Church Music Corner › Corpus Christi 2025 [loc-0010]

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.