Church Music Corner › Feast of St. Matthew 2025 [loc-001Y]

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.