20/12/07

Easter and Autmn Festivals

Would it not enhance our celebrations if we could invite a GOOD Choir from the area visited to sing The Mass, not a concert version but a setting that can be confined a suitable time span.

Any comments from the bretheren.

Regards

Terry Delaney - Suffolk

REPLIES

Craig Aburn - 21/12/07

I believe this is a splendid suggestion! Such a thing happens at the Epiphany Festival. Indeed on 5th January we plan to have Victoria's Missa O Magnum Mysterium.

Craig Aburn
Guild MC

C - 21/12/07

Yes I am sure that it would enhance the singing and the beauty of the worship.
A congregational setting of the Mass would be good, other more formal settings although beautiful sometimes leave the congregation feeling "isolated".
C 

Roland Robbims - 22/12/07

Perhaps it might be wiser to have a said Mass with hymns than to have the congregation feeling excluded by not being able, or by some choir masters, not welcomed to join in the sung setting!!

Roland

Andrew Mays - 27/12/07

The thought of a FESTIVAL having a said mass with hymns is something that I find disconcerting. A festival is exactly what it says a FESTIVAL. The mass setting should surely be a well known and simple one that all present can participate. This can,and should be lead by a strong choir but must not become a choir concert.

Andrew R Mays

Roger Emery - 3/1/08

Festivals are as they are called Festivals.. A said mass would not be appropriate under any circumstances, Good music always enhances worship and surely a balance between a full Musical Mass ( which some find too much, but does not reflect my personal; view ) and a Good Mass setting which could be used at All Festivals so that members are familiar with it. We do have a lot of Musical talent within the Guild, and suggestions could be put forward to the Guild Organist for further discussion. We have over the years lost too much of the Traditional values, so let's do whatever we can to make our Festivals what they once were, and hopefully increase attendance also.
Councillor Roger Emery Sussex.

Stephen Attenborough - 7/1/08

I have always felt that Catholic worship at its best should contain good music as well as ceremonial. Too often we encounter the same congregational settings, and yearn for the choral music that seems to be the preserve of a small number of well-known churches, mainly though not exclusively in London,
I do agree that some consideration needs to be given to what form the music should take at national festivals. There needs to be a good choir on each occasion, either from the host church or elsewhere. I found the music at the Epiphany Festival at Holy Trinity Hoxton last Saturday very much to my liking, although I am aware that some prefer the type of setting that they can join in.
Stephen Attenborough, Cantor, Chapter of St John the Divine, Leicester.