Church Music Corner › Ash Wednesday 2026 [loc-003B]

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!