Mihi autem nimis honoráti sunt amíci tui, Deus: nimis confortátus est principátus eórum.

Ego clamávi, quóniam exaudísti me, Deus: inclína aurem tuam, et exáudi verba mea: custódi me, Dómine, ut pupíllam óculi: sub umbra alárum tuárum prótege me.

This morning at All Saints Ainslie we sang Be still for the presence of the Lord, which is way too 1980s for my taste but it is what it is:

Be still, for the presence of the Lord,

the Holy One is here.

Come, bow before Him now,

with reverence and fear.

In Him no sin is found,

we stand on holy ground.

Be still, for the presence of the Lord,

the Holy One is here.

Be still, for the glory of the Lord,

is shining all around.

He burns with holy fire,

with splendor He is crowned.

How awesome is the sight,

our radiant King of Light!

Be still, for the glory of the Lord,

is shining all around.

Be still, for the power of the Lord,

is moving in this place.

He comes to cleanse and heal,

to minister His grace.

No work too hard for Him,

in faith receive from Him.

Be still, for the power of the Lord,

is moving in this place.

We chose this anthem because our original plan was too ambitious, and we had sung this anthem the day before at the wedding of Sajay (one of our choristers) and Jaclyn, along with Bob Chilcott's Be thou my vision.

Si iniquitátes observáveris Dómine, Dómine quis sustinébit? quia apud te propítiatio est, Deus Israel.

This morning at All Saints Ainslie we had a very small choir so we sang some established repertoire with me as the only tenor and our director managing the soprano part, Byrd's Ave Verum Corpus:

Ave verum corpus natum de María Vírgine,	Hail, true body, born of the Virgin Mary,
Vere passum immolátum in cruce pro hómine,	True suffering, sacrificed on the cross for Man,
Cuius latus perforátum unda fluxit sánguine,	From whose pierced side flowed waves of blood,
Esto nobis prægustátum in mortis exámine.	Be for us a foretaste in death's trial.
O dulcis, O pie, O Iesu fili Maríæ,	O sweet! O blessed! O Jesus, son of Mary,
Miserére mei, miserére mei, miserére mei.	Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, have mercy on me.

In voluntáte tua, Dómine, univérsa sunt pósita, et non est qui possit resístere voluntáti tuæ: tu enim fecísti ómnia, cælum et terram, et univérsa quæ cæli ámbitu continéntur: Dóminus universórum tu es.

Ego autem sicut olíva fructificávi in domo Dómini, sperávi in misericórdia Dei mei: et exspectábo nomen tuum, quóniam bonum est ante conspéctum sanctórum tuorum.

This morning I sang with a skeleton crew choir at All Saints Ainslie, for an, uh, interesting service replete with all the dogs of the congregation. The animal blessing itself was a bit too Common Worship for my taste, but it was nice to see all the cute animals. We sang Brother James' Air:

The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want.

He makes me down to lie

In pastures green; He leadeth me

The quiet waters by.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,

the quiet waters by.

My soul He doth restore again;

And me to walk doth make

Within the paths of righteousness,

Ee'n for His own Name's sake.

Within the paths of righteousness,

Ee'n for His own Name's sake.

Yea, though I pass through shadows death,

Yet will I fear no ill;

For Thou art with me; and Thy rod

And staff me comfort still.

Thy rod and staff they comfort still

They comfort still.

My table Thou hast furnishd

In presence of my foes;

My head with oil thou dost anoint,

And my cup overflows.

My head thou dost with oil anoint,

And my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my days

Will surely follow me;

And in my father's heart alway

My dwelling place shall be.

Benedícite Dóminum, omnes Angeli eius, poténtes virtúte, qui fácitis verbum eius, ad audiéndam vocem sermónum eius.

In nómine Dómini omne genu flectátur, cæléstium, terréstrium et infernórum: quia Dominus factus obédiens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis: ídeo Dóminus Iesus Christus in glória est Dei Patris.

Omnia quæ fecísti nobis, Dómine, in vero iudício fecísti, quia peccávimus tibi, et mandátis tuis non obedívimus: sed da glóriam nómini tuo, et fac nobíscum secúndum multitúdinem misericórdiæ tuæ.

This morning I was groggy after a night at the German club after my Cloudburst concert had wrapped up, but still cantored at All Saints Ainslie in a duet with our director Alasdair, singing Dering's Duo Seraphin:

Duo séraphim clamábant alter ad álterum:	Two seraphs cry out one after another:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dóminus, Deus Sabaoth	Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Hosts
Plena est omnis terra glória eius.	All the earth is full of his glory.

We also came together in the evening with the rest of the choir to sing Evensong. I think we sang exceptionally well but only seven or so people came to hear it. We sang Stainer's Hail, Gladdening Light as usual, as well as Phillip Moore's third service for the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis. For the preces and responses, we used Jack Oades' lovely setting. The anthem was John Goss' O Saviour of the World:

O Saviour of the world,

who by thy Cross and precious Blood

hast redeemed us:

Save us, and help us,

we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Amen.

I'm still annoyed by the anticipation of the feast day, but I'll never get my way here.

Salus pópuli ego sum, dicit Dóminus: de quacúmque tribulatióne clamáverint ad me, exáudiam eos: et ero illórum Dóminus in perpétuum.

Eúntes, docéte omnes gentes, baptizántes eos, et docéntes eos serváre ómnia quæcúmque mandávi vobis, dicit Dóminus.

Today I returned to my usual All Saints Ainslie in the morning where we sang Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus under my (metaphorical) baton:

Ave verum corpus natum de María Vírgine;	Hail, true body, born of the Virgin Mary;
Vere passum, immolátum in cruce pro hómine;	True suffering, sacrificed on the cross for Man;
Cuius latus perforátum unda fluxit et sánguine	From whose pierced side flowed waves of blood,
Esto nobis prægustátum in mortis examine.	Be for us a foretaste in death's trial.

I'm still annoyed by the anticipation of the feast day, but I don't think the rector is movable on this subject.

Da pacem Dómine, sustinéntibus te, ut prophétæ tui fidéles inveniántur: exáudi preces servi tui, et plebis tuæ Israel.

I sang again at St. Michael and all Saints in the morning where we sang Palestrina's Missa Brevis and Wesley's Wash me throughly:

Wash me throughly from my wickedness

And forgive me all my sin

For I acknowledge my faults

And my sin is ever before me

I also joined the choir at Old St. Paul's once again for Evensong and Benediction. We sang canticles by Harold Darke (both Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis), and an anthem by our own John Kitchen: Stand, Holy Cross, a setting of a text by Gordon Graham (link is to the livestream of the service):

Stand, Holy Cross, between my God and me

And cast a shadow where my heart can hide

Its frail mortality

From his perspicuous light.

The Cross's shade supplies my sin's disguise.

My soul protected, I can turn my eyes;

And now the Father’s light allows me view:

A world, my world, made new.

Then as horizons widen to a farther shore

And light on light enlightens more and more,

This larger vision brings a deeper peace

And sin and sorrow cease.

Stand, Holy Cross, between my God and me.

Iustus es Dómine, et rectum iudícium tuum: fac cum servo tuo secúndum misericórdiam tuam.

I am in Edinburgh this week for the combined LFCS/Plotkin/Wadler event so I stopped into my favourite church St. Michael and all Saints to sing in their choir for Mass today. We sang Darke's Mass in F (where I sang the tenor solo), chant propers (which I intoned) and Ola Gjeilo's Ubi Caritas. I linked to our performance in the livestream because SMAS's audio system is quite good and we sang it rather well I think.

Ubi cáritas et amor, Deus ibi est.	Where there is charity and love, there God is.
Congregávit nos in unum Christi amor;	The love of Christ has gathered us as one;
Exultémus et in ipso iucundémur;	Let us then exult and delight in him;
Timeámus et amémus Deum vivum,	Let us fear and love the living God,
Et ex corde diligámus nos sincéro.	And love each other with sincere hearts.
Ubi cáritas et amor, Deus ibi est.	Where there is charity and love, there God is.
Amen.	Amen.

I understand my usual choir at All Saints Ainslie sang Pitoni's Cantate Domino.

I also joined the choir at Old St. Paul's for Evensong and Benediction. We sang canticles by Attwood Walmisley (both Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis), and Wesley's anthem Lead me, Lord:

Lead me, Lord.

Lead me in thy righteousness.

Make thy way plain before my face.

For it is thou, Lord,

Thou, Lord, only,

That makest me dwell in safety.

MIHI autem nimis honoráti sunt amíci tui, Deus: nimis confortátus est principátus eórum.

EGO autem sicut olíva fructificávi in domo Dómini, sperávi in misericórdia Dei mei: et exspectábo nomen tuum, quóniam bonum est ante conspéctum sanctórum tuórum.

Inclína Dómine, aurem tuam ad me, et exáudi me: salvum fac servum tuum, Deus meus, sperántem in te: miserére mihi, Domine, quóniam ad te clamávi tota die.

Today our choir at All Saints Ainslie sang for Evensong, so I sang my arrangement of Hildegard of Bingen's O Virtus Sapientiae with a psalm appended during the morning mass. The livestream can be found here:

O Virtus Sapiéntiæ	O Strength of Wisdom!
Quæ circúiens circuísti,	Thou who, circling, hast encircled
Comprehéndendo ómnia in una via quæ habet vitam.	Comprehending all things in the one way that hath life.
Tres alas habens:	Three wings thou hast:
Quarum una in altum volat,	The one which soareth on high,
Et áltera de terra sudat,	The other sweateth from the Earth
Et tértia úndique volat,	And the third flieth everywhere about.
Laus tibi sit, sicut te decet, O Sapiéntia.	Praise be to thee, as is meet, O Wisdom.

In between the morning mass and evensong, I began rehearsing for our next Coro concert. This meant I was singing at the church from morning to night!

For evensong, I selected the music but our normal director conducted. We sang Morley's fauxbourdon Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, and Tallis' O Lord give thy Holy Spirit as the anthem.

O Lord, give thy Holy Spirit into our hearts,

And lighten our understanding,

That we may dwell in the fear of thy Name,

All the days of our life;

That we may know thee, the only True God:

And Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Signum magnum appáruit in cælo: múlier amícta sole, et luna sub pédibus, et in cápite eius in coróna stellárum duodécim.

Gaudeámus omnes in Dómino, diem festum celebrántes sub honóre Maríaæ Vírginis: de cuius assumptióne gaudent Angeli, et colláudant Fílium Dei.

Our director was back from his trip today, so I returned to my deputy role at All Saints Ainslie. Today was a transferred Marian feast which ought to be called "The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary" but due to our protestant-friendly lectionary it's watered down to a feast of "Mary the Mother". While I didn't direct it, I selected the anthem for this week, Stravinsky's Ave Maria:

Ave María, gratia plena, Dóminus tecum.	Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Benedícta tu in muliéribus et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.	Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Sancta María, mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatóribus,	Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners,
Nunc et in hora mortis nostræ. Amen.	Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

In exchange for subjecting the congregation to a more unusual setting, I sang Schubert's Ave Maria (in Latin, to the same lyrics) at the end of the service.

We also had a choir management meeting yesterday to set priorities for the coming few months. Nothing firm to announce yet, but we might be bringing some new people into our team, which is very exciting.

Tibi dixit cor meum, quæsívi vultum tuum, vultum tuum Dómine requíram: ne avértas fáciem tuam a me.

I was once again the director of our choir at All Saints Ainslie, on a cold and wet Sunday with few choristers and few parishioners, even though it was a transferred feast. We sang Stopford's Do not be afraid, a poem by Gerard Markland based on the words of Isaiah:

Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you.

I have called you by your name;

you are mine.

When you walk through the waters,

I'll be with you;

you will never sink beneath the waves.

When the fire is burning all around you,

you will never be consumed by the flames.

When the fear of loneliness is looming,

then remember I am at your side.

When you dwell in the exile of a stranger,

remember you are precious in my eyes.

You are mine, O my child,

I am your Father,

and I love you with a perfect love.

Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you.

I have called you by your name;

you are mine.

There's something weird going on, because we celebrated the Transfiguration already on Quinquagesima Sunday, and last year they made no special observance of the feast of the Transfiguration. The transferring of feasts is such a mess! I'm liking Oliver Brewer-Lennon's policy of never transferring anything and celebrating feasts on the day more and more.

Deus in adiutórium meum inténde: Dómine ad adiuvándum me festína: confundántur et revereántur inimíci mei, qui quærunt ánimam meam.

I was once again the director of our choir at All Saints Ainslie, for the special Missing Persons Sunday today, with representatives from the Australian Federal Police present to offer special reflections and awareness about those who are missing in our territory and support their loved ones, many of whom were in attendance. We performed Rachmaninoff's Bogoroditse Devo:

Богородице Дево, радуйся,	Rejoice, virgin mother of God,
Благодатная Марие, Господь с тобою.	Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Благословена ты в женах,	Blessed are you among women,
и благословен плод чрева твоего,	and blessed is the fruit of your womb,
яко Спаса родила еси душ наших.	for you have borne the Saviour of our souls.

Deus in loco sancto suo: Deus, qui inhabitáre facit unánimes in domo: ipse dabit virtútem et fortitúdinem plebi suæ.

I was once again the director of our choir at All Saints Ainslie, where we sang two anthems to a packed house: there were fourteen confirmees, and the bishop (and primate of Australia) came to induct them into the church. Our choir sang a favourite of mine, Lloyd's View Me, Lord, a lovely poem from Thomas Campion:

View me, Lord, a work of thine.

Shall I then lie drown'd in night?

Might thy grace in me but shine,

I should seem made all of light.

Cleanse me, Lord, that I may kneel

At thine altar, pure and white.

They that once thy mercies feel

gaze no more on Earth's delight.

Worldly joys, like shadows, fade

When the heav'nly light appears;

But the cov'nants thou hast made,

Endless, know not days nor years.

In thy word, Lord, is my trust;

To thy mercies fast I fly.

Though I am but clay and dust,

Yet thy grace can lift me high.

As well as Tallis' If ye love me, which, at least in my edition, was in the exact same key.

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

And I will pray the Father,

And He shall give you another comforter:

That He may bide with you forever, e'en the Spirit of Truth.

I also directed us for evensong, where we sang a mostly plainchant evensong, along with Stainer's Hail, Gladdening Light as usual, plus Vaughan Williams' The Call as an anthem (with solo verse sung by yours truly), from his settings of George Herbert poems, the Five Mystical Songs.

Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life;

Such a Way as gives us breath,

Such a Truth as ends all strife,

Such a Life as killeth death.

Come, my Light, my Feast, my Strength;

Such a Light as shows a Feast,

Such a Feast as mends in length,

Such a Strength as makes his guest.

Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart;

Such a Joy as none can move,

Such a Love as none can part,

Such a Heart as joys in love.

Ego autem sicut olíva fructificávi in domo Dómini, sperávi in misericórdia Dei mei: et exspectábo nomen tuum, quóniam bonum est ante conspéctum sanctórum tuórum.

As our director has started a UK tour with his secular singing ensemble, I have taken on the job of interim director at All Saints Ainslie, where we sang today Howell's My eyes for beauty pine:

My eyes for beauty pine,

My soul for Goddës grace:

No other care nor hope is mine,

To heaven I turn my face.

One splendour thence is shed

From all the stars above :

'Tis named when God's name is said,

'Tis Love, 'tis heavenly Love.

And every gentle heart,

That burns with true desire,

Is lit from eyes that mirror part

Of that celestial fire.

I think they transferred the feast of St. James to today rather than to the following Sunday (which is closer), because they want to focus the service next week on confirmations with the Bishop.

Omnes gentes, pláudite mánibus, iubiláte Deo in voce exsultatiónis. Quóniam Dóminus excélsus, terríbilis: Rex mangus super omnem terram.

Today we were in light numbers at All Saints Ainslie but still pulled off a solid performance of How's Day by Day

Day by day, dear Lord,

of thee three things I pray;

to see thee more clearly,

to love thee more dearly,

to follow thee more nearly,

day by day.

This service included the baptism of many children all from the same family, so it was a rather special service in that respect. Later in the month we will have a confirmation service with fourteen (14!) confirmees, which is a promising sign for the health of the parish.

Dóminus fortitúdo plebis suæ, et protéctor salutárium Christi sui est: salvum fac pópulum tuum, Domine, et bénedic hereditáti tuæ, et rege eos usque in sæculum.

Today I didn't attend my usual All Saints Ainslie as I was visiting Sydney, so I attended Christ Church St. Laurence instead. The choir was mens voices who sang the gregorian mass setting cum jubilo as well as The Call by Ralph Vaughan Williams, a setting of a poem by Herbert:

Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life:

Such a Way, as gives us breath:

Such a Truth, as ends all strife:

Such a Life, as killeth death.

Come, My Light, my Feast, my Strength:

Such a Light, as shows a feast:

Such a Feast, as mends in length:

Such a Strength, as makes his guest.

Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart:

Such a Joy, as none can move:

Such a Love, as none can part:

Such a Heart, as joys in love.

It was a very restorative service, even for my (Buddhist) in-laws. I believe that my usual choir performed "Thee we adore" by T. Frederick H. Candlyn in my absence, an arrangement of adoro te devote.

NUNC scio vere, quia misit Dóminus Angelum suum: et erípuit me de manu Heródis, et de omni expectatióne plebis Iudæórum.

This morning at All Saints Ainslie I was the cantor for the morning mass, and with a soprano Cindy Chen (who was playing the organ for the other parts of the mass), we sang a 13th century English "gymel" piece, arranged by yours truly (I don't have a recording sadly):

Jesu Cristes milde moder stud biheld hire sone o rofe that he was ipined on.	Jesus Christ's mild mother stood and beheld her son on the rood that he was pinned on.
The son heng, the moder stud and biheld hire childes blud wu it of hise wundes ran.	The son hanged, the mother stood, and beheld her child's blood as it from his wounds ran.
Neue blisse he us broute that mankin so dere boute, and for us gaf is dere lif.	New blessings he to us brought, for mankind so dearly bought, and for us gave his dear life.
Glade and blithe thu us make, for thi swete sones sake, edi maiden blisful wif.	Glad and blythe thou us make, for thy sweet son's sake, noble maiden, blessed wife.
Quen of evene for thi blisse lithe al hure sorinesse and went hur yvel al into qud.	Queen of Heaven, for thy blessedness lightens all our sorrows and turns our evil all into good.
Bring hus, moder, to thi sonne, mak hus ever with him wone that hus boute wit this blud.	Bring us, mother, to thy son. Make us ever with him one, that he bought with this blood.
Amen.	Amen.

I returned to the church in the evening for Evensong. We sang Stainer's Hail, Gladdening Light as usual, as well as Phillip Moore's third service for the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis. For anthem, we sang the first of Parry's Songs of Farewell, which we had previously performed at our recent concert: My soul there is a country

My soul, there is a country

Far beyond the stars,

Where stands a wingèd sentry

All skilful in the wars:

There, above noise and danger,

Sweet Peace sits crown'd with smiles,

And One born in a manger

Commands the beauteous files.

He is thy gracious Friend,

And—O my soul, awake!—

Did in pure love descend

To die here for thy sake.

If thou canst get but thither,

There grows the flower of Peace,

The Rose that cannot wither,

Thy fortress, and thy ease.

Leave then thy foolish ranges;

For none can thee secure

But One who never changes—

Thy God, thy life, thy cure.

Exáudi Dómine vocem meam, qua clamávi ad te: adiútor meus esto, ne derelínquas me neque despícias me, Deus salutáris meus.

Today at All Saints Ainslie we were in very reduced numbers — 1 to a part — but we sang Bob Chilcott's God so loved the world wonderfully!

God so loved the world

That he gave his only-begotten son

That whoso believeth in him should not perish

But have everlasting life.

Special thanks to Cindy Chen, our soprano soloist, and Mary-Anne Neilsen for stepping in and playing the organ at the last minute.

Dóminus illuminátio mea, et salus mea, quem timébo? Dóminus defénsor vitæ meæ, a quo trepidábo? Qui tríbulant me inimíci mei, infirmáti sunt, et cecidérunt.

Si iniquitátes observáveris Dómine, Dómine quis sustinébit? Quia apud te propitiátio est, Deus Israel.

Today at All Saints Ainslie we sang Palestrina's well-known Sicut Cervus:

Sicut cervus desíderat ad fontes aquárum:	Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks:
ita desíderat ánima mea ad te, Deus.	So longeth my soul after thee, O God.

We didn't make any observation of the Sacred Heart, but that's not entirely unexpected for an Anglican parish, even a relatively spikey one.

Respice in me, et miserére mei, Dómine: quóniam únicus et pauper sum ego: vide humilitátem meam, et labórem meum: et dimíte ómnia peccáta mea, Deus meus.

Cibávit eos ex ádipe fruménti, allelúia, et de petra, melle saturávit eos, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia.

Today at All Saints Ainslie we were in few numbers after our concert yesterday but we still managed to sing Tallis' Verily, verily I say unto you (link to my own recording I made last year):

Verily, verily, I say unto you:

Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man

and drink his blood,

ye have no life in you.

Whoso eateth my flesh,

And drinketh my blood,

Hath eternal life.

For my flesh is meat indeed,

and my blood is drink indeed,

He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood

Dwelleth in me, and I in him.

We didn't make any observation of the feast of Corpus Christi which I'm a bit unhappy about (but that's why we have at least got that Tallis anthem programmed).

This is a special edition of Church Music Corner where I share the programme for the second church choir concert of 2026, To the Soul's Quiet Harbour, continuing in the funerial theme established by our first concert. The student musicians from Burgmann Anglican School joined us at All Saints Ainslie to perform an afternoon of chamber music to a fairly full house. We sang pretty well despite being lopsided in numbers (I was the only tenor.)

The main works performed by the choir (interspersed by instrumental performances from Burgmann) were the first four of Parry's Songs of Farewell: My soul, there is a country, then I know my soul hath power, then Never weatherbeaten sail and There is an old belief. The last item of the concert was O How Amiable by Ralph Vaughan Williams, which we sung with pipe organ, choir, and instruments.

I think the concert went rather well. Thanks to all who put the effort in to make it possible, and to everyone that attended!

Benedícta sit sancta Trínitas, atque indivísa Unitas: confitébimur ei, quia fecit nobíscum misericórdiam suam.

Caritas Dei diffúsa est in córdibus nostris, alleluia: per inhabitántem Spíritum eius in nobis, allelúia, allelúia.

Today at All Saints Ainslie our choir absolutely nailed the performance of William Byrd's beautiful and heartbreaking setting of Ave Verum Corpus

Ave verum corpus natum de María Vírgine,	Hail, true body, born of the Virgin Mary,
Vere passum immolátum in cruce pro hómine,	True suffering, sacrificed on the cross for Man,
Cuius latus perforátum unda fluxit sánguine,	From whose pierced side flowed waves of blood,
Esto nobis prægustátum in mortis exámine.	Be for us a foretaste in death's trial.
O dulcis, O pie, O Iesu fili Maríæ,	O sweet! O blessed! O Jesus, son of Mary,
Miserére mei, miserére mei, miserére mei.	Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, have mercy on me.

This Thursday is Corpus Christi, but I'm flying to Brisbane so I won't be able to make any observances this year, and Ainslie doesn't do anything in any case.

Also, this Saturday our choir is doing a concert with instrumentalists from the Burgmann Anglican School in Gungahlin.

The instrumentalists will perform a variety of pieces interspersing our performance of (the first four of) Parry's Songs of Farewell, finishing with us all performing some Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Do come down to All Saints Ainslie and support our music fund!

Spíritus Dómini replévit orbem terrárum, allelúia: et hoc quod cóntinet ómnia, sciéntiam habet vocis, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia.

Today at All Saints Ainslie the Choir was on for Evensong so our director Alasdair handled the music in the morning with our guest accompanist, Zac Hamilton-Russell. He sang Dering's Duo Seraphim with Zac's partner (whose name I now can't recall, sorry!) who has a lovely soprano voice! I stayed at the church all day reorganising our music, and because Alasdair and Zac had a recital until the late afternoon, I rehearsed and conducted the choir for Evensong. We sang Stainer's Hail, Gladdening Light as usual, as well as Phillip Moore's third service for the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis. For anthem, we sang Hurford's Litany to the Holy Spirit:

In the hour of my distress,

When temptations me oppress,

And when I my sins confess,

Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When I lie within my bed,

Sick in heart and sick in head,

And with doubts discomforted,

Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the house doth sigh and weep,

And the world is drown'd in sleep,

Yet mine eyes the watch do keep,

Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

It was a bit stressful as I wasn't planning to direct our choir but I did okay I think.

Also, the sermon by Oliver Brewer-Lennon from St. Michael and All Saints was brilliant as usual. He's the only priest whose (usually quite brief!) homilies I actually seek out and listen to, sometimes multiple times. Because my partner was curious, I translated it into Korean.

Viri Galilæi, quid admirámini aspiciéntes in cælum? Allelúia: quemádmodum vidístis eum ascendéntem in cælum, ita véniet, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia.

Today at All Saints Ainslie we sang very well for Isom's King of all ages. I'm a bit disappointed that, unlike last year, we transferred the feast to the Sunday, though:

King of all Ages, throned on high,

Yet saviour too of those with faith,

Death at your onslaught died in fear,

And grace triumphant rules supreme.

Risen from death, the heav'nly Christ,

Receives from God the Father's hand,

Power over all created things,

A gift he could not know on Earth.

Then at your coming on the clouds,

With shining strength to be our judge,

Cancel the debt we owe you still,

Give back the glory we have lost.

Glory to you, O Christ our Lord,

Exalted far beyond our sight,

Reigning and forevermore,

with Father and with Paraclete.

Vocem iucunditátis annuntiáte, et audiátur, allelúia: nuntiáte usque ad extrémum terræ: liberávit Dóminus pópulum suum, allelúia, allelúia.

Today at All Saints Ainslie I conducted a small group for the Crux Fidelis commonly (but almost certainly wrongly) attributed to John IV of Portugal (I took Neale's translation rather than a more direct one):

Crux fidélis, inter omnes	Faithful Cross, above all other,
Arbor una nóbilis:	One and only noble tree:
Nulla talem silva profert,	None in foliage, none in blossom,
Fronde, flóre, gérmine.	None in fruit thy peer may be.
Dulce lignum, dulci clavo,	Sweetest wood and sweetest iron,
Dulce pondus sústinens.	Sweetest weight is hung on thee.

Cantáte Dómino cánticum novum, allelúia: quia mirabília fecit Dóminus, allelúia: ante conspéctum géntium revelávit iustítiam suam, allelúia, allelúia.

Today at All Saints Ainslie we reprised Goss' anthem O Saviour of the World from our concert earlier in the year:

O Saviour of the world,

who by thy Cross and precious Blood

hast redeemed us:

Save us, and help us,

we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Amen.

After that I had a rehearsal with Coro for our upcoming concert, Coro Concert: Radiant Dawn. Please buy tickets and come along!

Misericórdia Dómini plena est terra, allelúia: verbo Dei cæli firmáti sunt, allelúia, allelúia.

Today at All Saints Ainslie I was planning to sing Dering's Duo Seraphim as a duet with our choir director but he was exhausted and unable to come in for the morning mass, so instead I sang some Gregorian chants, specifically the introit for this Sunday in Latin (text above), the Easter Sequence in English using an older translation I remember from St. Mary's Cathedral (text below), and then the introit for last sunday:

Christians to the Paschal victim offer sacrifice and praise.

The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;

And Christ, the undefiled, hath sinners to his Father reconciled.

Death and life contended, combat strangely ended:

Life's own champion slain, yet lives to reign.

Tell us, Mary, what thou didst see upon the way.

The tomb the living did enclose, I saw Christ's glory as he rose.

The angels attesting, shroud with graveclothes resting.

Christ my hope has risen! He goes before you into Gallilee.

That Christ is truly risen from the dead we know.

Victorious King, thy mercy show. Amen. Alleluia.

After that we had choral evensong for this month, this time directed by our usual director. We sang Stainer's Hail, Gladdening Light as usual, as well as Phillip Moore's third service for the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (it's hard to find good recordings). Because it was the day after Anzac Day, we also sang Daley's In Remembrance.

Do not stand at my grave and weep;

I am not there, I do not sleep:

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glint on snow,

I am the sunlight on ripened grain,

I am the gentle morning rain.

And when you wake in the morning's hush,

I am the sweet uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there, I did not die.

Iubiláte Deo omnis terra, allelúia: psalmum dícite nómini eius, allelúia: date glóriam laudi eius, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia.

Today at All Saints Ainslie our director Alasdair was our ad-hoc organist as we sang Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus:

Ave verum corpus natum de María Vírgine;	Hail, true body, born of the Virgin Mary;
Vere passum, immolátum in cruce pro hómine;	True suffering, sacrificed on the cross for Man;
Cuius latus perforátum unda fluxit et sánguine	From whose pierced side flowed waves of blood,
Esto nobis prægustátum in mortis examine.	Be for us a foretaste in death's trial.

After the mass I had my first rehearsal for the upcoming Coro concert. It was very productive. One piece of repertoire that really stuck with me was the Stravinsky Ave Maria, which I'd not heard before.

Quasi modo géniti infántes, allelúia: rationábile, sine dolo lac concupíscite, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia

Today at All Saints Ainslie we had small numbers (I was the only tenor) but sang well for Walford Davies' Blessed are the pure in heart:

Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see our God.

The secret of the Lord is theirs,

Their soul is Christ's abode.

Still to the lowly soul

He doth himself impart,

And for his dwelling and his throne

Chooseth the pure in heart.

Unfortunately we were plagued once again with sound system gremlins today. I'm honestly sick of it, the speakers and microphones are always barely working or not working. Apparently fixing it properly would cost tens of thousands of dollars the parish doesn't have. I don't know what can be done, but it's very frustrating.

RESURREXI, et adhuc tecum sum, allelúia: posuísti super me manum tuam, allelúia: mirábilis facta est sciéntia tua, allelúia, allelúia.

For Easter this year the church at All Saints Ainslie was filled with flowers, which was lovely. We had a vigil service at night followed by a service in the morning. Sadly the Vigil service didn't include a litany, but we sang Holy is the True Light at the vigil:

Holy is the True Light, and passing wonderful,

Lending radiance to them that endured

In the heat of the conflict.

From Christ they inherit a home of unfading splendour,

Wherein they rejoice with gladness evermore. Alleluia!

We also sang the Easter inaugural Gloria from the Darke Mass in F, both in the vigil and the Sunday Mass.

For the Sunday Mass we sang Ouseley's From the Rising of the Sun:

From the rising of the sun

To the going down of the same,

My Name shall be great among the Gentiles,

And in ev'ry place incense shall be offer'd up unto my Name:

For My Name shall be great among the heathen,

Thus saith the Lord!

I was also given the honour and privilege to once again proclaim the resurrection during the vigil, video below. This chant is my own version by expurgating some bits from the Roman Missal for length. I got a lot of compliments afterwards; although I can detect a few wobbly notes, I think my delivery is improved compared to last year.

Nos autem gloriári opórtet, in cruce Dómini nostri Iesu Christi: in quo est salus, vita et ressuréctio nostra: per quem salváti, et liberáti sumus.

Adorámus te, Christe, et benedícimus tibi, quia per crucem sanctam tuam redemísti mundum.

The triduum at All Saints Ainslie consisted just of two main services: the Mass of the Lord's Supper on the Thursday night, followed by the Liturgy of the Passion the following morning. On Thursday we sang I Give You a New Commandment by Nardone during the foot washing:

I give to you a new commandment;

A new commandment I give to you:

That you love one another,

Love one another as I have loved you.

(Ubi cáritas et vera, Deus ibi est)

(Congregávit nos in unum Christi amor)

(Exultémus et in ipso iucundémur)

(Timeámus et amémus Deum vivum.)

(Et ex corde diligámus nos sincéro.)

Amen.

As well as Duruflé's Ubi Caritas during communion, with a very similar but slightly different text:

Ubi cáritas et amor, Deus ibi est.	Where there is charity and love, there God is.
Congregávit nos in unum Christi amor;	The love of Christ has gathered us as one;
Exultémus et in ipso iucundémur;	Let us then exult and delight in him;
Timeámus et amémus Deum vivum,	Let us fear and love the living God,
Et ex corde diligámus nos sincéro.	And love each other with sincere hearts.
Ubi cáritas et amor, Deus ibi est.	Where there is charity and love, there God is.
Amen.	Amen.

We weren't high church enough to do a proper Eucharistic procession, but there was a stripping of the altar afterwards with the recitation of Psalm 22. St. Michael and All Saints showed us how it's done with procession, veneration, stripping of the altar, the cleaning of the altar with water and wine, then Fr. Oliver Brewer-Lennon dramatically threw aside the brush used to clean the altar, smashed the old Paschal candle on the sanctuary steps, locked shut the sanctuary gates, tied them with his stole, and ran away (cf. Matthew 26:56), plunging the church into darkness.

The following Good Friday liturgy consisted primarily of the veneration of the Cross and the distribution of the Eucharist which was consecrated the night before. For veneration, we sang first the Victoria Reproaches:

O my people, what have I done to you?

Or in what way have I offended you?

Answer me.

Ἅγιος ὁ Θεός, Holy God,

Ἅγιος ἰσχυρός, Holy and Strong,

Ἅγιος ἀθάνατος, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς.

Holy and Immortal One, have mercy upon us.

Then we sang Leighton's Solus ad Victimam:

Alone to sacrifice thou goest, Lord,

Giving thyself to death, whom thou hast slain.

For us thy wretched folk is any word?

Who knew that for our sins this is thy pain?

For they are ours, O Lord, our deeds,

Why must thou suffer torture for our sins?

Let our hearts suffer in thy Passion, Lord,

That very suffering may thy mercy win.

This is the night of tears, the three days' space.

Sorrow abiding in the eventide,

Until the daybreak with the risen Christ,

And hearts that sorrowed shall be satisfied.

So may our hearts share in thine anguish, Lord,

That they may sharers of thy glory be;

Heavy with weeping may the three days pass,

To win the laughter of thine Easter Day.

During the distribution of communion we sang O vos omnes from Victoria's Tenebræ responsories.

O vos omnes qui tránsitis per viam,	O all you people that travel by this road,
Atténdite et vidéte!	Look and see
Si est dolor símilis, sicut dolor meus.	Whether there is any sorrow like my sorrow.
Atténdite, univérsi pópuli et vidéte dolórem meum	Look, all you people, and see my anguish.
Si est dolor símilis, sicut dolor meus.	Whether there is any sorrow like my sorrow.

Hosánna fílio David, benedíctus qui venit in nómine Dómini. Rex Israël: Hosánna in excélsis.

Púeri Hebræórum, portántes ramos olivárum, obviavérunt Dómino, clamántes et dicéntes: Hosánna in excélsis.

Púeri Hebræórum vestiménta prosternébant in via, et clámabant dicéntes: Hosánna fílio David, benedíctus qui venit in nómine Dómini.

This Palm Sunday at All Saints Ainslie went rather well considering that we were all exhausted from our concert the night before. We sang Mathias' Lift up your heads:

Lift up your heads, O ye gates:

And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors:

And the King of Glory shall come in.

Who is this King of Glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty,

The Lord, mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates:

Even lift them up, ye everlasting doors:

And the King of Glory shall come in.

Who is this King of Glory?

The Lord of Hosts, he is the King of Glory.

This is a special edition of Church Music Corner where I share the programme for our Lenten Concert, In the Midst of Life, that happened today at All Saints Ainslie.

The concert opened with some lovely piano playing by Lynda Tooth followed by Gibbons' Drop, Drop Slow Tears. Then we sang some music from the English renaissance: Farrant's Call to Remembrance, Morley's Nolo Mortem Peccatoris, the Agnus Dei from Byrd's Mass for Four Voices, and Tallis' Hear the Voice and Prayer. Then, to give us a break, Lynda played variations on the theme of Amazing Grace on the piano, followed by the more dramatic fare of the concert: Anerio's Christus factus est, Victoria's O vos omnes, Purcell's Funeral Sentences for Queen Mary (from which the title of the concert is drawn), Attwood's Turn thy Face with Dan Walker singing the solo section, Goss' O Saviour of the World, Stainer's God So Loved the World and finally Lloyd's View me, Lord. For an encore we sang the Nunc Dimittis from Gibbons' Short Service.

The concert was quite well attended and raised some much needed funds for the music of the church. We got a lot of positive feedback, I think the concert went very well. Thanks especially to our guest singers, Dan Walker and Patrick Baker!

Iudica me Deus, et discérne causam meam de gente non sancta: ab hómine iníquo et dolóso éripe me: quia tu es Deus meus, et fortitúdo mea.

This final Sunday before Holy Week at All Saints Ainslie was an Evensong sunday, so I sang for the morning service and directed our choir for evensong. In the morning I sang Dowland's In this trembling shadow accompanied by Callum Tolhurst-Close on the organ.

In this trembling shadow, cast

From those boughes which thy winds shake

Farre from humane troubles plac’d

Songs to the Lord would I make

Darknesse from my minde then take

For thy rites none may begin

Till they feele thy light within.

For Evensong, I sang the Venite chant followed by the Choir singing Stainer's Hail, Gladdening Light, ferial preces and responses, my own tonus peregrinus arrangement with organum for the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis from Orlando Gibbons' Short Service. For the anthem we sang Wesley's Lead Me, Lord. This was the first time I've directed a choir for Evensong.

Lead me, Lord.

Lead me in thy righteousness.

Make thy way plain before my face.

For it is thou, Lord,

Thou, Lord, only,

That makest me dwell in safety.

Lætáre Ierúsalem: et convéntum fácite omnes qui dilígitis eam: gaudéte cum lætítia, qui in tristítia fuístis: ut exultétis, et satiémini ab ubéribus consolatiónis vestræ.

This was a fairly routine Sunday at All Saints Ainslie, where we sang Gibbons' Drop, Drop Slow Tears:

Drop, drop slow tears

And bathe those beauteous feet,

Which brought from heav'n the news and Prince of Peace.

Cease not, wet eyes,

His mercies to entreat,

To cry for vengeance, sin doth never cease.

In your deep floods

Drown all my faults and fears,

Nor let His eye see sin, but through my tears.

Next week is Evensong (I'll cantor for the morning mass) and the following week is our concert, In The Midst of Life. Please do come along!

Oculi mei semper ad Dóminum, quia ipse evéllet de láqueo pedes meos: réspice in me, et miserére mei, quóniam únicus et pauper sum ego.

This Sunday our director was hit with the double-whammy of being both sick and busy, so the choir at All Saints Ainslie was under my (figurative) baton as we sang Saint-Saëns' Ave Verum Corpus, a piece new to me:

Ave verum corpus natum de María Vírgine;	Hail, true body, born of the Virgin Mary;
Vere passum, immolátum in cruce pro hómine;	True suffering, sacrificed on the cross for Man;
Cuius latus perforátum unda fluxit sánguine	From whose pierced side flowed waves of blood,
Esto nobis prægustátum in mortis examine.	Be for us a foretaste in death's trial.

Our organ scholar Lillian also very successfully played for the entire service for the first time. Congratulations to her!

Tibi dixit cor meum, qeæsívi vultum tuum, vultum tuum Dómine requíram: ne avértas fáciem tuam a me.

Reminíscere miseratiónum tuárum, Dómine, et misericórdiæ tuæ, quæ a saéculo sunt: ne unquam dominéntur nobis inimíci nostri: líbera nos Deus Israel ex ómnibus angústiis nostris.

This Sunday our director was away at All Saints Ainslie so I directed us for the Agnus Dei from Byrd's Mass for Four Voices, one of my favourite pieces:

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi, miserére nobis.	Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi, miserére nobis.	Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi, dona nobis pacem.	Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

I also auditioned for the Coro choir. I think I stuffed up the sight reading, but I'll hope for the best.

Invocábit me, et ego dixi exáudiam eum: erípiam eum, et glorificábo eum: longitúdine diérum adimplébo eum.

This Sunday was a busy one for me, as the choir of All Saints Ainslie sings Evensong now on the final Sunday of the month. I, along with a few of our other male singers, sang for the morning mass without the rest of the choir. I sang a special tonus peregrinus gospel acclamation, and for an anthem I sang Tallis' Why Fumeth in Sight, the famous Theme of Ralph Vaughan Williams' Fantasia fame. I've linked to a recording of me singing the first verse.

Why fumeth in sight: the Gentils spite,

In fury raging stout?

Why taketh in hond: the people fond,

Vayne thinges to bring about?

The kinges arise: the lordes devise,

in counsayles mett therto:

Agaynst the Lord: with false accord,

against his Christ they go.

Let us they say: breake downe their ray,

of all their bondes and cordes:

We will renounce: that they pronounce,

their loores as stately lordes.

But God of might: in heaven so bright,

Shall laugh them all to scorne:

The Lord on hie: shall them defie,

they shall be once forlorne.

Then shall his ire: speake all in fire,

to them agayne therfore:

He shall with threate: their malice beate,

in his displeasure sore.

Yet am I set: a king so great,

on Sion hill full fast:

Though me they kill: yet will that hill,

my lawe and worde outlast.

For Evensong we sang Psalm 51 to a nice Anglican chant, and the Nunc Dimittis from Gibbons' Short Service. We didn't get the Magnificat ready in time, so Alasdair and I just sang an antiphonal plainchant Magnificat to the tonus peregrinus. For the anthem, we sang an old favourite of mine, Morley's Nolo Mortem Peccatoris:

Miseréris ómnium Dómine, et nihil odísti eórum quæ fecísti, dissímulans peccáta hóminum propter pæniténtiam, et parcens illis, quia tu es Dóminus Deus noster.

This Ash Wednesday was my second at All Saints Ainslie, and I intoned the Trisagion again this year. We had a decent compliment of choristers to perform Duruflé's Ubi Caritas:

Ubi cáritas et amor, Deus ibi est.	Where there is charity and love, there God is.
Congregávit nos in unum Christi amor,	The love of Christ gathers us as one,
Exultémus et in ipso iucundémur	Let us rejoice and be glad in him,
Timeámus et amémus Deum vivum	Let us fear and love the living God
Et ex corde diligámus nos sincéro.	And love each other with sincere hearts.

As well as Gibbons' Drop, Drop Slow Tears which is just a lovely poem:

Drop, drop slow tears

And bathe those beauteous feet,

Which brought from heav'n the news and Prince of Peace.

Cease not, wet eyes,

His mercies to entreat,

To cry for vengeance, sin doth never cease.

In your deep floods

Drown all my faults and fears,

Nor let His eye see sin, but through my tears.

For this Lent I am making some private observances and sacrifices, but I will also be singing the evening office (either Roman or Scottish Episcopal) every day of this Lent. This Sunday will be a choral Evensong!

Tibi dixit cor meum, quæsívi vultum tuum, vultum tuum Dómine requíram: ne avértas fáciam tuam a me.

Esto mihi in Deum protectórem, et in locum refúgii, ut salvum me fácias: quóniam firmaméntum meum, et refúgium meum es tu: et propter nomen tuum dux mihi eris, et enútries me.

This Sunday was bizarrely called the Sunday of the "Transfiguration", despite that not being the actual feast of the Transfiguration. It's because my church All Saints Ainslie is hewing to the Revised Common Lectionary. I entitled this post Quinquagesima Sunday because that's what is listed in the Scottish Book of Common Prayer (and I am a Scottish Episcopalian). I joined the Ainslie choir for the first time in 2026. We performed Ouseley's From the Rising of the Sun:

From the rising of the sun

To the going down of the same,

My Name shall be great among the Gentiles,

And in ev'ry place incense shall be offer'd up unto my Name:

For My Name shall be great among the heathen,

Thus saith the Lord!

I also received some CD recordings from John Kitchen at Old St. Paul's while I was in Edinburgh, that I took the time to listen to recently. Calum Robertson, who plays the organ at Old St. Paul's, wrote a beautiful anthem from this moving poem by Irene Zimmerman:

The poem, at least to my reading, seems to clearly advocate for women's ordination, despite the author's communion opposing the same.

Veníte adorémus Deum, et procidámus ante Dóminum: plorémus ante eum, qui fecit nos: quia ipse est Dóminus Deus noster.

This Sunday I once again sang at both St. Michael and All Saints and Old St. Paul's, despite a cold preventing me from intoning the propers or singing at full voice. In the morning we sang Wood's Hey You, the Middle Ball:

O thou the central orb of righteous love,

Pure beam of the Most High,

Eternal Light of this our wintry world,

Thy radiance bright awakes new joy in faith,

Hope soars above.

Come, quickly come and let thy glory shine,

Gilding our darksome heav'n 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 day to souls erewhile unclean,

now pure within.

Amen.

We also sang Victoria's Missa O Quam Gloriosum for a mass setting. In the evening, in a rare exception to the normal Evensong service, Old St. Pauls instead had an event to introduce the choir and congregation to the new Revised English Hymnal.

Suscépimus Deus, misericórdiam tuam in médio templi tui : secúndum nomen tuum Deus, ita et laus tua in fines terræ: iustítia plena est déxtera tua.

For this special feast at St. Michael and All Saints (which, per Fr. Oliver's policy, was not transferred to the Sunday), I offered to sing the traditional Gregorian chant propers for the mass, which I had typeset conveniently in Forester for easy reading. Despite the fact that I had a cold, I got a lot of compliments about my chanting and I feel it made the service really special. I also enjoyed a non-alcoholic pint with Fr. Oliver afterwards.

Laetétur cor quæréntium Dóminum : quaérite Dóminum, et confirmámini: quaérite fáciem eius semper.

This Sunday I once again sang at both St. Michael and All Saints and Old St. Paul's. Old St. Pauls transferred Candlemas (the Presentation of the Lord) to Sunday, so the evensong was a special one, but the morning mass was an ordinary time mass. In the morning we sang Bach's O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht:

O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht,	Lord Jesu Christ, my life and light,
Mein Hort, mein Trost, mein Zuversicht,	My strength, my stay, my day-star bright,
Auf Erden bin ich nur ein Gast, :	On earth I have no home or rest,
Und drückt mich sehr der Sünden Last.	By all my grievous sin oppressed.

I cantored for the propers. For the Mass setting, we sang the St. Anne Mass by Sir James MacMillan.

In the evening, we began with a Stainer anthem I'm sure I've done before but I'm not sure when, then this Mozart Magnificat (for which I sang the tenor part in the brief solo quartet sections), a 'Mozart' (actually John Kitchen) Nunc Dimittis, for which no recording exists but can be heard on our livestream. Finally for an anthem we sang the very challenging but interesting Rutter Hymn to the Creator of Light:

Glory be to thee, O Lord, glory be to thee,

Creator of the visible light,

the sun’s ray, the flame of fire;

Creator also of the light invisible and

intellectual:

that which is known of God, the light invisible.

Glory be to thee, O Lord, glory be to thee,

Creator of the light.

for writings of the law, glory be to thee:

for oracles of prophets, glory be to thee:

for melody of psalms, glory be to thee:

for wisdom of proverbs, glory be to thee:

experience of histories, glory be to thee:

a light which never sets.

God is the Lord, who hath shewed us light.

Light, who dost my soul enlighten;

Sun, who all my life dost brighten;

Joy, the sweetest man e’er knoweth;

Fount, whence all my being floweth.

From thy banquet let me measure,

Lord, how vast and deep its treasure;

Through the gifts thou here dost give us,

As thy guest in heaven receive us.

As usual we did John Kitchen's Divine Praises at the end during the Benediction, which was a magical experience when I first heard it in the congregation of OSP years ago.

Dóminus secus mare Galiláeae vidit duos fratres, Petrum et Andréam, et vocávit eos: Veníte post me: fáciam vos fíeri piscatóres hóminum.

Adoráte Deum omnes Angeli eius audívit, et lætáta est Sion: et exsultavérunt fíliæ Iudæ.

This Sunday I sang with two choirs: St. Michael and All Saints for the morning mass and Old St. Paul's for evensong, which included lucernarium and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. In the morning we sang Franck's Panis Angelicus and a simple choral mass setting whose composer I can't now recall.

Panis angelicus	Bread of angels
fit panis hominum;	Becomes the bread of men;
Dat panis cœlicus figuris terminum:	The heavenly bread ends the old figures:
O res mirabilis!	O wondrous thing!
Manducat Dominum	To eat of the Lord
pauper, servus et humilis.	The poor, the servant, the humble.

I cantored for the propers. In the evening, as it's the Conversion of St. Paul, the namesake of the church, we performed some ambitious repertoire, including the Bairstow Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, as well as Palestrina's Magnus Sanctus Paulus for eight voices, which I can't find a recording of anywhere.

Magnus sanctus Paulus,	Saint Paul the Great,
vas electiónis	The vessel that was chosen,
vere digne est glorificándus,	truly worthy to be praised,
qui et thronum duodécimum méruit possidére.	who merited the twelfth throne.
intercéde pro nobis ad Deum,	Intercede for us to God,
qui te elegit, ut digni efficiamur gratia Dei.	who chose thee, that we may be made worthy of the grace of God.

We also performed Widor's Tantum Ergo for the Benediction.

In between those two services I also stopped in to hear Evensong at St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh's west end. The choir there is very good, and I always like attending evensong there, although one of the sopranos was annoyingly out of tune this time.

Omnis terra adóret te, Deus, et psallat tibi: psalmum dicat nómini tuo, Altíssime.

This Sunday I sang at my usual All Saints Ainslie, although the choir is still on break. Instead, our soprano Cindy Chen (who played the organ for the hymns) joined me for singing Prätorius' uncommon piece Christe der du bist Tag und Licht (translation is mine):

Christe der du bist tag und licht,	O Christ, thou art both day and light,
Vor dir ist, Herr, verborgen nicht;	For there is, Lord, naught hid from thee;
Du väterliches Lichtes glanz,	Thy fatherly light upon us shine,
Lehr' uns den Weg der Wahrheit ganz.	Teach us thy way of perfect truth.

Cindy and I sang it well, despite many tricky bits!

Dilexísti iustítiam, et odísti iniquitátem: proptérea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus. Óleo lætítiæ præ consórtibus tuis.

Benedíctus qui venit in nómine Dómini: benedíximus vobis de domo Dómini: Deus Dóminus, et illúxit nobis, allelúia, allelúia.

This Sunday I sang with the choir of St. Peter's Eastern Hill in Melbourne. We sang the Simple Communion Service in F Major by William Harris, for which I can't find a recording online (although the livestream link for St. Peter's isn't bad, and we sang it well). For a motet we sang Marenzio's Tribus miraculis:

Tribus miráculis ornátum, diem sanctum cólimus:	Distinguished by three miracles, this holy day is celebrated:
Hódie stella Magos duxit ad præsépium:	Today the star led the Magi to the manger;
Hódie vinum ex aqua factum est ad núptias:	Today wine was made from water at the wedding;
Hódie in Jordáne a Joánne Christus baptizári vóluit,	Today in the Jordan by John, Christ chose to be baptized
ut salváret nos, Allelúia.	in order to save us, Alleluia.

It was really nice to sing with a choir that was a little more well-resourced, meet some lovely new people, and learn some music that was new to me. I'll be sure to join this choir again whenever I'm in Melbourne!

Ecce advénit dominátor Dóminus: et regnum in manu eius, et potéstas, et impérium.

I was a one-man choir for the mass at All Saints Ainslie today. I sang a Christmas Gloria in place of the usual one from the Dudman mass setting, and for an anthem I sang Cornelius' The Three Kings, where the choir was replaced with a lovely piano accompaniment:

Three kings from Persian lands afar

To Jordan follow the pointing star.

And this the quest of the travellers three,

Where the newborn King of the Jews may be.

Full royal gifts they bear for the king;

Gold, incense, myrrh are their offering.

The star shines out with a steadfast ray,

The kings to Bethlehem make their way,

And there in worship they bend the knee,

As Mary's child in her lap they see.

Full royal gifts they show to the king;

Gold, incense, myrrh are their offering.

Thou child of Man, lo, to Bethlehem

The kings are travelling; travel with them!

The star of Mercy, the star of Grace,

Shall lead thy heart to its resting place.

Gold, incense, myrrh, thou canst not bring;

Offer thy heart to the infant King.

Offer thy heart.

I think it went rather well! I got many compliments during and after the service.

I've also finally added all my Chester-published polyphonic works and the English Church Music books to my Music Index, so the index should be more or less complete for now.

Dómine ne longe fácias auxílium tuum a me, ad defensiónem meam áspice: líbera me de ore leónis, et a córnibus unicornuórum humilitátem meam.

For the first three ferias of Holy Week, I sang gregorian chants (mostly various lenten introits) for the introit and recessional of our contemplative evening masses at All Saints Ainslie. On the Wednesday, I was joined by Lynda Tooth on piano and we performed Dowland's In this trembling shadow:

In this trembling shadow, cast

From those boughes which thy winds shake

Farre from humane troubles plac’d

Songs to the Lord would I make

Darknesse from my minde then take

For thy rites none may begin

Till they feele thy light within.

Deus in loco sancto suo: Deus, qui inhabitáre facit unánimes in domo: ipse dabit virtútem et fortitúdinem plebi suæ.

Dum médium siléntium tenérent ómnia, et nox in suo cursu médium iter habéret, omnípotens sermo tuus, Dómine, de cælis a regálibus sédibus venit.

I got up early to attend the BCP service at St. John's, but was disappointed to see that the service was following the APBA and not the BCP. I think the BCP is only used after January. Furthermore, even by APBA standards the Eucharistic prayer was rushed and insufficiently reverent. Oh well, it is a lovely little church:

Then I walked to All Saints Ainslie, and volunteered at the last minute to cantor for this choirless Sunday mass. I sang an old favourite of mine a capella: The truth sent from above (famously used by Ralph Vaughan Williams in his Fantasia on Christmas Carols):

This is the truth sent from above,

The truth of God, the God of love,

Therefore don't turn me from your door

But hearken all, both rich and poor.

The first thing which I do relate

Is that God did Man create;

The next thing which to you I'll tell:

Woman was made with Man to dwell.

Then after this 'twas God's own choice

To place them both in Paradise,

There to remain from Evil free,

Except they ate of such a tree.

Thus we were heirs to endless woes

Till God the Lord did interpose,

And so a promise soon did run

That he would redeem us by his Son.

And at this season of the year,

Our blest Redeemer did appear.

Here he did live, and here did preach,

Any many thousands he did teach.

Thus he in Love to us behaved,

To show us how we must be saved,

And if you too want to know the way

Be pleased to hear what He did say.

Dóminus dixit ad me: Fílius meus es tu, Ego hódie génui te.

Puer natus est nobis, et fílius datus est nobis: cuius impérium super húmerum eius: et vocábitur nomen eius, magni consílii Angelus.

This Christmas at All Saints Ainslie we reprised Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring at the Midnight Mass, this time with an oboe (our oboist also played the descant lines for the classic Willcocks carols):

Jesu, joy of man's desiring,

Holy wisdom, love most bright;

Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring

Soar to uncreated light.

Word of God, our flesh that fashioned,

With the fire of life impassioned,

Striving still to truth unknown,

Soaring, dying round Thy throne.

Through the way where hope is guiding,

Hark, what peaceful music rings;

Where the flock, in Thee confiding,

Drink of joy from deathless springs.

Theirs is beauty's fairest pleasure;

Theirs is wisdom's holiest treasure.

Thou dost ever lead Thine own

In the love of joys unknown.

There were many many stars visible in the night sky on the way to and from the service. Reminds me of the English version of the Cantique de Noël ("O Holy Night").

Our director Alasdair cantored solo for the Christmas day mass, so we only had to sing for one service. I also tuned into the livestreamed midnight mass at my old haunt St. Michael and All Saints, and got hit with massive liturgical envy. They did all of the ordinaries and propers in Latin with gregorian chant. Some really great liturgy work in general. I plan to sing with them again for two weeks next month!

Roráte cæli désuper, et nubes pluant iustum: aperiátur terra, et gérminet Salvatórem.

This muggy Sunday at All Saints Ainslie we sang Prätorius' Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen under my direction. There was also a memorial minute of silence for the victims of the horrific Bondi shooting in Sydney last Sunday.

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen,	There is a rose up-springing,
aus einer Wurzel zart,	from a tender root,
wie uns die Alten sungen,	as the ancients have sung,
von Jesse kam die Art	it comes from Jesse's branch.
und hat ein Blümlein bracht	Its blossom flowering bright,
mitten im kalten Winter,	amidst the cold winter,
wohl zu der halben Nacht.	when half the night remains.
Das Röslein, das ich meine,	This little rose of which I sing,
davon Jesaja sagt,	of which Isaiah spoke,
hat uns gebracht alleine	was brought to us solely by
Marie, die reine Magd.	Mary, the pure maiden.
Aus Gottes ew'gem Rat	By God's eternal plan,
hat sie ein Kind geboren	a child was born to her
und blieb doch reine Magd.	but she remained a pure Maiden.
Das Blümelein so kleine,	That little blossom, so tiny,
das duftet uns so süß,	that to us smells so sweet,
mit seinem hellen Scheine	with its bright shining
Vertreibt's die Finsternis.	drives away the darkness.
Wahr' Mensch und wahrer Gott,	True man and truer God,
hilft uns aus allem Leide,	He aids us from all suffering,
rettet von Sünd und Tod.	and saves us from sin and death.

Edit: I tuned in to the mass at my old haunt St. Michael and All Saints and discovered that they sang the same anthem (but in English). Nice bit of synchronicity.

Edit 2: I also forgot to mention that last Wednesday, three of us also went to the Goodwin Retirement Village in Ainslie to sing for the Christmas service they held in their chapel, where we sang the Coventry Carol:

Lully, lullay, þow littell tyne childe,

by, by, lully, lullay.

þow littell tyne childe:

by, by, lully, lullay.

O! Sisters too, how may we do

for to preserve this day

this pore yongling for whom we do singe:

by, by, lully, lullay?

Herod, the king, in his raging,

chargid he hath this day,

his men of might in his owne sight,

all yonge children to slay.

That wo is me, pore childe, for Thee

and ever morne and day

for thi parting nether say nor singe:

by, by, lully, lullay.

Gaudéte in Dómino semper: íterum dico, gaudéte: modéstia vestra nota sit ómnibus homínibus: Dóminus prope est. Nihil sollíciti sitis: sed omni orátione petitiónes vestræ innotéscant apud Deum.

This "Gaudete" Sunday at All Saints Ainslie we had fun singing this medieval carol:

Gaudéte, gaudéte Christus est natus	Rejoice! Rejoice, Christ is born
ex María vírgine, Gaudéte!	of the Virgin Mary, Rejoice!
Tempus adest grátiæ, hoc quod optabámus,	The time of grace has come, of which we wished,
Carmina lætítiæ devóte reddámus!	Let us faithfully render songs of joy!
Deus homo factus est, nátura mirante	God has become Man, nature marvels.
Mundus renovátus est, a Christo regnánte	The world is renewed by the reigning Christ.
Ezechiélis porta clausa per tránsítur	The closed gate of Ezekiel is passed,
Unde lux est orta salus invenítur.	Whence light has risen, salvation is found.
Ergo nostra cóntio psallat iam in lústro,	Now let our assembly sing psalms to him in gladness,
Benedícat Dómino, salus regi nostro.	Let us bless the Lord, greetings to our King.
Gaudéte, gaudéte Christus est natus	Rejoice! Rejoice, Christ is born
ex María vírgine, Gaudéte!	of the Virgin Mary, Rejoice!

Populus Sion, ecce Dóminus véniet ad salvándas gentes: et audítam fáciet Dóminus glóriam vocis suæ, in lætítia cordis vestri.

This was a big Sunday at All Saints Ainslie. In the morning a small group of us sang Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring:

Jesu, joy of man's desiring,

Holy wisdom, love most bright;

Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring

Soar to uncreated light.

Word of God, our flesh that fashioned,

With the fire of life impassioned,

Striving still to truth unknown,

Soaring, dying round Thy throne.

Through the way where hope is guiding,

Hark, what peaceful music rings;

Where the flock, in Thee confiding,

Drink of joy from deathless springs.

Theirs is beauty's fairest pleasure;

Theirs is wisdom's holiest treasure.

Thou dost ever lead Thine own

In the love of joys unknown.

But, more significantly, we had our annual Lessons and Carols service. I cantored for the initial Matin Responsory based on a Nunc Dimittis by Palestrina (despite the fact the Carols for Choirs edition says it's based on a Magnificat):

I look from afar,

And lo, I see the power of God coming, and a cloud covering the whole Earth.

Go ye out to meet him and say:

Tell us, art thou he that should come to reign over thy people Israel?

High and low, rich and poor, one with another,

Go ye out to meet him and say:

Hear, O thou Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep,

Tell us, art thou he that should come?

Stir up thy strength, O Lord, and come

To reign over thy people, Israel.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

I look from afar,

And lo, I see the power of God coming, and a cloud covering the whole Earth.

Go ye out to meet him and say:

Tell us, art thou he that should come to reign over thy people Israel?

We had several guest singers join us including Rachel Mink and Dan Walker from Luminescence. Rachel sang the initial verse of Once In Royal David's City, after which we processed to the remaining verses. After the first lesson from yours truly, we performed Ord's Adam Lay Ybounden:

Adam lay ybounden, bounden in a bond.

Four thousand winter thought he not too long.

And all was for an apple, an apple that he took,

As clerkes finden written in their book.

Ne had the apple taken been, the apple taken been,

Ne had never our ladye a been heavené queen.

Blessed be the time that apple taken was,

Therefore we moun singen Deo Gracias.

Following another reading, we had one of my favourite Christmas classics, Prätorius' Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen.

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen,	There is a rose up-springing,
aus einer Wurzel zart,	from a tender root,
wie uns die Alten sungen,	as the ancients have sung,
von Jesse kam die Art	it comes from Jesse's branch.
und hat ein Blümlein bracht	Its blossom flowering bright,
mitten im kalten Winter,	amidst the cold winter,
wohl zu der halben Nacht.	when half the night remains.
Das Röslein, das ich meine,	This little rose of which I sing,
davon Jesaja sagt,	of which Isaiah spoke,
hat uns gebracht alleine	was brought to us solely by
Marie, die reine Magd.	Mary, the pure maiden.
Aus Gottes ew'gem Rat	By God's eternal plan,
hat sie ein Kind geboren	a child was born to her
und blieb doch reine Magd.	but she remained a pure Maiden.
Das Blümelein so kleine,	That little blossom, so tiny,
das duftet uns so süß,	that to us smells so sweet,
mit seinem hellen Scheine	with its bright shining
Vertreibt's die Finsternis.	drives away the darkness.
Wahr' Mensch und wahrer Gott,	True man and truer God,
hilft uns aus allem Leide,	He aids us from all suffering,
rettet von Sünd und Tod.	and saves us from sin and death.

After the next reading was the original traditonal arrangement of the Coventry Carol with the crunchy false relation in the cadence.

Lully, lullay, þow littell tyne childe,

by, by, lully, lullay.

þow littell tyne childe:

by, by, lully, lullay.

O! Sisters too, how may we do

for to preserve this day

this pore yongling for whom we do singe:

by, by, lully, lullay?

Herod, the king, in his raging,

chargid he hath this day,

his men of might in his owne sight,

all yonge children to slay.

That wo is me, pore childe, for Thee

and ever morne and day

for thi parting nether say nor singe:

by, by, lully, lullay.

The next reading was followed by O little town of Bethlehem with the Willcocks descant. Then, after the next reading we sang the significantly less common arrangement of the Basque carol Gabriel's Message, also known as the Angel Gabriel or the Most Highly Flavoured Gravy.

The Angel Gabriel from heaven came,

his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;

'All hail', said he, 'thou lowly maiden Mary

Most highly favoured lady, Gloria.'

'For known a blesséd Mother thou shalt be,

all generations laud and honour thee,

thy Son shall be Immanuel by seers foretold;

Most highly favoured lady, Gloria.'

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,

'To me be as it pleaseth God', she said,

'My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name':

most highly favoured lady, Gloria.

Of her, Immanuel, the Christ was born

in Bethlehem all on a Christmas morn,

and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:

'most highly favoured lady, Gloria.'

After one more reading, we performed what I think was a highlight of the whole service, and one of our best performances, Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium:

O mágnum mystérium	O great mystery,
et admirábile sacraméntum,	and wondrous sacrament,
ut animália vidérent Dóminum nátum,	that animals should see the newborn Lord,
jacéntem in præsépio.	lying in a manger.
Beáta virgo, cújus víscera meruérunt	Blessed virgin, whose womb was worthy
portáre Dóminum Chrístum. Alleluia	to bear the Lord Christ. Alleluia

Then we processed out while shepherds washed their socks and ascended to the organ loft for the remainder of the service, where we performed Warlock's Bethlehem Down. I heard that anthem was written on a napkin by an alcoholic and antitheist Peter Warlock in exchange for beer money, and that he died a few years after writing it. But the anthem itself is quite special.

When He is King we will give him the King's gifts,

Myrrh for its sweetness, and gold for a crown,

"Beautiful robes", said the young girl to Joseph

Fair with her first-born on Bethlehem Down.

Bethlehem Down is full of the starlight

Winds for the spices, and stars for the gold,

Mary for sleep, and for lullaby music

Songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold.

When He is King they will clothe Him in grave-sheets,

Myrrh for embalming, and wood for a crown,

He that lies now in the white arms of Mary

Sleeping so lightly on Bethlehem Down.

Here He has peace and a short while for dreaming,

Close-huddled oxen to keep Him from cold,

Mary for love, and for lullaby music

Songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold.

This was followed by another congregational carol with Willcocks descant, Hark the Herald Angels Sing and our last anthem of the evening, Wood's Hey you! The Middle Ball.

O thou the central orb of righteous love,

Pure beam of the Most High,

Eternal Light of this our wintry world,

Thy radiance bright awakes new joy in faith,

Hope soars above.

Come, quickly come and let thy glory shine,

Gilding our darksome heav'n 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 day to souls erewhile unclean,

now pure within.

Amen.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Christmas Carols service without the "Word of the Father" chord, so we finished up with Willcocks' arrangement of O Come, All Ye Faithful.

Ad te levávi ánimam méam: Déus méus in te confido, non erubéscam: neque irrídeant me inimíci mei: étenim univérsi qui te expéctant, non confundéntur.

This Sunday at All Saints Ainslie we were almost pre-warmed up from our rehearsal yesterday (for next week's Carol service). We sang Waters' lovely short anthem I sing of a maiden that is mateless:

I syng of a mayden þat is makeles,

kyng of alle kynges to here sone che ches.

He came also stylle þer his moder was

as dew in aprylle, þat fallyt on þe gras.

Moder & mayden, was neuer non but che –

wel may swych a lady, Godes moder be.

I am starting to organise a group of monthy Evensong singers for next year. If you want to contriubte your voice, please get in touch with me!

Also, as I recently got a collection of Tallis anthems to add to my score collection, I sang through a verse of Why fum'th in sight, the anthem that would, long after its writing, be rediscovered by Ralph Vaughan Williams and inspire his beautiful Fantasia for string orchestra.

DIGNUS est Agnus qui occísus est, accípere virtútem, et divinitátem, et sapiéntiam, et fortitúdinem, et honórem. Ipsi glória et impérium in sæcula sæculórum.

This Sunday we were very few in numbers and without a director at All Saints Ainslie but we held it together for Isom's King of all ages:

King of all Ages, throned on high,

Yet saviour too of those with faith,

Death at your onslaught died in fear,

And grace triumphant rules supreme.

Risen from death, the heav'nly Christ,

Receives from God the Father's hand,

Power over all created things,

A gift he could not know on Earth.

Then at your coming on the clouds,

With shining strength to be our judge,

Cancel the debt we owe you still,

Give back the glory we have lost.

Glory to you, O Christ our Lord,

Exalted far beyond our sight,

Reigning and forevermore,

with Father and with Paraclete.

I busted out my falsetto for a few bits, but we survived. The Carols and Lessons service is coming up on December 7th, so we have many rehearsals over the next few weeks.

Dicit Dóminus: Ego cógito cogitatiónes pacis, et non afflictiónis: invocábitis me, et ego exáudiam vos: et redúcam captivitátem vestram de cunctis locis.

This Sunday we were few in numbers at All Saints Ainslie but we sang well for Anna Þorvaldsdottir's Heyr þú oss himnum á, doing our best at the Icelandic pronunciation:

Heyr þú oss himnum á	Hear us in heaven,
hýr vor faðir, börn þín smá,	loving Father, as we, your small children,
lukku oss þar til ljá,	ask for the fortune
lif eilíft þér erfum hjá,	to receive eternal life.
og að þér aldrei flæmumst frá.	We shall not stray from your path.
Þitt ríki þróist hér	May we help your kingdom
það þín stjórn og kristni er,	to grow here on earth.
svo að menn sem flestir,	Following your guidance,
safnist, Guð, til handa þér,	we gather around in your name
fegin yfir því fögnum vér.	and gladly celebrate.
Síst skarta sönglist má,	We cannot make a joyful song
sé þar ekki elskan hjá,	unless we are moved by love.
syngjum þvi þýtt lof þá,	So let us sing our gentle praise
Þér, Guð drottinn, himnum á.	to you, Lord God, in heaven,
Maður rétt kristinn mun þess gá.	as the truly faithful have done.
En þegar aumir vér,	When our poor souls
öndumst burt úr heimi hér,	pass away from this world,
oss tak þá, Guð, að þér	take us God to you,
í þá dýrð, sem aldrei þver.	into your everlasting glory.
Amen, Amen, það eflaust sker.	Amen, Amen, may this be done.

We also are going to be thin on numbers for Christ the King next week, and I will be directing. I welcome any anthem suggestions that aren't too reliant on sopranos in particular.

Intret orátio mea in conspéctu tuo: inclína aurem tuam ad precem meam Dómine.

This Sunday I directed our choir at All Saints Ainslie for Purcell's Thou Knowest, Lord:

Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts:

Shut not, shut not thy merciful ears unto our prayer,

But spare us, Lord. Spare us, Lord most holy.

O God! O God most mighty! O holy and merciful Saviour,

Thou most worthy judge eternal,

Suffer us not, suffer us not at our last hour,

For any pains of death to fall from thee.

Amen.

We also had a brief meeting yesterday morning to discuss our future plans for the choir. We have some exciting music ahead, and some of us agreed to sing at a special service at Goodwin Retirement Living for the residents there during Advent. Next year at the church, we plan to have semi-regular concerts, and I will also be forming a small group to sing regular Evensong services.

Gaudeamus omnes in Dómino, diem festum celebrántes sub honóre Sanctórum ómnium: de quorum solemnitáte gaudent Angeli, et colláudant Fílium Dei.

Because this was the dedication feast for All Saints Ainslie, we sang Darke's Communion Service in F Major as well as I Sat Down by John Bairstow, with text taken from the Song of Solomon:

I sat down under his shadow with great delight,

and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was Love.

I sat down under his shadow.

We also had a small celebration of our choir and sanctuary party at Corroboree park in Ainslie.

We were blessed with a gorgeous sunset to conclude the evening.

Lætétur cor quæréntium Dóminum: quaérite Dóminum, et confirmámini: quaérite fáciem eius semper.

While I was still recovering from a cold, I sang with our choir at All Saints Ainslie for Anerio's gorgeous piece, Christus Factus Est (although the initial gorgeous passage is very reminiscent of another piece).

Christus factus est pro nobis obédiens	Christ became obedient for us,
usque ad mortem:	Even unto death:
Mortem autem crucis.	Death on the cross.
Propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum	Wherefore God has exalted him,
Et dedit illi nomen quod est super omne nomen.	And given him a name above all other names.

The Anerio was unaccompanied, and we had only piano accompaniment for the other music. Still, we sounded very nice I think.

Ego clamávi quóniam exaudísti me, Deus: inclína aurem tuam, et exáudi verba mea: custódi me, Dómine, ut pupíllam óculi: sub umbra alárum tuárum prótege me.

I had just flown back from Singapore, so I wasn't able to be present for All Saints Ainslie singing Tallis' Hear the voice and prayer but I did record myself singing all parts to it a week earlier before I flew out:

Hear the voice and prayer of thy servants,

that they make before thee this day:

That thine eyes may be open towards this house night and day,

Ever towards this place, ever towards this place

Of which thou hast said "My name shall be there".

And when thou hear'st, have mercy on them.

I had just flown into Sydney and coming down with a cold from a nightmare flight, but I was still able to stop by Christ Church St. Laurence for their Solemn High Mass. It was a lovely high church service. I wish we were as liturgically refined in Canberra. The Choir performed most of G.P. da Palestrina's Missa Aeterna Christi Munera, which is based on the eponymous Gregorian Chant melody, and Vaughan William's O Taste and See.

In voluntáte tua, Dómine, univérsa sunt pósita, et non est qui possit resístere voluntáti tuæ: tu enim fecísti ómnia, cælum et terram, et univérsa quæ cæli ámbitu continéntur: Dóminus universórum tu es.

Vir Dei Francíscus relíquit domum suam, dimísit hereditátem suam, inops et pauper factus est; Dóminus autem assúmpsit eum.

Our choir at All Saints Ainslie was in thin numbers but we lovingly performed Lloyd's View Me, Lord, under my baton (well, hand). It's a lovely poem from Thomas Campion:

View me, Lord, a work of thine.

Shall I then lie drown'd in night?

Might thy grace in me but shine,

I should seem made all of light.

Cleanse me, Lord, that I may kneel

At thine altar, pure and white.

They that once thy mercies feel

gaze no more on Earth's delight.

Worldly joys, like shadows, fade

When the heav'nly light appears;

But the cov'nants thou hast made,

Endless, know not days nor years.

In thy word, Lord, is my trust;

To thy mercies fast I fly.

Though I am but clay and dust,

Yet thy grace can lift me high.

We got many complements after the service and during the rehearsal.

In nómine Dómini omne genu flectátur, cæléstium, terréstrium et infernórum: quia Dóminus factus obédiens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis: ídeo Dóminus Iesus Christus in glória est Dei Patris.

Omnia quæ fecísti nobis, Dómine, in vero iudício fecísti, quia peccávimus tibi, et mandátis tuis non obedívimus: sed da glóriam nómini tuo, et fac nobíscum secúndum multitúdinem misericórdiæ tuæ.

I filled in as director of our choir at All Saints Ainslie today for our performance of Dubois' Ave Maria. I am getting more comfortable conducting us. I will be conducting again for next week's service as well.

Ave María, gratia plena, Dóminus tecum.	Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Benedícta tu in muliéribus et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.	Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Sancta María, mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatóribus,	Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners,
Nunc et in hora mortis nostræ. Amen.	Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

I think this week's service went really well. Congratulations to all involved!

I'm no longer attending Evensongs at St. Paul's or St. John's because it's now too far from my home in Dickson. Hopefully we can start some more frequent Evensong services at All Saints.

Salus pópuli ego sum, dicit Dóminus: de quacúmque tribulatióne clamáverint ad me, exáudiam eos: et ero illórum Dóminus in perpétuum.

Protexísti me Deus a convéntu malignántium, allelúia: a multitúdine operántium iniquitátem, allelúia, allelúia.

Venite benedícti Patris mei, percípite regnum, allelúia: quod vobis parátum est aborigine mundi, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia.

Our choir at All Saints Ainslie was in relatively full numbers, except that we had zero altos and no director. I filled in as director and appointed a few of our singers to cover the alto part for one of my favourite motets, Byrd's Ave Verum Corpus. We were originally set to sing Lloyd's Benedicta sit (for which I can find no recording), but the substitution was made to a more familiar anthem due to our shortage of altos and a director.

Ave verum corpus natum de María Vírgine,	Hail, true body, born of the Virgin Mary,
Vere passum immolátum in cruce pro hómine,	True suffering, sacrificed on the cross for Man,
Cuius latus perforátum unda fluxit sánguine,	From whose pierced side flowed waves of blood,
Esto nobis prægustátum in mortis exámine.	Be for us a foretaste in death's trial.
O dulcis, O pie, O Iesu fili Maríæ,	O sweet! O blessed! O Jesus, son of Mary,
Miserére mei, miserére mei, miserére mei.	Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, have mercy on me.

We sang at the front of the church today (as we had no organ) which I think gave a better acoustic. We got many complements after the service.

Miserére mihi Dómine, quóniam ad te clamávi tota die: quia tu Dómine suávis ac mitis es, et copiósus in misericórdia ómnibus invocántibus te.

Today our choir at All Saints Ainslie were about two to a part for Palestrina's well-known Sicut Cervus:

Sicut cervus desíderat ad fontes aquárum:	Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks:
ita desíderat ánima mea ad te, Deus.	So longeth my soul after thee, O God.

MIHI autem nimis honoráti sunt amíci tui, Deus: nimis confortátus est principátus eórum.

EGO autem sicut olíva fructificávi in domo Dómini, sperávi in misericórdia Dei mei: et exspectábo nomen tuum, quóniam bonum est ante conspéctum sanctórum tuórum.

Inclína Dómine, aurem tuam ad me, et exáudi me: salvum fac servum tuum, Deus meus, sperántem in te: miserére mihi, Domine, quóniam ad te clamávi tota die.

Today our choir at All Saints Ainslie sang Anton Brucker's classic Locus Iste:

Locus iste a Deo factus est.	This place is made by God,
Inaestimábile sacraméntum,	A priceless sacrament,
Irreprehensíbilis est.	Beyond reproach.
Locus iste a Deo factus est.	This place is made by God.

Strangely, it seems that Roman Catholics ignored the feast today, just celebrating the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time instead. Not sure why that was happening.

I didn't go to Evensong today, because I'm so busy setting up the ICFP programming contest and arranging my move to Dickson.

SIGNUM magnum appáruit in cælo: múlier amícta sole, et luna sub pédibus eius et in cápite eius coróna stellárum duódecim.

Gaudeámus omnes in Dómino, diem festum celebrántes sub honóre Maríæ Vírginnis: de cuius assumptióne gaudent Angeli, et colláudant Fílium Dei.

Protéctor noster áspice, Deus, et réspice in fáciem Christi tui: quia mélior est dies una in átriis tuis super míllia.

Today our choir at All Saints Ainslie was without a conductor, so I directed us as we performed Tallis' lovely motet, A New Commandment. Using multi-track recording, here's a rendition of me singing every part of it simultaneously (Closer to Tallis' original pitch than how we performed it):

A new commandment give I unto you, saith the Lord.

That ye love together, as I have loved you.

That e'enso ye love one another,

By this shall everyone know that ye are my disciples,

If ye have love, one to another.

It was also the first Sunday after the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I know it's not universally celebrated in Anglicanism, but CCSL had at least a feast of "Mary the Mother" and my old parish in Edinburgh had a full celebration of the Assumption. But there was nothing to note the assumption (nor the dormition) at the Anglican parishes of Canberra. Very disappointing.

I didn't go to Evensong today, because I'm so busy setting up the ICFP programming contest.

Tibi dixit cor meum, quæsívi vultum tuum, vultum tuum Dómine requíram: ne avértas fáciem tuam a me.

Respice Dómine, in testaméntum tuum, et ánimas páuperum tuórum ne derelínquas in finem: exsúrge Dómine, et iúdica causam tuam: et ne obliviscáris voces quæréntium te.

Today our choir at All Saints Ainslie was in full numbers for Pitoni's Cantate Domino, with lyrics from Psalm 149:

Cantáte Dómino cánticum novum,	Sing unto the Lord a new song,
Laus eius in ecclésia sanctórum,	and his praise in the congregation of saints,
Lætétur Israel in eo, qui fecit eum :	Let Israel rejoice in him that made him,
Et fíliæ Sion exsultent in rege suo.	Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

It was also the first Sunday after the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. I was a bit disappointed to see no Anglican observance of the feast.

I didn't go to Evensong today, although I intended to, because I took a wrong turn and ended up in the middle of nowhere, Reid. So the walk to St. John's would have taken the first ten minutes of the actual service. Oh well, at least I had a nice stroll.

Deus in adiutórium meum inténde: Dómine ad adiuvandum me festína: confundántur et revereántur inimíci mei, qui quærunt ánimam meam.

Today our choir at All Saints Ainslie was short on numbers and without a director, but we had enough singers to manage as I conducted Farrant's Lord, for thy tender mercy's sake:

Lord for thy tender mercy's sake

Lay not our sins to our charge,

But forgive that is past

And give us grace to amend our sinful lives.

To decline from sin and incline to virtue,

That we may walk in a perfect heart

Before thee now and evermore.

Amen.

It was also a special service for Missing Persons Sunday, so several members of the Australian Federal Police were present, along with some politicians and some families and friends of missing individuals.

I didn't go to Evensong today because I had to prepare my lectures.

Deus in loco sancto suo: Deus, qui inhabitáre facit unánimes in domo: ipse dabit virtútem et fortitúdinem plebi suæ.

Today our choir at All Saints Ainslie performed Batten's anthem O Sing Joyfully:

O sing joyfully, O sing joyfully unto God our strength;

Make a cheerful noise unto the God of Jacob.

Take the song, bring hither the tabret:

The merry harp with the lute! Blow up!

Blow up the trumpet in the new moon:

Ev'n in the time appointed and upon our solemn feast day.

For this was made a statute for Israel

And a law of the God of Jacob.

It was also the three years mind of the philosopher Geoffrey Brennan, the late husband of Margaret, a soprano in our choir. Perhaps by coincidence or perhaps because our director Alasdair chose it intentionally (I'm not sure which), we sang the appropriate hymn Be Still, My Soul which always brings a tear to my eye. It was also a hymn I selected for the funeral of my grandfather. I don't normally post the hymn lyrics here, but I'll make an exception in this case.

Be still, my soul! The Lord is on your side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to your God to order and provide;

In ev'ry change he faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul! Your best, your heav’nly friend

Thru' thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul! Your God does undertake

To guide the future as he has the past;

Your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul! the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while he lived below.

Be still, my soul! When dearest friends depart

And all is darkened in the vale of tears,

Then shall you better know his love, his heart,

Who comes to soothe your sorrow and your fears.

Be still, my soul! Your Jesus can repay

From his own fullness all he takes away.

Be still, my soul! The hour is hast'ning on

When we shall be forever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still my soul! When change and tears are past,

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

I didn't go to Evensong today because it was raining quite badly and I had to prepare my lectures.

Ecce Deus ádiuvat me, et Dóminus suscéptor est ánimæ meæ: avérte mala inimícis meis, in veritáte tua dispérde illos, protéctor meus Dómine.

Today our choir at All Saints Ainslie performed the amazing, brief, but very difficult anthem I Sat Down by John Bairstow, with text taken from the Song of Solomon:

I sat down under his shadow with great delight,

and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was Love.

I sat down under his shadow.

I didn't go to Evensong today both because I was busy and because I suspected the normal St. Paul's Choir would not be singing again.

Dum clamárem ad Dóminum, exaudívit vocem meam, ab his qui appropínquant mihi: et humiliávit eos, qui est ante saécula, et manet in ætérnum: iacta cogitátum tuum in Dómino, et ipse te enútriet.

While we were short on numbers, the choir of All Saints Ainslie performed the schmaltzy Ave Verum Corpus by Edward Elgar.

Ave verum corpus natum ex María Vírgine,	Hail, true body, born from the Virgin Mary,
Vere passum, immolátum in cruce pro hómine,	True suffering, sacrificed on the cross for Man,
Cuius latus perforátum vero fluxit sánguine,	From whose pierced side truly flowed blood,
Esto nobis prægustátum mortis in exámine.	Be for us a foretaste in death's trial.
O clemens, O pie, O dulcis Iesu fili Maríæ.	O kind! O blessed! O sweet Jesus son of Mary.

I went to Evensong at St. John the Baptist's in Reid again today. This time they had a very skilled flautist playing along with the organ for the prelude and the postlude, which was lovely. The choir was pretty ordinary as usual, but it is still a restorative service because of the beautiful church and the lovely language of the 1662 BCP.

Suscépimus, Deus, misericórdiam tuam in médio templi tui: secúndum nomen tuum Deus, ita et laus tua in fines terræ: iustítia plena est déxtera tua.

While we were short on numbers, the choir of All Saints Ainslie performed the lovely We Wait for Thy Loving-kindness, O God by William McKie. I performed the brief tenor solo intonations. I notice as I write this that the text is the same as the introit for this Sunday, which I wrote above.

We wait for thy loving-kindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

O God, according to thy name, so is thy praise unto the world's end.

Thy right hand is full of righteousness. Alleluia.

We wait for thy loving-kindness O God, in the midst of thy temple.

O Lord, send us now prosperity.

Amen.

As my parents were visiting I didn't end up making my way down to Manuka for Evensong today.

NUNC scio vere, quia misit Dóminus Angelum suum: et erípuit me de manu Heródis, et de omni expectatióne plebis Iudæórum.

I am sick today, so I wasn't able to attend my usual All Saints Ainslie, which performed the new-to-me In Remembrance from the Requiem by Eleanor Daley, the lyrics of which are part of the famous poem "A thousand winds" by Mary Elizabeth Frye.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;

I am not there. I did not die.

As I was absent, for some spiritual nourishment I remotely watched the morning eucharistic service at my favourite Anglo-catholic Sydney parish, Christ Church St. Laurence. Their choir gave a great performance of Missa Papae Marcelli from Palestrina (at least the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus and part of the Agnus Dei) as well as one of my favourite motets, Palestrina's Tu Es Petrus (without the Quodcúmque verse), while down the road at St. Mary's Cathedral, the choir performed Widor's setting of the same text, and in the evening they did Byrd's setting for vespers.

Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram ædificábo ecclésiam meam, et portæ ínferi non prevalébunt advérsus eam. Et tibi dabo claves regni cælórum.

You are Peter, and on this rock [petram] I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I will give you keys to the kingdom of heaven.

I also didn't go to any Evensong, but I did tune in to CCSL's broadcast, where they performed John Ireland's classic anthem, Greater Love Hath No Man.

Many waters cannot quench love,

neither can the floods drown it.

Love is strong as death.

Many waters cannot quench love –

Greater love hath no man than this:

That a man lay down his life

for his friends.

Who, his own self bare our sins

beneath his body on the tree.

That we, being dead to sin

should live unto righteousness.

Ye are washed.

Ye are sanctified.

Ye are justified in the name of the Lord, Jesus.

Ye are a chosen generation,

a royal priesthood, a holy nation;

that ye should show forth the praises of Him

who hath called you out of darkness,

into his marvellous light.

I beseech you brethren, by the mercy of God,

that ye present your bodies, a living sacrifice.

Holy, holy, holy, acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service.

Cibávit eos, ex ádipe fruménti, allelúia: et de petra, melle saturávit eos, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia.

Sadly despite our choir at All Saints Ainslie performing music appropriate for the Corpus Christi feast, the Anglican church of Australia seems not to observe the feast (Correction: Anglo-catholics in Sydney and Melbourne did last Thursday, but not Canberra). I couldn't find a single benediction of the blessed sacrament in Catholic or Anglican churches inside Canberra, either last Thursday (the actual date of the feast) or today on Sunday (the external solemnity). I remember the beautiful benediction I attended at Old St. Paul's in Edinburgh last year on Corpus Christi, and it made me miss the United Kingdom and increased my frustration with the state of churches in Canberra. Anyway, we performed a new-to-me piece by Tallis, Verily verily, I say unto you, with text based on the Gospel of John.

Verily, verily, I say unto you:

Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man

and drink his blood,

ye have no life in you.

Whoso eateth my flesh,

And drinketh my blood,

Hath eternal life.

For my flesh is meat indeed,

and my blood is drink indeed,

He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood

Dwelleth in me, and I in him.

Edit (2025-11-02): I have now recorded myself singing this piece, although I cheated with the soprano part and recorded it two tones lower, then digitally transposed it up.

I didn't bother with Evensong today, because of the missing benediction.

BENEDICTA sit sancta Trínitas, atque indivísa Unitas: confitébimur ei, quia fecis nobíscum misericórdiam suam.

Caritas Dei diffúsa est in córdibus nostris, allelúia: per inhabitántem Spíritum eius in nobis, allelúia, allelúia.

For today's Trinity Sunday at All Saints Ainslie we sang Herbert Howells' deceptively tricky (due to the time signature) anthem, My eyes for beauty pine, with text from Robert Bridges.

My eyes for beauty pine,

My soul for Goddës grace:

No other care nor hope is mine,

To heaven I turn my face.

One splendour thence is shed

From all the stars above :

'Tis named when God's name is said,

'Tis Love, 'tis heavenly Love.

And every gentle heart,

That burns with true desire,

Is lit from eyes that mirror part

Of that celestial fire.

I once again skipped out on Evensong today due to poor health and extremely bad weather.

SPIRITUS Dómini replévit orbem terrárum, allelúia: et hoc quod cóntinet ómnia, sciéntiam habet vocis, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia.

Our choir at All Saints Ainslie was without a director again, and we were down to a skeleton crew: excluding myself, we had only one singer per part. Fortunately they were all strong singers and we sounded wonderful as I conducted one of my favourite motets, Byrd's Ave Verum Corpus.

Ave verum corpus natum de María Vírgine,	Hail, true body, born of the Virgin Mary,
Vere passum immolátum in cruce pro hómine,	True suffering, sacrificed on the cross for Man,
Cuius latus perforátum unda fluxit sánguine,	From whose pierced side flowed waves of blood,
Esto nobis prægustátum in mortis exámine.	Be for us a foretaste in death's trial.
O dulcis, O pie, O Iesu fili Maríæ,	O sweet! O blessed! O Jesus, son of Mary,
Miserére mei, miserére mei, miserére mei.	Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, have mercy on me.

Atrocious weather meant that I didn't make my way to St. John's or St. Paul's for Evensong today.

Exáudi, Dómine, vocem meam, qua clamávi ad te, allelúia: tibi dixit cor meum, quæsívi vultum tuum, vultum tuum Dómine requíram: ne avértas fáciem tuam a me, allelúia, allelúia.

With the start of winter heralded by a very misty and chilly morning, our choir at All Saints Ainslie was nonetheless in full numbers and good voice today, performing Stainer's classic God so loved the world, from his oratorio The Crucifixion, with lyrics from the Gospel of John:

God so loved the world,

God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,

That whoso believeth, believeth in Him

Should not perish, should not perish but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world,

God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that through him the world might be saved.

God so loved the world,

God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,

That whoso believeth, believeth in Him

Should not perish, should not perish but have everlasting life.

Everlasting life, everlasting life.

God so loved the world.

God so loved the world.

I also attended Evensong again at St. Paul's Manuka. It wasn't BCP unfortunately, but the choir was quite good this time, performing the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis from the Evening Service in B♭ by Charles V. Stanford. The anthem was also a Stanford motet, Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem.

Viri Galilæi, quid admirámini aspiciéntes in cælum? Allelúia: quemádmodum vidístis eum ascendéntem in cælum, ita véniet, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia.

Our choir at All Saints Ainslie was the only one in Canberra, it seems, that actually sang at a service on Ascension day, rather than the subsequent Sunday. We sang Christopher Tye's The Eternal Gates.

Th'eternal gates lift up their heads,

The doors are open wide;

The King of Glory is gone up

unto his Father's side.

And ever on our earthly path

A gleam of glory lies;

A light still breaks from behind the cloud

that veils thee from our eyes.

Vocem iucunditátis annuntiáte, et audiátur, allelúia: nuntiáte usque ad extrémum terræ: liberávit Dóminus pópulum suum, allelúia, allelúia.

This week our choir at All Saints Ainslie were again without a director, so I conducted as we sang Théodore Dubois' setting of the Good Friday Antiphon Adorámus te, Christe.

Adorámus te, Christe,	We adore you, O Christ,
et benedícimus tibi,	and we bless you,
quia per sanctam crucem tuam	because by your holy cross
redemísti mundum.	you have redeemed the world.

I also attended Evensong again at St. Paul's Manuka. Unlike last week, the proper choir was in this time, and they used the 1662 Book of Common Prayer rather than the much inferior Common Worship. The preces and responses were from Philip Moore's Third Service and the anthem was Samuel Wesley's Blessed be the God and Father. I've definitely sung this at some point, but I don't recall if it was at Ainslie or at St. Michael and All Saints, Edinburgh (I think the latter). The St. Paul's Choir has some very proficient sopranos, but my biased opinion says that our group at Ainslie sings more musically and in better ensemble.

Cantáte Dómino cánticum novum, allelúia: quia mirabília fecit Dóminus, allelúia: ante conspéctum géntium revelávit iustítiam suam, allelúia, allelúia.

This week our choir at All Saints Ainslie were without a director, so I filled in as needed. We sang Samuel Wesley's Lead me, Lord from his larger work, Praise the Lord, My Soul.

Lead me, Lord. Lead me in thy righteousness,

Make thy way plain before my face.

For it is thou, Lord; thou, Lord only,

That makest me dwell in safety.

I also attended Evensong at St. Paul's Manuka. Sadly the normal choir wasn't in today, but it was still a restorative service. They used Common Worship, so it was missing some of the collects I like, but they interestingly included a responsórium breve. The building isn't my favoured sandstone but it's a rather nice brick church. Afterwards I briefly popped into the nearby Catholic St. Christopher's Cathedral for evening Mass. The building is a little bit less pleasant than its Anglican neighbour, but the service was very well attended. The music was entirely forgettable hymn standards.

Misericórdia Dómini plena est terra, allelúia: verbo Dei cæli firmáti sunt: allelúia, allelúia, allelúia.

This week our choir at All Saints Ainslie sang View Me, Lord by Richard Lloyd. The lyrics are from a poem by Thomas Campion:

View me, Lord, a work of thine!

Shall I then lie drown'd in night?

Might thy grace in me but shine,

I should seem made all of light.

Cleanse me, Lord, that I may kneel

At thine altar, pure and white;

They that once thy mercies feel,

Gaze no more on earth's delight.

Worldly joys like shadows fade

When the heav'nly light appears;

But the cov'nants Thou hast made,

Endless, know not days nor years.

In thy word, Lord, is my trust,

To thy mercies fast I fly;

Though I am but clay and dust,

Yet thy grace can lift me high.

This was also the first Sunday service since the accession of Pope Leo XIV to the Chair of St. Peter. My old choir at St. Mary's Cathedral sang one of my favourite pieces, Palestrina's Tu Es Petrus, to mark the occasion.

Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram ædificábo ecclésiam meam, et portæ ínferi non prevalébunt advérsus eam. Et tibi dabo claves regni cælórum.	You are Peter, and on this rock [petram] I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I will give you keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Quodcúmque ligáveris super terram erit ligátum et in cælis. Et quodcúmque sólveris super terram erit solútum et in cælis.	Whatsoever you bind upon the earth shall be bound also in heaven. And whatsoever you loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven.
Et tibi dabo claves regni cælórum.	And I will give you keys to the kingdom of heaven.

Iubiláte Deo omnis terra, allelúia: psalmum dícite nómini eius, allelúia: date glóriam laudi eius, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia.

This week our choir at All Saints Ainslie sang a John Goss anthem, "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us", for which I cannot find any recording online.

Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast.

Not with old leav'n, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness,

but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Quasi modo géniti infántes, allelúia: rationábiles, sine dolo lac concupíscite, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia.

This week our choir at All Saints Ainslie sang the Thomas Tallis classic, If ye love me. Our normal director couldn't be there for the service, so I filled in as conductor where needed.

If ye love me, keep my commandments,

and I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter,

that he may bide with you forever, e'en the spirit of Truth.

RESURREXI, et adhuc tecum sum, allelúia: posuísti super me manum tuam, allelúia: mirábilis facta est sciéntia tua, allelúia, allelúia.

This week our choir at All Saints Ainslie finished the Paschal Triduum gauntlet. Among many wonderful pieces of music, we sang Maurice Duruflé's Ubi caritas on Maundy Thursday, Tomas Luis de Victoria's Reproaches (with chant verses from yours truly) on Good Friday, and This Joyful Eastertide arranged by Charles Wood today.

I also sang the Exsultet, the Easter Proclamation, video below. I arranged my own version by expurgating some bits from the Roman Missal for length and to suit the Anglican tradition of All Saints [the background noise dies down after about a minute]. I had a strained muscle in my back, so I am thankful that I managed to finish in the same key that I started in.