look good. What ever happened to "bus service every 15 minutes?" So I walked back home and drove into work.
  
  One of my co-workers, who also works as Director of Community Engagement at Duke, called in and said he had the pleasure of riding this bus into Downtown. You can imagine how green with envy I became. He admitted the service had its inaugural run at 10.30 am.
  
  !!!
  
  Oh well. He did tell me to give it another go; the service will be running, he promises it. I said okay. We'll see. I think I'll try it next week and see how it goes. At least I have some comfort in the fact that someone else who lives two blocks north of me tried to wait for the bus that never came, so he, too, had given up.
• Masterchef Australia. My friend, Father Roderick loves this show. A couple of my other Aussie friends were also singing its praises as well. So being the foodie I was, I was curious to know what it was like. Unfortunately, I couldn't watch it from the Masterchef Australia site. Thank goodness for YouTube. I've just watched the first seven episodes, and I am hooked. Yes, I already know who won, but it is fun to watch the episodes and to see how these people have grown and developed as chefs. I know there is still a very long way until I get to the end, but that's okay. I'll consider it my bonbon for the end of the day.
  
  What I really liked about this show: not only did it showcase the cooking talents of fifty of Australia's most talented home and amateur cooks, it also showed just how supportive the judges were of the contestants, as well as how supportive the contestants were of each other. That is an aspect I really find appealing. Plus, I get to download the wonderful recipes that are posted on the Masterchef Australia site.
• On the other hand, I just could not get interested in Masterchef USA. I tried to watch the first episode. I absolutely hated it. I could not stand the judges, and I hated how they treated the contestants. In my opinion, it was a very, very pale imitation of the Australian version. I couldn't even watch more than ten minutes of it before I got so disgusted, I wanted to throw things at my computer screen. So sorry, Masterchef USA. I have absolutely no interest in following that show.
• While I'm on the topic of Reality Cooking Shows, I will admit to following Season Six of The Next Food Network Star. Somehow, I got really involved in either cheering or intensely disliking these candidates. I really liked Aarti from the very beginning. I'll admit that I also thought Aria was very warm on-screen as well. There were two I absolutely could not stand: Dzintra and Paul. Dzintra was definitely the chef you loved to hate. She was just so scattered, and I absolutely could not even consider watching anything featuring her. Paul... let's just say he was too aggressive and didn't even have a clear idea of what he wanted to talk about.
  
  Eventually, Dzintra and Aria made it on my "I really dislike you" list. Why? Those two ended up being really rude to their fellow competitors. (It's a direct contrast to how completely supportive the Masterchef Australia competitors are towards each other.) Plus, as the season wore on, I started liking Aria less and less. She did not come across as genuine to me, and admittedly, I could only take the kind of food she cooks so far before I get sick of it.
  
  I think the right three were asked to make pilots for the show. Why not Brad? I would have watched him, but then again, it's very easy to forget just how young Brad was. I'm sure with more experience and more seasoning, he would be absolutely fantastic on the screen. I, for one, would hope to see him on a screen near me. :)
  
  So congratulations to Aarti! I'm sure she will do very well on her new show, Aarti Paarti.
• Finally... The community that prays together stays together. Many of my friends went to Boston and the Catholic New Media Celebration that took place on August 6-7. It was really cool that for those of us experiencing con envy, we could watch and join with those physically in Boston via uStream. When I noticed the tweet pointing us to Sean's ambitious CNMC Online Catholic Community rosary, I went straight away to that page (and it is linked above) and downloaded the podcast. It was really, really nice to hear familiar voices praying the very familiar prayers of the Rosary. It was also nice to hear the voices of my Facebook and Twitter friends give reflections on each of the Mysteries of the Rosary. Even if you are not Catholic, it is still a wonderful thing to hear the voices of these people—bloggers, podcasters, New Media creators and users—lifting their voices in prayer. Well done, Sean, and thanks for this beautiful gift. ♥

Sigh. Here is one situation where I wish there was something like an LJ cut on Blogger. Maybe there is. If you know how to do it on Blogger, I'd be more than happy to hear it.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! :)

15 August - Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 15

Two lists for you today.

St. Joseph's Episcopal Church where I played the usual 10.30 am service. As usual, the numbers are out of The Hymnal 1982.

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Eucharist Rite II
Prelude: Fantasia (J. Pachelbel)
Processional Hymn: 536, Open your ears, O faithful people (YISRAEL V'ORAITA)
Trisagion: S-100, New Plainsong (Hurd)
Psalm: Psalm 80 (Simplified Anglican Chant)
Sequence Hymn: 187, Through the Red Sea brought at last (STRAF MICH NICHT)
Offertory Hymn: 545, Lo! what a cloud of witnesses (ST. FULBERT)
Sanctus: S-130, Deutsche Messe (Schubert/Proulx)
Lord's Prayer: chanted (S-119 in Hymnal 1982)
Fraction Anthem: S-169, My flesh is food indeed (Urwin)
Communion Hymn: 635, If thou but trust in God to guide thee (WER NUN DEN LIEBEN GOTT)
Recessional Hymn: 546, Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve (SIROË)
Postlude: Improvisation on Siroë

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I drew the organist's duties at the 5.15 pm service at Chapel of the Cross.

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Eucharist Rite II
Prelude: Fantasia (J. Pachelbel); Largo, Voluntary in G (Op. 6, No. 7; J. Stanley)
Processional Hymn: 437, Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Psalm: Psalm 82 (recited)
Sequence Hymn: 552, Fight the good fight (PENTECOST)
Offertory Hymn: 475, God himself is with us (TYSK)
Sanctus: S-125, Community Mass (Proulx)
Communion Voluntary: Adagio-(Allegro), Voluntary in e minor (Op. 7, No. 7; J. Stanley)
Recessional Hymn: 618, Ye watchers and ye holy ones (LASST UNS ERFREUEN)
Postlude: Vivace, Voluntary in G (Op. 6, No. 7; J. Stanley)

8 August - Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 14

Two lists for you today.

St. Joseph's Episcopal Church where I played the usual 10.30 am service. As usual, the numbers are out of The Hymnal 1982.

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Eucharist Rite II
Prelude: Sinfonia from Cantate 156 (J.S. Bach)
Processional Hymn: 596, Judge eternal, throned in splendor (KOMM, O KOMM DU GEIST DES LEBENS)
Trisagion: S-100, New Plainsong (Hurd)
Psalm: Psalm 50 (Simplified Anglican Chant)
Sequence Hymn: 317, This is the hour of banquet and of song (MORESTEAD)
Offertory Hymn: 709, O God of Bethel, by whose hand (DUNDEE)
Sanctus: S-130, Deutsche Messe (Schubert/Proulx)
Lord's Prayer: chanted (S-119 in Hymnal 1982)
Fraction Anthem: S-169, My flesh is food indeed (Urwin)
Communion Hymn: 699, Jesus, lover of my soul (ABERYSTWYTH)
Recessional Hymn: 637, How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord (LYONS)
Postlude: Rigaudon (A. Campra)

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I played the 4:00 pm service for Carol Woods, which is organised by Chapel of the Cross. The music list would generally resemble the 8.00 am summer morning Rite I services.

The music list:

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Eucharist Rite I
Prelude: Improvisation on Leoni
Processional Hymn: 401, The God of Abraham praise (LEONI)
Psalm: Psalm 82(recited)
Offertory Hymn: 707, Take my life and let it be (HOLLINGSIDE)
Communion Voluntary: Sinfonia from Cantate 156 (J.S. Bach)
Recessional Hymn: 636, How firm a foundation (FOUNDATION)
Postlude: Rigaudon (A. Campra)

I've been getting a bit more daring (for me, anyway) as far as improvisation is concerned. (Thanks for the inspiration, David Arcus!) I guess it must be paying off: a couple of people approached me after the service and told me they really liked what I did with the prelude piece. :)

File Missing

H/T to Jerry K. I blame this one on him. ;)

1 August - Tenth Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 13

Just one list for you today.

St. Joseph's Episcopal Church where I played the usual 10.30 am service. As usual, the numbers are out of The Hymnal 1982.

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Eucharist Rite II
Prelude: Jesu, meine Freude (J.G. Walther)
Processional Hymn: 408, Sing praise to God who reigns above (MIT FREUDEN ZART)
Gloria: S-277, New Plainsong (Hurd)*
Psalm: Psalm 107 (Simplified Anglican Chant)
Sequence Hymn: 701, Jesus, all my gladness (JESU, MEINE FREUDE)
Offertory Hymn: 665, All my hope on God is founded (MICHAEL)
Sanctus: S-130, Deutsche Messe (Schubert/Proulx)
Lord's Prayer: chanted (S-119 in Hymnal 1982)
Fraction Anthem: S-169, My flesh is food indeed (Urwin)
Communion Hymn: 529, In Christ there is no east nor west (McKEE)
Recessional Hymn: 594, God of grace and God of glory (CWM RHONDDA)
Postlude: Triumphal March (G.F. Handel)

Interestingly enough, we received a lot of feedback, mostly negative, about switching to the Gloria mid-stream. It was a bit of a surprise that the criticism was quick and passionate. If you've read my entry from last week, you'll see why (after careful consultation with the Senior Warden and the Deacon) we switched it to the Gloria. We'll be switching back to the Trisagion for the rest of the month until the service music will be changing for the second half of "Ordinary Time".

I started my group on the lovely anthem by Friedell, "Draw Us in the Spirit's Tether". I was chuffed that my group was able to pick up the first 2/3 of the piece very readily! I think it will be beautiful by the time we sing it on the 29th August. :)