Choir of St Francis of Assisi, Paddington

4th Sunday of Advent (C) Year of Luke

Mic 5:1-4; Heb 10:5-10: Lk 1.39-44 – Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?

• Mass setting: Missa orbis factor (Victoria)
• Motet: O radiant dawn (J. MacMillan)
• Communio: Ecce virgo concipiet et pariet filium et vocabitur nomen eius Emmanuel. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.
• Hymns: Of the Father’s Heart Begotten (Willcocks); Lo He comes with clouds descending HELMSLEY
• Organ Prelude: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm’ ich her BWV 606 – J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
• Organ Voluntary: Toccata “Vom Himmel hoch” – Garth Edmundson (1900-1971)

Organist: Bransby Byrne

3rd Sunday of Advent – GAUDETE (C) Year of Luke

Zeph 3:14-18; Phil 4:4-7; Lk 3:10-18 – What must we do?

• Introit: Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete: modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus: Dominus prope est… Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all people. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious over anything, but in all manner of prayer, let your requests be made known unto God.
• Mass setting: Mass for 5 Voices (W. Byrd)
• Motet: O thou the central orb* (Orlando Gibbons)
• Communio: (Gregorian, Is 35.4)  Dicite pusillanimes confortamini et nollite timere: ecce Deus noster veniet, et salvabit nos Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is our God.
• Hymns: TIS 265 O Come, O come Emmanuel VENI EMMANUEL; Lo He comes with clouds descending HELMSLEY
• Organ Prelude: From heaven above to earth – Flor Peeters (1903-1986)
• Organ Voluntary: Fantasia on ‘Veni Emmanuel’ – Heathcote Statham (1889-1973)

Organist: Bransby Byrne

*O thou the central Orb of righteous love,
Pure beam of the most high, eternal light of this our bleak world,
Where thy radiance bright awakes new joy in faith, hope soars above.

Come, quickly come, and let thy radiant glory shine,
Gilding our darksome heaven with rays divine.

Thy saints with holy lustre round thee move, as stars about thy throne,
Set in the height of God’s ordaining counsel, as thy sight
Gives measured grace to each, thy power to prove.

Let thy bright beams disperse the gloom of sin,
Our nature all shall feel eternal day, in fellowship with thee,
Transforming clay to souls erewhile unclean, now pure within.
Amen.

2nd Sunday of Advent (C) Year of Luke

Baruch 5:1-9; Phil 1:3-6, 8-11; Lk 3:1-6 – All people will see God’s salvation

• Mass setting: Missa Deus genitor alme (Gregorian)
• Communio: (Gregorian, Bar 5.5, 4.36) Jerusalem surge, et sta in excelso, et vide jucunditatem quae veniet tibi a Deo tuo.Arise, 0 Jerusalem, and stand on high; and behold the joy that shall come to you from your God.
• Hymns: Advent Prose (Rorate Caeli); TIS 265 O Come O Come Emmanuel VENI EMMANUEL; TIS 497 Let all mortal flesh keep silence PICARDY
• Organ Prelude: Flute Piece – George Green (18th century)
• Organ Voluntary: Noël Swisse – Louis-Claude d’Aquin (1694-1772)

Organist: Bransby Byrne

1st Sunday of Advent (C) Year of Luke

Jer 33:14-16; 1Thess 3:12-4.2; Lk 21.25-28,34-36 Your liberation is near at hand

• Introit: Ad te levavi To You have I lifted up my soul: in You, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed…
• Mass setting: Missa Deus genitor alme (Gregorian)
• Motet: Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming (Michael Praetorius)
• Communio: (Psalm 84) Dominus dabit benignitatem: et terra nostra dabit fructum suum The Lord will give goodness, and the earth shall yield her fruit
• Hymns: Advent Prose (Rorate Caeli); TIS 264 Hark! A herald voice is calling MERTON
• Organ Prelude: Noël – Charles Chauvet (1837-1871)
• Organ Voluntary: Wachet Auf – J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

Organist: Bransby Byrne

* Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming (Michael Praetorius)

1. Lo, how a rose e’er blooming, from tender stem hath sprung. Of Jesse‘s lineage coming, as men of old have sung; it came, a flow’ret bright, amid the cold of winter, when half spent was the night
2. Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind, with Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind; To show God’s love aright, she bore to men a Saviour, when half spent was the night.
3. O Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air, dispel with glorious splendour the darkness everywhere; True man, yet very God, from Sin and death now save us, and share our every load.

Feast of Christ the King

Dan 7:13-14; Apoc 1:5-8; Jn 18:33-37 It is you who say that I am a king

• Introit: Dignus est agnus Worthy is the lamb (Gregorian)
• Mass setting: Messe sans regretz (B. Shelley); Mass VIII (de Angelis)
• Motet: O Rex gloriae* (Marenzio)
• Communio: Sedebit Dominus Rex in aeternum: Dominus benedicet populo suo in pace The Lord shall sit on his royal throne forever: the Lord will bless his people with peace
• Hymns: TIS 228 Crown him with many crowns DIADEMATA; TIS 497 Let all mortal flesh keep silence PICARDY; TIS 127 Holy God we praise your name GROSSER GOTT
• Organ Prelude: Christ, He is my life – Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg (1718-1795)
• Organ Offertorium: Prelude in ‘G’ – Francis Linley (1771-1800)
• Organ Voluntary: Toccata in ‘F’  BWV 540 – J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

Organist: Bransby Byrne

*Latin text:
O Rex gloriae, Domine virtutum,
qui triumphator hodie super omnes coelos ascendisti;
ne derelinquas nos orphanos,
sed mitte promissum Patris in nos,
spiritum veritatis.
Alleluia.

English translation:
O King of glory, Lord of all power,
Who ascended to heaven on this day triumphant over all;
Do not leave us as orphans,
But send us the Father’s promise,
The spirit of truth.
Alleluia.

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) Year of Mark

Dan 12:1-3; Heb 10:11-14,18; Mk 13:24-32

• Mass setting: Missa Brevis in F (Gabrieli)
• Motet: Denn Er hat seinen Engeln* (Mendelssohn) 
• Communio: Amen dico vobis: Amen I say to you, whatever you ask in your prayers, believe that you shall receive it, and it shall be granted unto you
• Hymns: Lord enthroned in heavenly splendour BRYN CALFARIA, Christ is the world’s redeemer MOVILLE
• Organ Prelude: Folk Tune – Percy Whitlock (1903-1946)
• Organ Offertorium: Trio in ‘C’ – Heinrich Reimann (1850-1906)
• Organ Voluntary: Passacaglia – Josef Rheinberger (1839- 1901)

Organist: Bransby Byrne

*Denn Er hat seinen Engeln befohlen über dir,
daß sie dich behüten auf allen deinen Wegen,
daß sie dich auf den Händen tragen
und du deinen Fuß nicht an einen Stein stoßest.

For he shall give his angels charge over you: to keep you in all your ways.
They shall bear you in their hands: that you not hurt your foot against a stone.
Psalm 91:11.12

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) Year of Mark

1 Kng 17:10-16; Heb 9:24-28; Mk 12:38-44

• Mass setting: Mass Shalom (C.D. Smith)
• Offertory Motet: He shall feed his flock* (from Messiah, G.F. Handel)
• Communio: (Ps 23) Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit in locu pascuae ibi me The Lord is my shepherd, therefore I lack nothing, in pastures green he leads me to refresh me
• Hymns: TIS 386 By your Kingly power, O Risen Lord RUGGIERO; TIS 539 Gift of finest wheat FINEST WHEAT
• Organ Prelude: In Memoriam – Flor Peeters (1903-1986)
• Organ Offertorium: Abide with us, O Lord Jesus Christ – Marcel Dupre (1886-1971)
• Organ Voluntary: Elegy – George Thalben-Ball (1896-1987

Organist: Bransby Byrne